Clear Channel appears to have decided to retire their struggling “new rock station” – Planet Radio 107.3. As of this morning, the station has been rebranded as Magic 107.3 and is playing a mix of oldies from the 1970′s and 80′s. That includes artists like Fleetwood Mac, Diana Ross, the Eurythmics and the B-52′s.
The switch happened with little advance notice, and at around 10pm on Wednesday evening the new format took over. The Planet Radio website has been deactivated, as have all the station’s social networking outlets.
No word yet on what will happen to Lex and Terry, the Jacksonville-born syndicated morning show that had been airing on Planet Radio for the last several years. Also no word yet from Clear Channel on the exact format of the new station or the fate of the old station’s on air and behind-the-scenes talent.
The domain name Magic1073Jacksonville.com was first registered yesterday, perhaps a signal that the owners plan to launch a website in the near future. If the pattern of other recent radio station format switches is followed, it seems likely that the new station will remain a jukebox of music while new talent is hired.
Planet Radio had suffered significantly in the ratings as Cox Radio’s rival X 102.9 cut into their audience by promising to play fewer commercials.
Prior to being known as 107.3 Planet Radio, the alternative rock station had aired for many years on 93.3. The new station’s call letters remain WPLA, but that will likely change in the near future as the Magic 107.3 brand becomes more established.
The change to REAL music wll attract me, but Lex an Terry should remain! They are a huge draw for this station.
This is a giant load of crap. I can’t figure out why people flocked to 1029 for slightly less commercials and two year old songs. At least Planet was playing the newest songs from various bands. Beyond even that, Planet has been on in jax for well over a decade, brought a lot of money into jax (planetfest anyone?) and now they replace it with another oldies station? Well, I’m going to go ahead and assume that radio functions like TV and if enough people stop listening, clear channel will collapse on itself. So count me out of all radio broadcasts until planet is revived.
I am very upset that the Planet is through, but I need to correct you on your statement. 102.9 played new music all of the time. Just because you didn’t hear it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. Anyhow, I am pro-Planet, but stuff like this happens in radio all the time.
Mike H.
This is low! I hate the way radio and tv stations do this to their loyal fans. 102.9 came in and used some dirty tricks, but Planet held their ground and fought back. But I guess it wasn’t good enough for the parent company. Clear Channel sucks!
WTF?!?!?!!?!?!!?! 102.9 SUX!!!!!!!!!!!! They were never has good has Planet and never will be.. Bad move on Clear Channels part
This is B.S.! Don’t care about 102.9! I’ve been a loyal DeadBeat for over a long time…since the beginning of DeadBeats! Here’s what I got for Clear Channel…Fuck YOU!
I’m glad it’s only 102.9 now. Planet radio just played the same crap over and over and they claimed to be “new rock?” 102.9 actually plays a lot of different bands–newer bands–and it’s refreshing! And as far as their “dirty tricks,” it was a fantastic idea to play less commercials. The listeners wanted it, obviously, because most of them chose to listen to them instead of Planet.
Newer bands that no one gives a fuck about! Everytime I turned on that station(102.9) all I heard was the same songs over and over and over again. Fuck Clear Channel!
I agree with Andi! 102.9 played DIRTY!!!!! And Planet fought back with respect and dignity!!!
clear channel had a good thing going on with planet radio playing decent music, cant believe clear channel would do such a stupid thing, by playing oldies now. All they had to do was get rid of the talk radio in the morning or put them in on at night. And you probably would of had more listeners. Clear channel should try different things first before they just pull a good station. A VERY STUPID MOVE ON CLEAR CHANNELS PART!!!!!!!!!
YOU SUCK CLEAR CHANNEL!
Cox is a monster that destroys all in their path to profits. Lex and Terry have become stale. They were not strong enough to take their recent 2 week vacation and not loose listoners. Corporations have no pity on live talent that does’nt draw ratings.Now the local talent have been replaced by a robot. Sure hope they land on their feet somewhere. Lex and Terry had better stop being rude to callers, there are not that many left
Considering that they were a Jacksonville-born radio show, I was shocked to discover that they were not even given a chance to say goodbye to their loyal fans that live here in Jax. I’ve traveled the world in the military, and when I was stateside, it was always nice to hear a familiar voice. I don’t claim to know a lot about how the radio business works, but moves like these cannot be good business practice. Clear Channel will lose out in the end. Anyone have a name of who’s responsible??? Farewell Lex, Terry, Scott, Taint, Peter, D, Sarah, and the rest of the team… you will be missed.
