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WABB 97.5 Signs Off Forever; Atmore Licensed 104.1 Looks To Fill Void
March 1, 2012
After nearly 50 years, WABB 97.5 FM signed off into the history books at midnight Wednesday, as Cumulus Media flipped formats on Atmore licensed 104.1 in an attempt to fill the void left as 97.5 FM began playing a satellite Christian music format.
WABB 97.5 — one of the oldest rock/contemporary radio stations in the country — was sold to not-for-profit EMF (Educational Media Foundation) of Rocklin, CA. EMF took over all programming and the format for the station on Thursday, switching 97.5 FM to the Christian K-Love format. The station’s call letters were changed to WLVM 97.5 FM.
At the same moment, what was WYOK 104.1 FM switched from their variety hits “104.1 Jack-FM” format to the same contemporary hit format that was on WABB. The station also changed call letters to the very similar to WABB sounding WABD 104.1. The station, WABD 104.1 FM, is licensed to Atmore, but does not operate from the city.
Scott Adams, who was the morning host on “Journey 100″, which is also owned by Cumulus, tweeted that he’s headed to WABD 104.1. Adams is former DJ on WABB.
Comments
38 Responses to “WABB 97.5 Signs Off Forever; Atmore Licensed 104.1 Looks To Fill Void”
What ever happened to Ron Frazier, David Blake, Gary Mitchell, David Page and Leslie. I have fond memories of listening to Ron Frazier and David Blake when I was getting ready to go to school in the morning.
I am soooooo glad that Blondie and Q-Tip went to another radio station, sorry to hear they supposedly took away your oldies music, but hey, somebody out there took our music away too! I am over 35 and loved 97.5 and now Im loving me some 104.1, If I want to listen to the 80’s then I have c.d.’s for that purpose! Its nice to keep up with the newest music and love to listen to Blondie and Q-Tip in the morning!!!!
This is bullcrap. Im sorry, but K_Love for those who are into it ok, but to take over one of the longest running hit music stations in this area is stupid. K Love is already on 95.7 Am, its a joke. I was listeing today as i forget about it, and couldnt believe what i heard. I am 30 years old WABB is a huge part of my life, i still have tapes from the early 90’s when i was in my early teens, when i would record songs i loved, i still listen to them to remember 1994 was a good summer. My favorite DJ was named Crash, he was on at night, i remember taking the songs as i had a dual tape deck and doing my own weekly top 10. BUT this is sad.
I remember wabb from my days in high school in the late 70s to very early 80s, their slogan was “only rock and roll”. It was THE station, you just didn’t listen to anyone else, the greatest station ever! I still remember the day Ron Frazier quit live on the air. Gary Mitchell with newsman David Page, Leslie and the hounddog those were some great djs. Then they started slipping in some pop music along with their rock music, it was a sad day when a Michael Jackson song was introduced. The funny thing was they kept the same Djs. I guess the final straw for me was the day Paul Fuller, who could not survive without playing his morning dose of Freebird, introduces a Shalamar song and tries to sound excited about it. I stopped listening to them that day and never listened to them again, those are some good memories.
Joe – and YES, the old 97.5 was trashy and disgusting!!
Joe – believe it or not, I was talking about the NEW 97.5, which is contemporary Christian music…I don’t listen to “top 40″ music…unless you are talking about the top 40 Christian songs!!
Atmoredude, you might not believe this….but….not everybody appreciates or wants to hear top 40 music. Just because you disagree with the others posting on here, doesn’t mean their comments are “disgusting”.
This thread is disgusting and shows the type of people here…97.5 starts playing Christian music and all you guys can talk about is how awful Jack FM is now. I have a suggestion…LISTEN to 97.5 now…?!?!?!?!
I agree with most people on here. I LOVED JACK. The crap on there now sucks. I have cd’s to keep me entertained, but I dearly miss JACK. I heard songs there that I had long forgotten. It was the one station my co-workers and I all agreed on. (Ages 18-76).
I get so disgusted with the music I hear on the radio these days. I was gassing up in Atmore the other day and there was a young woman fueling an SUV next to me. Her stereo was going boom boom. The only word I could undersand was a loud DELETED, and boom, boom. I made eye contact with the woman, grinned and said, that joker sure likes to DELETED, don’t he. She had the most astonished look on her face and then went and turned her stereo off and left. I cannot stand that hiphop junk. I hope the new Atmore station does not get bogged down in all that garbage.
Please bring back Jack! What do I run to now? Loved it…
Bring Star 104 back! 80’s music all the time.
