Y-Rock On XPN
Encyclopedia
WXPN-HD2 is an alternative rock
radio station carried on the secondary HD radio channel of WXPN FM
in Philadelphia. It had been the latest incarnation of the Y100 brand until June 2010 that originally aired on 100.3 FM, which was the city's alternative rock station from the 1990s until 2005.
due to a format change that occurred in 2005, which ended the format known as "Y100".
In 2010, WXPN had changed the branding from "Y-Rock on XPN" to "XPN2", which is the current format of the day.
and changed to an alternative rock format that broadcasted from 100.3 FM in Philadelphia
and the surrounding Delaware Valley
region.
music station competing with then B101
, playing many soft rock songs. The slogan used to be :"NO RAP, no hard stuff, and no sleepy elevator music. Just the best songs on the radio. Y100..." There were some alternative songs at the time, but the playlist was overshadowed by many other songs from Ace of Base
, U2, Stereo MCs
("Connected"), and Haddaway
("What Is Love").
in New York City
. The popular New York station demanded that the Philadelphia station change its name due to the proximity of the two stations. (Until Y100 increased its signal strength in 2003, Z100's signal would override Y100 as far south as Bucks County, Pennsylvania
.)
" and Matt Cord (now of WMMR
), Bret Hamilton (now of WCAU-TV), and the popular Preston and Steve
morning show (also now at WMMR
), along with CaseyBoy. It now broadcasts in a partnership with WXPN
radio.
The slogans/monikers used by the Y100 at this point were:
, changed format from rhythmic CHR to mainstream top 40 with the slogan "The Switch Is On", and encouraged listeners of Y100 to call in and say "I switched from Y100 to Q102 because they are playing my favorite music". This lured many would be top 40 listeners in the market away from Y100 as Y100 was the closest radio station format to being top 40 at the time. Up until that time, the Philadelphia market had lacked a top 40 outlet since 1993 when Eagle 106 (WEGX) had flipped to a smooth jazz format.
in competition with WDRE. WDRE was sold to Radio One in 1997, and on February 7, 1997, Y100's only competitor flipped to Hip Hop
and became WPHI. Many WDRE employees and staff then moved over to Y100. In 2001, independent station owner Dan Lerner sold Y100 to Radio One, who then moved the station to Conshohocken, PA
, where the station shared an office with the staff of 103.9 The Beat.
radio stations. As Y100 had good Arbitron
ratings and made decent revenue, the station survived for four years despite broadcasting a format that the station owners had no interest in. The station continued to hold two large annual concerts, the FEZtival in the summer, and the FEASTival around Thanksgiving
, as well as many smaller Sonic Sessions, in which major label artists would play in a small studio with a crowd usually numbering in the fifties. The lineup for the first FEZTIVAL in 1997 included Beck/Cheap Trick/Toad the Wet Sprocket/Cake/Luscious Jackson/Matthew Sweet/Kula Shaker/Paula Cole/James/Huffamoose/The Caulfields/Matchbox 20/Space/Sqirrel Nut Zippers/Reel Big Fish/that dog. It took place at the Blockbuster 3 Sony E-Center in Camden, NJ. These intimate recordings, often acoustic, proved to very popular, and the station released a Sonic Session CD every year from 1996 through 2004. Y100 is also credited with being the first major market station to "discover" Good Charlotte
after Washington, DC's 99.1 WHFS
had been supporting them as a local act.
The situation actually started in late 2004-early 2005, when Radio One decided not to match the contract offers given to popular morning show team Preston and Steve
, and the morning show signed with the Greater Media
. Preston and Steve's contract's with Radio One expired on February 24, 2005, and the live DJs stopped broadcasting in the early afternoon, leaving the broadcast on autopilot for the rest of the day. On February 24, 2005 at 11:50 p.m. EDT
, Y100 went off the air after twelve years, when the stronger 100.3 FM signal was given to the station that was known as "103.9 The Beat". The final song Y100 played before it went off air was "Alive" by Pearl Jam
.
Before control of Y100 was ceded by Program Director Jim McGuinn and the Y100 staff, the staff acted quickly by setting up a website called Y100rocks.com, and broadcasting promotions for the new website on-air until Radio One sent representatives to remove them and edit the final station playlist. Also, before access to computer terminals were denied, Josh T. Landow, on-air talent and web master for Y100.com, sent out emails to tens of thousands of members of Y100's "Instant Access" internet mailing list, informing them of the sudden station shut down and ensuing effort to set up Y100rocks.com as a platform on which to argue a case for alternative rock in Philadelphia.
