99X at 98.9 becomes 98.9/The Bone, grabs Project 9-6-1’s hard rock mantle
99X at 98.9, owned by Atlanta-based Cumulus Media, is grabbing the active rock mantle from Project 9-6-1, which switched to top 40 Wednesday evening.
“We are the saviors of rock,” proclaimed John Dickey, head of Cumulus programming. “We ran Clear Channel out of format. We are going to save rock for all Atlantans.” He noted that they picked up the Regular Guys after 96rock dumped them. “Clear Channel tried to kill off rock. We’re going to save it.”
The station made the switch at noon Saturday with references to Green Day, Offspring, Linkin Park and Godsmack. The first song was Volbeat’s “Warrior’s Call,” followed by the Foo Fighters “Rope.”
Atlanta-based Cumulus, the second largest radio company in the country behind Clear Channel, has reserved 989thebone.com,which is just a black screen right now. The company has a rock station called the Bone in San Francisco. Someone found a Facebook page for 98.9 the Bone, too, with the logo above right.
(As for Clear Channel’s move to top 40 with Power 96.1, he said, “They have to get through Star and Q100. I don’t think that’s going to happen any time soon. Ryan Seacrest isn’t going to save the day for them. What a mess they’ve dug themselves into.” An effort to reach the new market manager at Clear Channel Matt Scarano failed to render a response.)
For fans of Metallica, Alice in Chains, P.O.D. and Shinedown, this is somewhat good news.
The downside: the signal at 98.9 is relatively weak, a far cry from what 96.1 can project, so it’s not going to be helpful to many harder rock lovers who live outside the Perimeter.
The official change is at noon Saturday with a new name. Right now, the station is airing a sampling of songs that are going to be on the playlist.
Fans of 99X’s alternative rock format are going to be disappointed, of course, especially since Dave FM, 99X’s closest cousin, is also dying off in a few weeks for sports talk.
99X’s ratings on such a weak signal were very modest so Cumulus probably figured the signal could pick up more listeners with active rock. It’s a fairly safe bet without a lot of downside.
As a personal fan of Triple A and alternative rock, I’m glad I have Sirius/XM and of course, umpteenth music options on my iPhone to boot.
Historically, 99X was a powerhouse in the 1990s but alternative rock lost its mojo in the 2000s and by early 2008, the station was left online only. In April, 2009, when a translator signal at 97.9 became available, Cumulus placed it back on the FM airwaves. The station in 2011 moved to the very weak 99.1, then to the slightly better signal at 98.9.
I have no clue if 99X will come back in any form. Sister station Rock 100.5 could potentially shift its music mix to attract the now lost Dave/99X listeners. Or not. We shall see soon.
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By Rodney Ho, Radio & TV Talk
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133 comments Add your comment
PS
September 4th, 2012
8:26 am
I am baffled that everyone keeps harping on “alternative is dead!” Can someone explain to me why some of the biggest songs of the year were initially played on alt stations, then, before pop stations grabbed them? “Somebody That I Used to Know,” “We Are Young,” etc. Star94, Q100, etc. didn’t even come close to touching these songs until well after 99X and Dave had them in their rotations for MONTHS.
Pippy Short Stockings
September 4th, 2012
9:17 am
After listening on and off over the holiday weekend I have determined Power 96 is just a rebadged Wild 105.7 FM. They play the same song again the next hour and are doing their best to force that juvenile Elvis Duran morning show down our throats. Sadly there isn’t a good radio station anymore in Atlanta. Not that it was good before, but it just gets worse!
Rebecca
September 4th, 2012
9:20 am
Why did they have to change 99x’s format? I love that station and why get rid of DAVE FM because I love that station too! Corporate radio sucks!
Suzanne McGuire
September 4th, 2012
9:28 am
Atlanta needs a REAL rock station! KBPI on iheartradio has been my savior!
