96.1 Kool Radio has made changes on the weekend.
Gone: Greatest Hits USA with Chuck Matthews and I think That Thing with Rich Appel is gone too. (I know on at least 2 of the last 3 Saturdays I didn't hear Rich's show).
American Top 40: The 70s is now on Saturday Mornings 7AM-10AM.
Amy Gray (Radio 104.1's Morning Show Host. She has filled in on Kool Radio in the past) is now voice tracking 10AM-? on Saturdays
Also gone: The Sunday repeats of Greatest Hits USA and AT 40: The 70s.
I wish they would've dropped Wolfman Jack instead.
Been listening to the station ever since it came on the air in 2015. When driving in the car I switch between the FM and AM depending on where I am and which I think will come in better. It's sometimes hard to predict- there is one area on I-91 between Exit 23 and the Route 9 junction where the FM translator always goes dead even though it's relatively close to the Berlin area and you'd think it would come in well there. Right when you actually get onto Rte 9 and head into Berlin, then it becomes very clear again. I live right on the fringes of the FM translator's coverage range (Glastonbury) so any time I end up driving over to the New Britain/Southington area and get to hear it crystal clear, I always look forward to that. Sometimes in Glastonbury or Manchester you can even get interference from 96.1 in Worcester MA! Of course you can stream it online which I sometimes do at home, but I still like listening to it the traditional way in the car.
As far as Wolfman Jack goes, it isn't one of my top favorite specialty shows either but I still don't mind it and will listen to it just because it of course means that songs which aren't in the station's regular rotation will likely be played. Always thought the lunch hour was an interesting time slot for that show, though. It really is meant to be an evening show all the way. Back in 2015, they used to air "Nothing But Old 45s" on Saturdays- that one along with Rich Appel were always by far my two favorite specialty shows the station aired.
You're right that KR's playlist for regular programming is much more limited than Oldies 98.1 from Long Island. Oldies 98.1 also has to play far more commercials than KR, which is of course expected being in a bigger market with a much more powerful signal. KR has fewer/shorter commercial breaks, but you don't get quite as much variety- Rod Stewart's "Young Turks" is one song they really overplay, and it also bothers me that they don't play the full version of American Pie.
The other change they made this past fall (2019) was switching from Southington to Cheshire for the high school football play by play broadcasts which I have always tuned in to being a big fan of CIAC sports. Both schools have strong traditions of success in that sport, but since the translator is located in Southington and Southington has generally had more success in recent years, I was surprised they made that switch.