Immediately after Y100's departure from the airwaves, Philadelphia became the only city with no alternative rock format radio station, making it the largest city in the country with no such music station (New York City
's WXRK
flipped from alternative to active rock on April 2005, leaving New York City as the largest market in the United States
without an alternative station). Since the station closed, a grassroots effort to bring the station's format back was launched, and resulted in an online petition
with roughly 70,000 unique signatures since February 25, 2005. The petition was an effort to demonstrate the staying power and desire for alternative rock in Philadelphia. Former Y100 Program Director
Jim McGuinn and others involved with Y100rocks.com hoped to use the petition to lure another company, such as Greater Media or Nassau Broadcasting, to either create a new station for alternative rock in the city, or flip formats on an already existing station. Previous efforts for bringing back a popular radio station in the Washington, D.C.
area, WHFS
, led to the station's resurrection in January, 2005. Almost all of the former Y100 staff members have moved on to other positions both locally, and across the country. Y100Rocks also broadcasted an online radio station stream, with live broadcasts by former Y100FM DJs and new online personalities on an average of 10 hours a day, as well as traditional radio promotional events, and concert ticket giveaways. The station could even be found on the iTunes
radio under "Alternative." The online radio format has left the DJs free to play more alternative music, as opposed to the formatted commercial mega-hits of modern radio.
family. The 24/7 online stream of alternative rock music was rebranded as “Y-Rock On XPN.” The stream resides on the new XPoNential Music On Demand site and is accessible through XPN's various websites. A live broadcast show aired on both 88.5 FM and the Y-Rocks online stream is performed on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Friday nights, hosted by Josh T Landow, current operations manager.
On its first night, Wednesday, August 30, the first song Jim McGuinn played was "Alive" by Pearl Jam, the same song that Y100 (and former competitor WDRE) ended on.
playlist shifted from rhythmic leaning top 40 to alternative leaning to capture stranded Y100 listeners. Instead of Q102 playing its usual rhythmic songs, one would have heard more songs from The Killers, Audioslave
, and Puddle of Mudd
in the same playlist as Rihanna
, Gwen Stefani
and Akon
(which were not typical Y100 songs). Today, Q102
is back to being mainstream top 40.
Also in response, WMMR
added more alternative music to its playlist in addition to its mainstream rock format.
On January 19, 2007, AM station WHAT-AM
1340, known as Skin Radio, became the first broadcast Alternative radio station in Philadelphia since Y100, however it was short-lived as the format lasted only eight months before switching to Adult Standards
.
Beginning on May 16, 2007, Y-Rock On XPN gained much larger competition in the market with the introduction of Modern Rock WRFF Radio 104.5
from Clear Channel Communications
.
Finally, in September 2007, WYSP changed formats from hot talk to mainstream active rock outside of drive times, leaning toward the hard or metal end of the alternative and rock spectrum, also as an indirect result of the hole left by the demise of Y100. However, as of September 2, 2011, WYSP is off the air, replaced by a sports talk radio station.
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
radio station carried on the secondary HD radio channel of WXPN FM
WXPN
WXPN is a non-commercial, public radio station operated by the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia that broadcasts a music radio format called adult album alternative , along with many other format shows supported all with an indie slant...
in Philadelphia. It had been the latest incarnation of the Y100 brand until June 2010 that originally aired on 100.3 FM, which was the city's alternative rock station from the 1990s until 2005.
History of WXPN-HD2
From 2006 until 2010, the HD2 channel of WXPN carried the brand of "Y-Rock on XPN" which featured radio personalities originally from the radio station at WPLY 100.3 FM, owned by Radio OneRadio One
Radio One, Inc is a U.S. company which owns and operates 69 radio stations in 22 American cities. The company is headed by Cathy Hughes, Chairman and her son Alfred Liggins, CEO. The company's target listeners are African Americans in urban areas...
due to a format change that occurred in 2005, which ended the format known as "Y100".
In 2010, WXPN had changed the branding from "Y-Rock on XPN" to "XPN2", which is the current format of the day.