Calling It Like It Is
September 4th, 2012
9:56 am
News flash…Rock and Alternative formats are not dead…just dead in Atlanta, thanks to Cumulus and Clear Channel. The only way anyone will be able to hear either of these genres is if they crack the Top 40 and Power, Star, Q100, or B98 adds them to their rotation. Now there is no terrestrial station where these songs will be played until they break the Top 40, i.e. Gotye.
Put up all the petitions you want, but it doesn’t mean squat to the big media companies. They could care less, as they are so out of touch with the local markets. Were there any focus groups done to determine that another Top 40 was needed for that Alternative needed to go away altogether or that we need a Sports Talk station instead of an Adult Alternative? The River is the go-to station if you want to hear The Eagles. There is so much more that The Rriver can do, but chooses not to. The same holds true for Rock 100.5. They tend to blur the lines between Rock/Classic Rock/Alternative. They are a station that can’t decide who they want to be.
Cumulus says “they are here to save Rock”. I laugh every time I read that. They already have a Rock station, but can’t get the program right to save their lives. 4 hours of TRG is way more than I can stomach. Dave is the only one that plays any kind of music during morning drive. It’s a novel concept. Rock 100 and Q100 are more or less Talk Radio in the morning, with Q targeting women and Rock 100 targeting adolescent and young males. Not everyone (including myself), falls in that demographic. We would just like to hear some music, with some talk sprinkled in.
Rock 100 need to redefine itself and 98.9 “The Bone” (obviously targeting the adolescent males) needs to be moved from a translator and given more signal strength. Otherwise, who’s going to hear it unless you are inside the Perimeter. Both need to start from the ground up and create a couple of clearly different, well defined formats. Listener input would only enhance the station. Remember the tag line of 99x (”I am 99x”)? Stations built and supported by loyal listeners…what a novel concept!
HD radio guy
September 4th, 2012
9:57 am
Does anyone know the status of the HD versions of the stations in flux? 96.1.2 hasn’t changed its format – still about the same as 96.1.
How about 92.9.2? Sticking with Country Rock/Yallternative
99X lived on after they killed it last time on 99.7.2, but none of its previous HD homes seem to have it now.
Lyndsey Marie... 3 thumbs up
September 4th, 2012
10:23 am
Good riddance to 9-6-1……. Chris Williams is a loser
Travis
September 4th, 2012
10:31 am
Someone save us from these Big corporate jack holes. I don’t want rock or pop, or the boner, I want alternative, I want 99X
Roklvr
September 4th, 2012
11:05 am
download TuneIn app and check out 97.9 KUPD. Great format and morning show. We will never have anything like this in ATL. You will hear new music months before it makes it over here.
Luke
September 4th, 2012
12:10 pm
@PS that’s great but even Dave and 99X were STILL months behind online radio stations, sirius, etc. playing those songs. By the time they hit the local radio stations, they were already overplayed but that is typical Atlanta, having to be told what is cool.
More than ANGRY!!!
September 4th, 2012
12:34 pm
I am confused as to how any of these changes help me. Bring back 96 Rock and 99X on 99.7!
More than ANGRY!!!
September 4th, 2012
12:36 pm
…and Z-93!
Robert
September 4th, 2012
12:38 pm
I am 99X
Matt
September 4th, 2012
1:56 pm
Saviors of rock? Dissing the project family on their facebook? Yeah, thats gonna win us over…
Rockie
September 4th, 2012
6:26 pm
I began listening the the Project about a year ago on my iphone along with the Edge out of Little Rock because Memphis lost it’s only true hard rock/ metal station in 2009. (It’s now sports radio.) It was a very sad day. It broke my heart when 96.1 disappeared. What are these stations thinking? I know I am only one person, but I am boycotting all of Clear Channel’s radio stations be it here in Memphis or anywhere else in the country. Sorry, the Edge.
Marty Barringer
September 5th, 2012
7:06 am
What, you guys still in High School? “The Bone”. Who’s the genius that came up with that one?
