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MATC Radio’s Gainesville-based hip-hop, Magic 101.3, has started using the signal of its sister station, R&B 94.1. This temporary arrangement is due to damage to Magic’s radio tower caused by Hurricane Helene. The original signal will be restored once the tower is rebuilt.
R&B 94.1 has relocated AM 980.
In an interview with Gainesville’s Main Street Daily News, Program Director Vinny Foo said, “Our first move was to start pushing the new streams as we have huge listenership in Gainesville and Ocala. We want to make sure our listeners keep their daily routine.”
Last Thursday, Hurricane Helene’s strong winds brought down Magic’s tower near Williston and caused significant damage to the transmitter building’s roof.
In his two decades in radio, Foo described this as the most challenging broadcasting issue he has encountered. He emphasized that Magic is not the sole station dealing with such problems; some are even more severe.
“There are stations dealing with the floods up north that have been wiped out,” Foo said. “Seeing that some stations lost everything, from studios to towers, is really heartbreaking. While our issue is a serious issue, we do know others are in worse situations.”
