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V 98.7 Detroit drops Smooth Jazz, now stunting but sounding like Contemporary Hits is the future
The end has come for Smooth Jazz on WVMV 98.7 -- at least for listeners without a digital radio -- as CBS Radio has shifted the format to its HD2 signal on 98.7. A 4:30 p.m. retrospective of the station's last 14+ years lasted about 30 minutes, at which time the stunting began.
The new format has not yet been officially announced - instead at 5pm, stunting began with a nod to the frequency's rock past by playing a bit of Guns N' Roses "Welcome to Jungle" and mentioning the handle Detroit's Wheels before switching into a Beyonce Knowles song.
The stunting is being promoted as "98.7 Takeover" and inviting listeners to follow along at www.987takeover.com and on Twitter at twitter.com/987takeover.
CBS Radio vice president Dom Theodore, known for pulling off stunts at other Detroit radio outlets (specifically Clear Channel's WKQI FM 95.5 and WDTW-FM 106.7), is reportedly in the building ... leading to speculation that the new format will indeed be contemporary hits based to take on his former stations in the Clear Channel cluster along with Citadel's 96.3 WDVD.
Crain's Detroit Business:
Detroit's self-billed smooth jazz radio station WVMV 98.7 is expected to announce a format switch today. The smooth jazz format is apparently moving to an HD2 channel, but it's not yet clear what the terrestrial broadcast format will be. Station executives would lease only limited information, and said an on-air announcement is coming at 4 p.m. today. Deb Kenyon, CBS Radio's senior vice president and market manager for its Detroit stations, issued a statement: "98.7 Smooth Jazz is moving to a new home. New media and new technologies have given us the chance to still keep this programming on the air. We know that Smooth Jazz is a favorite station for many people and we're glad to say we aren't going away, we're just moving," she wrote... Smooth jazz radio station WVMV 98.7 announcing format switch (Fri, 10/2)
Detroit News:
It appears that the long-rumored flip of CBS Radio Detroit's smooth jazz WVMV-FM (98.7) might be at hand. Tune in to 98.7 at 4:30 p.m. today, and you'll either hear "stunting" -- some bewildering, out-of-format music -- or you'll hear what the station is going to become... Smooth jazz radio to flip? Tune in at 4:30 (Fri, 10/2)
