Madison's top Classic Hits station is 94.9 WOLX Baraboo. Even though that's 25-30 miles to the Northwest, it has a very powerful signal that covers the Madison market. (WOLX was started in 1945, one of the first FM stations in the state, and grandfathered at 37,000 watts on a 1300 foot mountain.) Last month, iHeart gave up on Progressive Talk on 92.1 WXXM, switching first to Christmas music and now to a Classic Hits format. (WOLX also does Christmas music between mid-November and Dec. 25, as does AC station WMGN.) Then there's also a Classic Hits/Oldies format on 93.7 WBGR Monroe, another station that hits the Madison market.
Does Madison need three Classic Hits stations? And they all seem to be doing the full range of 70s/80s classic hits with a few late 60s songs, and including rhythmic titles. (Some stations calling themselves Classic Hits, such as WROR Boston and KGLK Houston, are really pop-leaning Classic Rock, airing AC/DC and Zeppelin but not Michael Jackson or Madonna.)
As a fan of Progressive Talk, it's sad to see WXXM switch to a music format, especially one that's already found in two other places on the Madison radio dial. But I guess iHeart wanted to terminate a format that has pretty much ended in most U.S. markets. I wonder why iHeart chose to become Madison's third standard-format Classic Hits station?
Does Madison need three Classic Hits stations? And they all seem to be doing the full range of 70s/80s classic hits with a few late 60s songs, and including rhythmic titles. (Some stations calling themselves Classic Hits, such as WROR Boston and KGLK Houston, are really pop-leaning Classic Rock, airing AC/DC and Zeppelin but not Michael Jackson or Madonna.)
As a fan of Progressive Talk, it's sad to see WXXM switch to a music format, especially one that's already found in two other places on the Madison radio dial. But I guess iHeart wanted to terminate a format that has pretty much ended in most U.S. markets. I wonder why iHeart chose to become Madison's third standard-format Classic Hits station?