History of Y100: WPLY-FM at 100.3 FM
Y100 had the call letters WPLY, and started out as a CHRContemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
and changed to an alternative rock format that broadcasted from 100.3 FM in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
and the surrounding Delaware Valley
Delaware Valley
The Delaware Valley is a term used to refer to the valley where the Delaware River flows, along with the surrounding communities. This includes the metropolitan area centered on the city of Philadelphia. Such educational institutions as Delaware Valley Regional High School in Alexandria Township...
region.
1993-1995: The New Sound of Y100
Y100, with the call letters WPLY (FM), started out as a Hot ACAdult contemporary music
Adult contemporary music is a broad style of popular music that ranges from lush 1950s and 1960s vocal music to predominantly ballad-heavy music with varying degrees of rock influence, as well as a radio format that plays such music....
music station competing with then B101
WBEB
WBEB is a radio station broadcasting a Soft Rock/Adult Contemporary format. Licensed to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, it serves the Greater Philadelphia metropolitan area. It first began broadcasting in 1963 under the call sign WDVR. The station is currently owned by Jerry Lee...
, playing many soft rock songs. The slogan used to be :"NO RAP, no hard stuff, and no sleepy elevator music. Just the best songs on the radio. Y100..." There were some alternative songs at the time, but the playlist was overshadowed by many other songs from Ace of Base
Ace of Base
Ace of Base is a pop band based in Gothenburg, Sweden. Its original lineup consisted of Ulf "Buddha" Ekberg, and three siblings, Jonas "Joker" Berggren, Malin "Linn" Berggren and Jenny Berggren...
, U2, Stereo MCs
Stereo MCs
Stereo MCs are an English electronic dance group, which formed in Clapham, London in 1985. They are best known worldwide for their 1992 transatlantic Top 20 hit single, "Connected"...
("Connected"), and Haddaway
Haddaway
Nestor Alexander Haddaway , better known by his stage name Haddaway, is a Trinidadian-German singer. He is most famous for his worldwide 1993 hit, "What Is Love".- Early life :...
("What Is Love").
Conflict with Z100 in New York
The callsign WPLY was first used on April 19, 1993. Prior to that date, the station was called Z-100 (with the call letters of WKSZ), which shared the name and frequency of WHTZWHTZ
WHTZ — branded Z100 — is a commercial pop/contemporary hit radio radio station licensed to Newark, New Jersey serving the New York metropolitan area. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The popular New York station demanded that the Philadelphia station change its name due to the proximity of the two stations. (Until Y100 increased its signal strength in 2003, Z100's signal would override Y100 as far south as Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- Industry and commerce :The boroughs of Bristol and Morrisville were prominent industrial centers along the Northeast Corridor during World War II. Suburban development accelerated in Lower Bucks in the 1950s with the opening of Levittown, Pennsylvania, the second such "Levittown" designed by...
.)
1995-2005: Y100: Philadelphia's New Rock
Sometime in 1995, "Y100:The New Sound of Y100" became "Y100: Philadelphia's New Rock" to be accompanied by a gradual format change from Hot AC to the late alternative radio station format. By this time, the station featured many well-known DJs such as "Barsky in the MorningPaul Barsky
Paul Barsky was a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania talk radio personality. Last featured on WYSP, Barsky has previously been a fixture on other Philadelphia radio stations, including the now defunct Y100....
" and Matt Cord (now of WMMR
WMMR
WMMR is an active rock radio station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, broadcasting at 93.3 MHz FM. The station is owned by Greater Media....
), Bret Hamilton (now of WCAU-TV), and the popular Preston and Steve
Preston and Steve
The Preston and Steve show is a morning radio comedy and variety broadcast on Philadelphia Active Rock station 93.3 FM WMMR featuring DJs Preston Elliot and Steve Morrison. The show, which originated at Y100 in Philadelphia, features daily telephone interviews, in-studio guests, celebrity...
morning show (also now at WMMR
WMMR
WMMR is an active rock radio station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, broadcasting at 93.3 MHz FM. The station is owned by Greater Media....
), along with CaseyBoy. It now broadcasts in a partnership with WXPN
WXPN
WXPN is a non-commercial, public radio station operated by the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia that broadcasts a music radio format called adult album alternative , along with many other format shows supported all with an indie slant...
radio.