I can’t say I’m sorry to have WABB off the air. I can’t see how anyone with kids can listen to that music for the last five years and then expect their kids to be anything but promiscuous and womanizers. Nearly time I turn it on, I hear something inappropriate within the first minute. However, this the same with BLX, TK, and most country stations as well.
WOO HOO! Get Scott Adams on the air ASAP — so glad Cumulus stepped in to fill the void left by WABB. We need some on air talent, to break up the loop of far too few songs they’ve been playing for the last 2 days. Thanks Cumulus!
Definitely will be finding a new radio station! I loved the classic rock. I guess I’ll go to 96.1! Sad!!
Wow…ruined two radio stations with one blow.
Not that I have anything against live DJs sharing the mundane things happening in their world….
I agree with other comments that 104 FM has been absolutely ruined. I had no clue about this Cumulus shuffle, but I had my radio on 104 last night and at some point said, “WTH is this”, that I was listening to? It sounded like Techno Babble.
For those who can pick up the signal, 102.1 FM has pretty good music. I think they are out of south Okaloosa County. They used to be “Eagle Rock” a few years ago. I’m not sure what their call sign is, but they have been playing good Rock for years. Hopefully Cumulus does not own them.
92.1 zew is good station out of Mobile, but it doesn’t pick up over here very well.
104.1 is absolutely horrible now. Way to screw up something that everyone liked. Bring back Jack!
Is the people from 97.5 going to 104.1 because they really made the radio station, It wasn’t just about the music with them! They loved their jobs and their fans just as much as we loved them!
It’s obvious everyone here is over 30. LOL
I myself listen to Journey 100.7, but let’s face it, WABB and now WABD is for young people.
For those of you who liked Jack Fm you still can hear it on the web at
http://www.jack.fm/radio-stations/usa
and
http://player.streamtheworld.com/liveplayer.php?callsign=SPARKNET
I also liked Jack 104.1 and now it is trash music. I liked Jack FM because it played more music from the 80’s era. Guess I will have to go to XM Radio now.
i have listened to wabd all day today and i think the station totally “ROCKS’ i have u in my car, in my home, and on my phone. I am excited to see what you guys have in store for us in the future. I wish u the best and will be listening ALL THE TIME. Thanks for carrying the torch into the future. You will do great. I was a 97.5 fan now i am a 104.1 fan.
lovee this <3 im soo glad we have WABD i do miss wabb but atleast they have music on here? :T
BRING BACK THE JACK!!!!!!!
I agree with the rest of you. Jack FM stinks now. Guess I’m going station shopping again.
I never thought I would change my dial from TK until I stubled across JackFM. I never changed after I started listening to it until today. Total garbage now! Thanks for ruining a good station with a great variety of music. Back to TK for me I guess.
There should be an “underground” type radio station in this area that isn’t afraid to play music that is off the top 40 grid..like WABB used to be in the 70’s…like a cool, college radio station.
I will miss WABB because I grew up with them, not because of the music. I hardly listened to it anymore. Honestly, I loved Jack FM. I understand and appreciate them trying to keep the WABB fans happy, but they played better music.
Thank Goodness for Country music!!
I know that it is sad and all that WABB went off the air,because they were here for like over 30 years. But lets be honest,with the exception of yesterday, the music on WABB was garbage!! So now they ruin Jack FM,a station that played real music. WABB signs off,then 104.1 sells out.
104.1 is horrible now!
Thank God for Sirius-XM!
JackFM on 104.1 wasn’t bad- nice mix.
Their new “hiphop party station” format is awful. 2or 3 of these stations is more than enough for the area.
WABB from the 70’s-early 80’s- King Biscuit Flour Hour, Dr. Demento, SixPack (6 entire albums, not 6 “tracks”)- first place I ever heard Frank Zappa, or New Rider of the Purple Sage, Yes, and so many more–
Nothing against Christ, but don’t we have enough of those stations already, as well? Are we headed for a Taliban-like Theocracy, where only “approved” formats will be tolerated?
96.1 is probably an automated station, with a central play list. The only Electrict Light Orchestra Song they play is Fire on High, what about stuff like Birmingham Blues, MaMa Belle, I would like to hear Frank Marino, Spirit, they only play a few Rolling Stones songs. I think a classic Rock D.J. should be at least 30 year of age and a classic rock station should play more than just the top 5 songs of each year. The WABB of the 70s, Album format was the perfect rock station. I bet there are tapes from some of those shows, somewhere?
96.1 The Rocket does play classic rock…………..Do you listen to them?
I hope Atmore 104.1 plays more Classic Rock.