630AM WMAL to flip to 105.9FM as of Noon today, Sept. 19, 2011.
No word on what will happen to 105.9 The Edge (Classic Rock).
Indeed and it is now on the WMAL site. (Maybe they’d put 105.9’s rock format on HD radio or online, I don’t know)
From WMAL site
http://www.wmal.com/Article.asp?id=2288868
WASHINGTON — This may take a little getting used to - Rush Limbaugh in STEREO!
It’s been quite a weekend at WMAL.
On Friday the station received new owners, and at noon Monday, after 83 years at 630 on your AM dial, WMAL will make its debut on FM radio at 105.9.
WMAL’s new signal addition is the first action taken by the station’s new corporate parent, Cumulus Media, since a purchase of the previous owner, Citadel Broadcasting Corporation, was closed Friday.
WMAL’s arrival at 105.9 on the FM band will allow more listeners than ever to enjoy The Morning Majority, Chris Plante, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Mark Levin, but the good news is that if AM 630 works for you, WMAL will continue to be there as well!
Here is the official announcement from Cumulus Media:
Washington’s 630 WMAL AM Now Available on FM
Cumulus Announces Simulcast on 105.9 WVRX FM
First Platform Change Following Acquisition of Citadel Stations
WASHINGTON, DC, September 19 — In an effort to compete directly with nation’s highest-grossing radio station, Cumulus media today at noon begins simulcasting news and talk programming from 630 AM WMAL on 105.9 FM WVRX — providing FM listeners in the DC area with access to WMAL’s 85 years of award-winning programming and community service.
“By expanding our successful brand to the FM dial, we will be a viable listening and advertising option for many more people in the Washington, DC, area,” said WMAL President/General Manager Jeff Boden. “There are many potential listeners who never listen on AM, and we are now making programs of wide interest available to the largest possible audience.”
Programming simulcast as of noon today on AM and FM includes The Chris Plante Show, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin and “Morning Majority” (hosted by former Fox News anchor Brian Wilson, “The Daily Caller’s” Mary Katharine Ham and WMAL veteran Bryan Nehman).
This simulcast uniquely positions WMAL/WVRX to compete head-to-head with WTOP, whose $57 million in annual ad sales make it the highest-grossing station in the nation. While WTOP has a repetitive news-wheel format, WMAL/WVRX programming is interactive through a mix of news reports and call-in shows that allow for engagement with listeners.
“When we grew to 570 stations nationwide last week after closing the Citadel deal, I told my team to be creative at using innovative ways for the newly acquired stations to bolster our community involvement, and that’s what our Washington, DC, team has done so elegantly here,” said Lew Dickey, CEO of Cumulus.
On Friday, following approval from the Department of Justice and Federal Communications Commission, Cumulus completed a $2.2 billion purchase of Citadel Broadcasting and is now the nation’s largest pure-play radio owner with 570 stations reaching 93% of Americans each week.