Radio One clearly believes in sports in the Charlotte market. The company has swapped frequencies for WFNZ and hip hop station The Block. The move gives WFNZ a full-strength FM signal at 92.7 FM. The Block moves to translator signal 102.5 FM.
WFNZ can still be heard on its original 610 AM signal. The FM swap moves sports talk from a 200 watt signal to one with 10,500 watts of power.
“After decades of operating on the AM dial, we are thrilled to finally bring Charlotte sports fans to 92.7FM,” said WFNZ brand manager Terry Foxx.
The station waited until Tuesday morning to announce the move. The information came as a relief to some listeners, who were confused and frustrated on Monday when WFNZ disappeared from the 102.5 signal.
“Charlotte has continued to grow as a great sports city and Sports Radio WFNZ will continue to grow with it,” said Marsha Landess, Radio One, Inc. Charlotte/Richmond Regional Vice President. “Now on a more powerful FM signal, with continued live and local talent, we will be able to super serve more of our listeners and clients with broader market coverage on the FM dial.”
As for The Block, Radio One is not giving up on the hip hop format. the station has been making gains on Power 98 in recent months. The heritage station is owned by Beasley. The lead in the most recent trends is still huge for Power 98. The signal swap allows Radio One to stay in the hip hop competition and still maximize revenue.
