Miami's 93.1 dances off into the sunset

[wetgroovin]

RADIO STATION SWITCHES TO ROCK

Dance music era ends at Party 93.1

February 15, 2005

The party is over for listeners of WPYM 93.1 FM.

The station, which adopted a dance music format in early 2002, abruptly changed to a rock music format Monday night, station general manager Michael Disney said. The move was prompted by 94.9 Zeta's change from rock to Latin music last week.* "When Zeta dropped out, that hole was too big to ignore," Disney said.

Station officials switched formats at 6 p.m. Monday, playing '90s-style rock music instead of trance and freestyle dance tunes. Atlanta-based Cox Radio Inc. bought the station, which was then known as WTMI 93.1 and featured a classical music format, in late 2001.

Cox officials hoped Party 93.1 would compete with Power 96, which has long featured a dance format but in recent years has played more R&B and rap. Disney said the dance format left it little room for growth.* "It wasn't so much that there was something wrong with it," Disney said. "We had an awful lot of people who listened to the station, and they didn't listen as long as we liked."

Producers tried to spice up the dance format recently, playing more of the freestyle music that was very popular on the South Florida dance scene in the late 1980s and early 1990s. But he said Cox wanted to pounce on the rock format Zeta abandoned last week before any other local station did so.

Cox officials have submitted a proposal to the Federal Communications Commission to change the station's call letters, Disney said. Disney said no decision has been made on what to do about music events and concerts that Party 93.1 promoted for the upcoming months.* "Obviously, it will be a little difficult to do," he said.

Unlike Zeta, Disney said the new rock format will focus on '90s-era rock, which he called "active rock," and some '80s rock but will not delve into classic rock. Currently, WBGG 105.9 features a classic rock format.* Disney said the new station's target audience will be mostly men ages 18 through 49.

[markymarc]

fcuk rock....bring back house music...

[lebed316]

You gota be kidding me?? PARTY931 was the best radio station in the entire world. I called KTU many times telling them to take on PARTY931's format. This world is really retarded.