The slogans/monikers used by the Y100 at this point were:
- "Radio Philadelphia"
- "New Rock for the New Revolution"
- "Philadelphia's New Music Alternative"
- "Philadelphia's New Rock"
Competition with Q102
In 1997, another Philadelphia rival station, Q-102WIOQ
WIOQ, known as "Q102", is a CHR/Pop radio station which is broadcast in the Philadelphia area. The station appeals to a generally young demographic. WIOQ is owned by Clear Channel Communications. Its transmitter is located in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia.-WFIL-FM/Popular 102:The...
, changed format from rhythmic CHR to mainstream top 40 with the slogan "The Switch Is On", and encouraged listeners of Y100 to call in and say "I switched from Y100 to Q102 because they are playing my favorite music". This lured many would be top 40 listeners in the market away from Y100 as Y100 was the closest radio station format to being top 40 at the time. Up until that time, the Philadelphia market had lacked a top 40 outlet since 1993 when Eagle 106 (WEGX) had flipped to a smooth jazz format.
Competition with WDRE
The station played Top 40 until it switched formats in early 1995 to Modern RockModern rock
Modern rock is a rock format commonly found on commercial radio; the format consists primarily of the alternative rock genre...
in competition with WDRE. WDRE was sold to Radio One in 1997, and on February 7, 1997, Y100's only competitor flipped to Hip Hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
and became WPHI. Many WDRE employees and staff then moved over to Y100. In 2001, independent station owner Dan Lerner sold Y100 to Radio One, who then moved the station to Conshohocken, PA
Conshohocken, Pennsylvania
Conshohocken is a borough on the Schuylkill River in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, in suburban Philadelphia. Historically a large mill town and industrial and manufacturing center, after the decline of industry in recent years Conshohocken has developed into a center of riverfront commercial and...
, where the station shared an office with the staff of 103.9 The Beat.
FEZtival
Radio One targets African-American listeners, and specializes in urban formatHip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
radio stations. As Y100 had good Arbitron
Arbitron
Arbitron is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio audiences. It was founded as American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by merging with L.A. based Coffin, Cooper and Clay in the early 1950s...
ratings and made decent revenue, the station survived for four years despite broadcasting a format that the station owners had no interest in. The station continued to hold two large annual concerts, the FEZtival in the summer, and the FEASTival around Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
, as well as many smaller Sonic Sessions, in which major label artists would play in a small studio with a crowd usually numbering in the fifties. The lineup for the first FEZTIVAL in 1997 included Beck/Cheap Trick/Toad the Wet Sprocket/Cake/Luscious Jackson/Matthew Sweet/Kula Shaker/Paula Cole/James/Huffamoose/The Caulfields/Matchbox 20/Space/Sqirrel Nut Zippers/Reel Big Fish/that dog. It took place at the Blockbuster 3 Sony E-Center in Camden, NJ. These intimate recordings, often acoustic, proved to very popular, and the station released a Sonic Session CD every year from 1996 through 2004. Y100 is also credited with being the first major market station to "discover" Good Charlotte
Good Charlotte
Good Charlotte is an American rock band from Waldorf, Maryland that formed in 1996. Since 1998, the band's constant members have been lead vocalist Joel Madden, lead guitarist and back-up vocalist Benji Madden, bass guitarist Paul Thomas and rhythm guitarist and keyboardist Billy Martin...
after Washington, DC's 99.1 WHFS
WHFS
WHFS was the call sign for three different FM stations in the Washington, D.C./Baltimore, Maryland markets on various frequencies for nearly 50 years. The first and longest run was a progressive rock station and was usually, and affectionately, referred to as 'HFS...
had been supporting them as a local act.
2005: Death of Y100: Replacement by WPHI, Birth of Y100Rocks
In 2005, the Y100 format would be terminated and the frequency was to be taken over by 100.3 The Beat, a Radio One affiliate.The situation actually started in late 2004-early 2005, when Radio One decided not to match the contract offers given to popular morning show team Preston and Steve
Preston and Steve
The Preston and Steve show is a morning radio comedy and variety broadcast on Philadelphia Active Rock station 93.3 FM WMMR featuring DJs Preston Elliot and Steve Morrison. The show, which originated at Y100 in Philadelphia, features daily telephone interviews, in-studio guests, celebrity...
