New York’s 101.9 FM Reinvents itself as WEMP “101-9 FM New”: Sample, 8/5/11

How we got here… doesn’t really matter anymore.

One can get really confused trying to figure out why a station is programmed to be as it is. Take this new WEMP. Rumored to be a future FM News station, 101-9 FM New (WITHOUT the S) is caught in an hour long news segment at about 3:40 pm at the start of this recording. Now, instead of CONTINUING with news, the station abruptly stops, and returns to AC Music, while continuing its Traffic & Weather on the 5’s.

This website’s administrators listened carefully on this day, thinking that, since Chicago’s FM News station actually launched on a Friday, it stood to reason that WEMP would finally launch it’s awaited FM News station and quit dancing around the format with this stunting. By 6pm we were still left scratching our heads (more like pulling out hair) wondering just WHEN Merlin Broadcasting is going to finally launch. Well, it wasn’t TODAY

Merlin CEO Randy Michaels is one smart radio guy. With what he has to work with, he’s building excitement in his new station, with much of the (interested part of the) Big Apple standing on its head trying to figure out just “what” and “when”. We’re sure it will be quite soon, but at this rate, I’ll be bald before the ‘final’ format hits the airwaves. Thanks, Randy. I’ll think of you when I buy my Toupe.

It's 'New" alright.. but what is it?