Well, L&T and staff will be just fine… they will be on another station in Jacksonville soon. Let’s hope they get rid of that garbage pile Bubba the Contraceptive Sponge… he sucks! Anyhow, you should really be sending thoughts/prayers to the local talent in Jax… Chasey, Chumley, etc, etc.
Mike H.
Yes this is a real shame!
Hopefully L&T will come up on another local station.
Today’s radio is in a sorry state. I find Internet radio more enjoyable
Clear Channel is one on the worst companies to work for! It’s a sales driven industry. All decisions they make, are straight from the wallet, and not their brains. It’s a damn shame that big companys like CC are ruining Radio. They come in, they buy the station, change it completely, down size the staff, ruin the originality, then sell it and take off when it goes to shit. Clear Channel Sucks.
Was coming home from the Artwalk last night. Flipped on the radio to Planet and was greeted by a Billy Joel song!
I had the same thing happen to me…only it was JOURNEY! WTF!
It’s hard to image that Jacksonville radio could get any worse….but it just did!
I was super irritated to find my favorite morning show gone and this TERRIBLE magic 107.3 station left in it’s wake. CLEAR CHANNEL, you suck.
I can’t believe they didn’t care enough about the Planet Audience to let us know where Lex and Terry are going. My ride to work sucked. I loved Planet and Clear Channel what a low blow for the listeners and most likely your employees, not much notice for anyone. This couldve been handled differently. How sad you don’t get it!
What about Planet Fest – will that be dead too : (
This is normal…Glad somebody picked up on the “oldies” lol. who knew the 80′s would be oldies…anyway as sad as it is I was tired of the radio fued and the commercials grew old quick. Cox used a better format…less people more automated…planet couldn’t compete…I’m glad Lex & Terry are hopefully gone..Double bonus..
this is bull shit!! What about planetfest!! what about all there promotios and shows????????
FFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUU……… THIS IS UNFORTUNATE! Where are L&T going to end up or is this the end of the givers in freakville?
This is crazy. Planet still has many loyal fans. Clear Channel is crap for just turning our Planet off like that. It is not fair that now the only choice we have is 102.9. What about the other stations that compete, like 95.1 and 97.9? We don’t get a choice for a “New Rock” station? WE WANT OUR PLANET BACK!!!
Good riddance to bad rubbish. This town needs a real alternative – a college station that does not play elevator music. If this town is ever to be attractive to people in their 20′s and 30′s there needs to be a local music scene, and for that you need a radio station that will play local and emerging artists, not corporate anger rock slop!
I couldn’t agree more!
AGREE!!! Someone in the biz needs to read this comment.
You have GOT to be kidding me!?!? I’ve listened to Plante radio and Lex and Terry for years now!! Yea 102.9 played more music, but they bashed Lex and Terry and Planet so much that I barely listened to it because it disgusted me. It’s a shame that we have to do without because a few jerks and ignorant listeners are being douchebags. I hope 102.9 fails royally now, along with this Magic shit. I like the 80′s music, but it’ll be a long time before I give them a chance… And 102.9 is off my radio for good.
You suck cock Cox radio !
WHAT ABOUT PLANETFEST!!!!!!! ????
Sad days, I use to listen to that station when I was a teenage hoodlum! I enjoyed being able to toggle between the stations too. Lack of competition blows.
What dirty tricks?? They played less commercials and didn’t have a morning show on that most people don’t like and stopped listening to years ago. They also played more newer music than planet. I agree that Clear Channel suxx, but it’s their own fault this happened. One of those stations was not going to be around after the people decided which they’d rather listen to. Planet lost, but they did it to themselves. most people will tell you, this is how it goes when a station reformats. they usually don’t tell anyone til it happens to avoid having people bitch and moan. I just wish they had gone with a true oldies station since we haven’t had one since 96.9 reformatted a few years ago.