, and the morning show signed with the Greater Media
Greater Media
Greater Media, Inc., known as Greater Media, is an American media company that specializes in radio stations. The markets where they own radio stations include Boston, Detroit, Philadelphia, Charlotte, and the state of New Jersey...
. Preston and Steve's contract's with Radio One expired on February 24, 2005, and the live DJs stopped broadcasting in the early afternoon, leaving the broadcast on autopilot for the rest of the day. On February 24, 2005 at 11:50 p.m. EDT
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
, Y100 went off the air after twelve years, when the stronger 100.3 FM signal was given to the station that was known as "103.9 The Beat". The final song Y100 played before it went off air was "Alive" by Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
.
Before control of Y100 was ceded by Program Director Jim McGuinn and the Y100 staff, the staff acted quickly by setting up a website called Y100rocks.com, and broadcasting promotions for the new website on-air until Radio One sent representatives to remove them and edit the final station playlist. Also, before access to computer terminals were denied, Josh T. Landow, on-air talent and web master for Y100.com, sent out emails to tens of thousands of members of Y100's "Instant Access" internet mailing list, informing them of the sudden station shut down and ensuing effort to set up Y100rocks.com as a platform on which to argue a case for alternative rock in Philadelphia.
Immediately after Y100's departure from the airwaves, Philadelphia became the only city with no alternative rock format radio station, making it the largest city in the country with no such music station (New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's WXRK
WFNY-FM
WXRK , known on-air as "92.3 Now", is a radio station in New York City. Owned by CBS Radio, WXRK broadcasts a Contemporary Hit Radio format with a rhythmic lean...
flipped from alternative to active rock on April 2005, leaving New York City as the largest market in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
without an alternative station). Since the station closed, a grassroots effort to bring the station's format back was launched, and resulted in an online petition
Petition
A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer....
with roughly 70,000 unique signatures since February 25, 2005. The petition was an effort to demonstrate the staying power and desire for alternative rock in Philadelphia. Former Y100 Program Director
Program director
In service industries, such as education, a program director or programme director researches, plans, develops and implements one or more of the firm's professional services...
Jim McGuinn and others involved with Y100rocks.com hoped to use the petition to lure another company, such as Greater Media or Nassau Broadcasting, to either create a new station for alternative rock in the city, or flip formats on an already existing station. Previous efforts for bringing back a popular radio station in the Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
area, WHFS
WHFS
WHFS was the call sign for three different FM stations in the Washington, D.C./Baltimore, Maryland markets on various frequencies for nearly 50 years. The first and longest run was a progressive rock station and was usually, and affectionately, referred to as 'HFS...
, led to the station's resurrection in January, 2005. Almost all of the former Y100 staff members have moved on to other positions both locally, and across the country. Y100Rocks also broadcasted an online radio station stream, with live broadcasts by former Y100FM DJs and new online personalities on an average of 10 hours a day, as well as traditional radio promotional events, and concert ticket giveaways. The station could even be found on the iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
radio under "Alternative." The online radio format has left the DJs free to play more alternative music, as opposed to the formatted commercial mega-hits of modern radio.
2006: Y100Rocks.com becomes Y-Rock On XPN
As of August 1, 2006, Y100Rocks.com joined the WXPNWXPN
WXPN is a non-commercial, public radio station operated by the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia that broadcasts a music radio format called adult album alternative , along with many other format shows supported all with an indie slant...
family. The 24/7 online stream of alternative rock music was rebranded as “Y-Rock On XPN.” The stream resides on the new XPoNential Music On Demand site and is accessible through XPN's various websites. A live broadcast show aired on both 88.5 FM and the Y-Rocks online stream is performed on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Friday nights, hosted by Josh T Landow, current operations manager.
On its first night, Wednesday, August 30, the first song Jim McGuinn played was "Alive" by Pearl Jam, the same song that Y100 (and former competitor WDRE) ended on.
