The New 96.5 FM radio station, which played Top 40 hits and pop, has rebranded as US 96.5 to be “Philadelphia’s new home for country music.”<\/p>\n
Station owner Audacy said Monday that 96.5 will go commercial free until Friday and begin a new daily programming schedule next week.<\/p>\n
MORE:\u00a0World Cafe Live is closing after Halloween party<\/a><\/p>\n \n“Country music has a special way of connecting people and we are excited to bring a brand-new destination to this important market,” Tim Roberts, country format vice president of Audacy, said in a statement<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n The following weekday schedule will begin airing starting Monday, Oct. 26:<\/p>\n \u2022 Katie and Company: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. The station said it will soon announce a new morning show that’s slated to air from 5-10 a.m. A\u00a0spokesperson with Audacy did not immediately respond to a request for further comment about the change.<\/p>\n \nThe station officially made the switch to country at noon Monday by playing “I Had Some Help,” by Post Malone and Morgan Wallen and “Choosin’ Texas,” by Ella Langley. The last song played under the former “New” banner was Green Day’s “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life),” according to RadioInsight<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n Since 2004, the 96.5 station, also formerly known by the call sign WRDW, has mostly played Top 40 songs, pop hits, and adult contemporary music, but has rebranded several times in the process. Until 2015, the station was mostly known as Wired 96.5.\u00a0WRDW was then acquired by CBS<\/a> during a trade in 2014. Three years later, CBS merged its radio division with Entercom, which changed its name to Audacy in 2021. The station rebranded itself to The New 96.5 in 2023 after Audacy reported $36 million in losses.<\/p>\n \nThe station announced the change Monday in an Instagram post thanking its Philly listeners.\n<\/p>\n “You showed up, turned it up and gave The NEW 96.5 everything you had,” the station<\/a> wrote. “They say all good things come to an end \u2014 or just crossover like Post Malone. \u2026 It’s not you. It’s definitely us. Our boots just started itching!”<\/p>\n \nMike Adam, who hosted the midday show on The New 96.5, also posted a farewell message on his Instagram<\/a> story Monday.\n<\/p>\n “It’s meant a lot to me,” he said. “That frequency became my Philadelphia home. … I’m sad to see it go, but mostly just sad that I won’t be able to talk to Philadelphia daily anymore.\u00a0Thank you to everyone that made that station a part of your daily routine. What an honor to have your ears for a piece of your day.”<\/p>\n
\u2022 Coop: 3 p.m.-7 p.m.
\u2022 Rob and Holly: 7 p.m.-12 a.m.
\u2022 Mo and StyckMan: 12 a.m.-5 a.m.<\/p>\n