From Somewhere, Volume Two

Before I went into illness, I posted about Atlanta’s 99x skipping off the FM dial to the internet. Since that switch went down Friday, I thought I’d update.

At 5:30 on Friday morning, modern rock / ‘alternative’ minded 99x vacated its 99.7 frequency to top 40 sister station Q100.

The last song played by 99x was inexplicably Green Day’s “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)”, while far better final song choices (Elvis Costello’s “Radio, Radio”, REM’s “Radio Song”, and The Smiths’ “Panic”) were aired by the remaining DJs to end their shifts.

Following the Green Day song, however, a technical gaffe caused both 99.7 and 100.5 frequencies to air a looped recording advising people looking for Q100 to tune the new 99.7 frequency-which, in what would seemed like 99x’s final misguided dose of irony, knocked Q100 off the air altogether for about eight minutes. But, it was simply not to be- as 99x’s new Windows Media-based ‘visual radio’ internet existence bowed in just after 11 AM, over an hour later than its advertised debut.

Welcome to the internet, 99x. You won’t survive the experience, of course, and no one really expects that. But it’s been a fascinating train wreck to watch.

Good riddance, indeed.

Interesting news for readers in the Atlanta area. 99x, the big Alternative station in town-is being quietly taken out back and shot, possibly for playing far too much Fall Out Boy and still trying call itself “alternative”.

99x is set to leave the airwaves over the next two weeks in a slow phase out as its Top 40 sister station Q100 settles into the 99.7 frequency. Meanwhile, the influential alternative format station will remain on life support via internet streaming and for the estimated three people in the market who have HD radio.
The planned phase out of 99x into the eventual Q99 (?) is eerily reminiscent of 99x’s original October 1992 roll out, replacing then Top 40 Station “Power 99″.

Before I moved here, picking up 99x was always a sign that I was close to Atlanta- but not close enough to pick up the infinitely superior Album 88. But for what it was- 99x showcased the ‘mainstream alternative’ acts and had a pretty good relationship with many of the local scenes.

Certain members of 99x’s talent are currently rumored to be moving over to Q100’s soon-to-be-vacant 100.5 frequency in a new “rock leaning” format said to be headed up by the return of the Regular Guys Morning Show.