2010: Split From XPN
In July of 2010, financial troubles at WXPN led to the layoffs of the main Y-Rock staff members and hosts. Hosts Josh T. Landow and Joey O. kept the Y100 brand going with a new online station "Y-Not Radio" while XPN rebranded their alternative stream as "XPN2".Post-Y100 market competition
Around when Y100 became WPHI, Q102'sWIOQ
WIOQ, known as "Q102", is a CHR/Pop radio station which is broadcast in the Philadelphia area. The station appeals to a generally young demographic. WIOQ is owned by Clear Channel Communications. Its transmitter is located in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia.-WFIL-FM/Popular 102:The...
playlist shifted from rhythmic leaning top 40 to alternative leaning to capture stranded Y100 listeners. Instead of Q102 playing its usual rhythmic songs, one would have heard more songs from The Killers, Audioslave
Audioslave
Audioslave was an American rock supergroup that formed in Los Angeles, California in 2001. It consisted of former Soundgarden lead singer/rhythm guitarist Chris Cornell and the former instrumentalists of Rage Against the Machine: Tom Morello , Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk...
, and Puddle of Mudd
Puddle of Mudd
Puddle Of Mudd is an American rock band from Kansas City, Missouri, USA. To date the band has sold over 7 million albums, and have had a string of #1 mainstream rock singles in the United States. Their major-label debut Come Clean has sold over 5 million copies...
in the same playlist as Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
, Gwen Stefani
Gwen Stefani
Gwen Renée Stefani is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer. Stefani is the lead vocalist for the rock and ska band No Doubt. Stefani recorded her first solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. in 2004. The album was inspired by music of the 1980s, and was a success with sales of over...
and Akon
Akon
Aliaune Damala Badara Thiam, better known as simply Akon , is a Senegalese American R&B recording artist and songwriter.According to Forbes, Akon grossed $21 million in 2010, $20 million in 2009 and $12 million in 2008. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first...
(which were not typical Y100 songs). Today, Q102
WIOQ
WIOQ, known as "Q102", is a CHR/Pop radio station which is broadcast in the Philadelphia area. The station appeals to a generally young demographic. WIOQ is owned by Clear Channel Communications. Its transmitter is located in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia.-WFIL-FM/Popular 102:The...
is back to being mainstream top 40.
- "... Now, modern WPLY (Y100) is gone[,] Q102 is edging up by playing Weezer and Fall Out Boy next to Trick Trick and Rihanna...." (Source: http://www.edisonresearch.com/home/archives/2006/01/the_most_intrig_2.php ) as a response to the new Wired 96.5WRDW-FMWRDW-FM, also known as Wired 96.5, is a Philadelphia radio station owned by Beasley Broadcast Group that plays a Rhythmic Top 40 musical format. Although they lean towards R&B/Hip-Hop, Wired also adds Rhythmic Pop tracks to their playlist...
eating into Q102'sWIOQWIOQ, known as "Q102", is a CHR/Pop radio station which is broadcast in the Philadelphia area. The station appeals to a generally young demographic. WIOQ is owned by Clear Channel Communications. Its transmitter is located in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia.-WFIL-FM/Popular 102:The...
marketshare.
Also in response, WMMR
WMMR
WMMR is an active rock radio station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, broadcasting at 93.3 MHz FM. The station is owned by Greater Media....
added more alternative music to its playlist in addition to its mainstream rock format.
On January 19, 2007, AM station WHAT-AM
WHAT (AM)
El Zol 1340 is a commercial radio station located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, broadcasting on 1340 AM. The station is owned by Aztec Capital Partners, Inc....
1340, known as Skin Radio, became the first broadcast Alternative radio station in Philadelphia since Y100, however it was short-lived as the format lasted only eight months before switching to Adult Standards
Adult standards
Adult standards is a North American radio format heard primarily on AM or class A FM stations.Adult standards is aimed at "mature" adults, meaning mainly those persons over 50 years of age, but it is mostly targeted for senior citizens...
.
Beginning on May 16, 2007, Y-Rock On XPN gained much larger competition in the market with the introduction of Modern Rock WRFF Radio 104.5
WRFF
WRFF is a modern rock FM radio station located in and licensed to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications and is known on-air as "Radio 104.5."-WRCP-FM:...
from Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
.
Finally, in September 2007, WYSP changed formats from hot talk to mainstream active rock outside of drive times, leaning toward the hard or metal end of the alternative and rock spectrum, also as an indirect result of the hole left by the demise of Y100. However, as of September 2, 2011, WYSP is off the air, replaced by a sports talk radio station.