Jimmy Foley
September 5th, 2012
10:33 am
Great! More D bag butt rock! Shinedown? Linkin Park? Finger 11? All garbage for the dumbest portion of the population.
Winners and losers in Atlanta radio with all the changes | Radio & TV Talk
September 5th, 2012
11:04 am
[...] Alternative rock station 99X at 98.9 on Saturday turned into a hard rock station 98.9/The Bone on a signal that doesn’t reach much beyond the [...]
thankfull
September 5th, 2012
12:35 pm
thank u cumulus for saving hard rock!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
as an hard rock fan for life it really hurt when clear channel dropped the project for a pop station we have like 3 or 4 already!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! cumulus are the saviors of rock and they will be even better than the project i can guaranty it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Damien
September 5th, 2012
4:25 pm
SAVE THE PROJECT PEOPLE NOBODY WANTS TO HEAR THIS POP CRAP!!!!!!!!
Kel
September 5th, 2012
10:20 pm
Who was the idiot who said satellite radio was a growth industry? I believe it was “CA”. Newsflash, satellite radio is a dying industry. They can’t pay their bills because their product is terrible and customers are dropping them in droves. They install it free in new vehicles and 90% of the recipients don’t renew when the free period is over because the product is so bad. They have more commercials, terrible fidelity, and the worst customer service in the world. Hey, why not invest some of your money in Sirrius/XM if you believe in it so strongly. It won’t be around much longer.
Tara
September 5th, 2012
10:24 pm
After threatening to jump to satellite forever, today I finally did it. Dave going away was the straw. No kore acoustic sunrise on Sunday and no more radio free lunch. How can such a major market have such crappy radio?
Don
September 5th, 2012
10:58 pm
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/save-project-961/?m=0
jmb
September 5th, 2012
11:37 pm
What’s wrong with alternative music?!?!?!?
No worries, the radio has lost my ear…Lithium and Alt Nation provide me what I need…advertisment free…even better!!!
steve
September 6th, 2012
7:46 am
Get Satellite radio people!!! Public radio is run by advertising agencies now!! After the regular guys go off at 10am turn on your satellite radio. There is nothing else on FM. Sports talk 790 used to be a great station with the 2 live Stews,The Saloon, and Mayhem is the AM but the hosts are now getting paid by big advertising. Sattelite radio is now the only way you can listen to great music,news and sportstalk.
chaz
September 6th, 2012
8:14 am
PLEASE do NOT pick up some idiot dj for “morning radio”, ie Kidd Chris or the Regular Guys. Just play music as is being done now. If I want to hear some idiot talk on the radio I’d tune in to Rush.
OLD TIMER
September 6th, 2012
8:45 am
Atlanta radio hasn’t been the same ever since 94Q got rid of Gary McKee and Yeta Levit.
McClain
September 6th, 2012
11:02 am
It really sucks that they brought back 99X just to send it to die on a lousy signal. All of this aggressive rawk is terrible and a big part of what killed the original 99X in the first place. Atlanta radio is going to hell and it makes me glad I have an iPod dock in my car
Longtime XM/Sirius Holdout
September 6th, 2012
12:58 pm
Goodbye Atlanta radio. It’s been a long, twisted, epic journey but it’s time to move on…..
Max
September 6th, 2012
2:17 pm
Bring back 99x!!
Samantha
September 7th, 2012
8:40 am
I can’t believe 99x is gone with no warning. I am 26 and have grown up listening to this station. I’m soooo upset.
Nate Plant
September 7th, 2012
3:08 pm
yes yes yes!!! HORNS UP EVERYBODY!! plaY some Devildriver, machinehead some metal with huge balls
Nate
September 7th, 2012
3:47 pm
Good Atlanta rock radio is dead, and you know who’s fault it is? Ours… I’ve been to tons of shows both station sponsored and not, the crowds have slimmed down, so the money’s not coming in. The lack of constant support for our genre was its undoing. So when Seacrest is blabbing on your old favorite preset, adjust your rear view to see who’s REALLY to blame.