2013 flashback: Wild 105.7 becomes Radio 105.7

Posted March 28, 2013 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog

Clear Channel Atlanta has flipped its rhythmic top 40 station Wild 105.7/96.7 to an alternative rock station called Radio 105.7.

This is filling a large gap on the FM dial left by the departure last fall of adult rock 92.9/Dave FM and alternative station 99X.

Aly Young, last heard on another dead rock station Project 9-6-1, is the first DJ on the station, which changed over at noon today. She was the long-time mid-day jock at Project so moving her to Radio 105.7 makes sense. She will take over mornings.

The station also brought back Jordin Silver, the former night jock on Project who will take over afternoons from 1 to 4 p.m. Roche  (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.) and Michael Jones (4 p.m. to 9 p.m.) will be voicetracking from Clear Channel's rock station DC101 in Washington and Philly modern rock station Radio 104.5, respectively. Clear Channel did not appear to hire any expats from Dave FM or 99X, notably Mara Davis.

Wild 105.7 was deemed superfluous the minute it flipped Project 9-6-1  to top 40 Power 96.1 last August yet kept Wild around for more than six months.  The two stations had quite a bit of overlap on their song lists though Wild went a bit more hip-hop after Power came on.

This means popular Wild night jock Mami Chula may be moving to Power 96.1 though I'm not 100% sure.

(UPDATE: March 29, 2013, 8:56 a.m.: Mami Chula on her Facebook page confirmed she will air from 10 to noon live on Power 96.1.:

Wild 105.7 survived about two and a half years, a reaction to the departure of 95.5/The Beat in the summer of 2010. The station had been more dance-oriented the year before that as Groove 105.7. The signal has been home over the years home to news/talk (WGST simulcast), rock (Mix 105.7), oldies (Cool 105.7) and Spanish (Viva 105.7). So that's seven different formats over 14 years.

And who came up with the name Radio 105.7? I guess that's as generically descriptive as radio station names come, eh?

Plus, there is no reference to 96.7, which is simulcasting Radio 105.7. Over the years, 96.7 has simulcast 105.7's signal at times but has sometimes had its own format, including soft rock (Lite) and classic country (Legend). The signal skews south. What will Clear Channel do there?

Based on a sampling so far, it appears the station will play both current and older alternative rock songs with an emphasis on the 1990s when 99X was in its heyday.

At 10 a.m. this morning, after playing Outkast's "Rosa Parks," the station began sampling R.E.M. for two hours as a very brief stunt.

At 12:05 p.m., the station played "It's the End of the World As We Know It," then followed up with this:

12:09 p.m. "It's Time" Imagine Dragons (2012)

12:14 p.m. "Laid" James (1993)

12:19 p.m. "Say It Ain't So" Weezer (1995)

12:25 p.m. "Sail" Awolnation (2011)

12:29 p.m. "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth" Primitive Radio Gods (1996)

12:32 p.m. "Everybody Talks" Neon Trees (2011)

12:35 p.m. "All My Life" Foo Fighters (2002)

12:39 p.m. "Little Talks" Of Monsters and Men (2012)

12:43 p.m. "Under the Bridge" Red Hot Chili Peppers (1992)

12:47 p.m. "Take a Walk" Passion Pit (2012)

12:51 p.m. "Dig' Incubus (2006)

12:55 p.m. "Just Breathe" Pearl Jam (2009)

12:58 p.m. "All Mixed Up" 311 (1996)

1:03 p.m. "Howlin' For You" Black Keys (2011)

1:06 p.m. "I Will Wait" Mumford & Sons (2012)

1:09 p.m. "Semi-Charmed Life" Third Eye Blind (1996)

1:14 p.m. "Sound of Winter" Bush (2011)

1:17 p.m. "Read My Mind" Killers (2006)

1:21 p.m. "We Come Running" Youngblood Hawke (2012)

1:24 p.m. "Mrs. Robinson" Lemonheads (1992)

At 12:36 p.m., I received the press release. Here's how Clear Channel is positioning the station and it includes a quote from Clear Channel Atlanta honcho Matt Scarano, the man who won't even acknowledge my very existence.