After the R & B listeners had left AM and had gone, primarily, to WDAS-FM, they pulled the plug on the AM version. After a try at Gospel, they switched to a Hispanic music format. I don't know the story on why that failed, except there are two other stations in the market with better signals doing the same thing. A return to the Gospel format would be dead in the water as Radio One put Gospel on FM (doing well).
I for one am excited to see the Soul/R&B format return to 1480. But then again, I am 60 years old. They are running a liner playing on a James Brown hit "Papa's Got a Brand New Station." But the people who remember the station well, are not dad's age, they are grandpa's age. But given how well Jerry Blavat does selling ads for the same age group, playing primarily soul and R & B, they may make a go of it.
Could WWRL do the same? It's possible. But unless they are in dire need of improving the bottom line, why take the chance.