Clear Channel should be ashamed. I understand that their ratings were falling. But, it’s not like they did anything to help themselves. They didn’t promote themselves and they hardly put up any fight to 102.9 or any other station. I feel bad for the on air talent too. This just goes to show that radio and TV are nothing but slimey, backstabbing businesses.
planet has sucked for a long time. they played the same 6 grunge classics and a bunch of awful new goatee rock like three days grace and puddle of mudd. maybe they should have tried a little harder at diversifying the format a little. and its no fault of the djs.
A sad day for Jacksonville! This new format blows! And Clear Channel, you guys are retarded. I say this not because of them taking off Lex and Terry alone. I hope they go on another Jacksonville new rock station.
What a bummer! I They should have given Planet more time to improve.So now they’re going to play the same stuff as 96.9 the eagle? Not really oldies, but whatever. I agree with you Andi, Clear Channel sucks!!!!
Do we have to listen to X1029 play more commercials and brag about how they won now??
most likely,the first one i hear,i will no longer listen to radio….time to dust off my cd’s
Fuck x1029.
So what is going to happen to the largest out door music fest of the year in Jacksonville now? PLANETFEST!!!! Are we going to have Magic fest? Clear Channel you really know how to screw up a good thing. I guess Lex and Terry was right all along. Good luck with your station and i hope you make a lot of money, but you just lost one listener!!!
WTH? I have been waiting for Planetfest all year and now this crap? Clear Channel does SUCK it big time!!! No wonder I moved to satelite radio!!!
the fact that that means no more planet fest … is devistating… and is there any way we could go up to clear channel and start a riot?
HaHa!! I like that, Carry Posters and Scream out “Let’s start a Riot!”
This is great news! I couldn’t understand why they killed the 80′s music on 102.9 a couple years ago just to add a second alternative station (playing the same songs as the first). Glad to see a return of 80′s.
the 80′s are gay and completely worthless!
Go to the other stations! Give mine back, 102.9 and 107.3 were the only rock stations. and on that note 107.3 was better. I will not listen to 102.9 anymore, they are so pig headed. -_-
102.9 sucks!!!!!!They used mudd slinging to get ahead.That’s not right.
Clear Channel sucks! What is wrong with a little competition? I listen to both, probably 107.3 more because I like the dj’s. Instead of stepping up, they just quit? And why no warning to all their listeners? Thanks Clear Channel. You seriously suck.
I hate the fact that their are 3 different country stations, two pop stations, and a couple of old favorites stations. We can never have to alternative rock stations and that is ridiculous. I actually enjoyed both stations due to the fact that there are songs from the genre I do not care for. It’s nice to have a choice between the tunes. This is a low blow in radio history that I will definitely hate clear channl for. Low blow from x 1029 for cheap shotting the commercials and music play. It worked, but it wasnt necessary.
This is crap! Lex and Terry has a huge market here in Jacksonville, and because ratings go down due to some competition your going to just drop it and replace it with easy listening. Come on! Seriously! This is a reflection of how Senior leadership at Clear Channel runs-Piss Poor!
It’s about time, Lex and Terry are trailer park trash!!!
Hey man, I dont know you, But my parents listened to L&T when I was growing up, and they’re still loved now, so, to put it bluntly dude F U you rap loving A/W.
My main problem with radio stations is when they will not operate out of the studio that is/was located where the tower is. It should be in the fcc rules you have to broadcast where the tower is. There are four locations with most of the radio stations in Jacksonville. 9090 Hogan Road has 5 radio stations,Central Parkway has 6 radio stations,Belfort Parkway has 6 radio stations,Regency Square blvd has four radio stations. I think all of these are southside locations. In most cases parent company radio stations are bad news. They buy up all the stations they can get, and in some cases take away local jobs. I invite people to go look at some or all of these stations public file during normal hours, and see if they will let you see them. If not, or there is information in there that is missing or not right, the station can get in trouble, and should be reported to the fcc.All the money these stations are earning, earning is a wrong word here, for doing as little as they can to provide local content. The General Managers at most of these parent company stations have too much power for one person.
clear channel sucks!!!
i dunno–i could not listen to planet for a YEAR– but when i turned it on, they would still be playing the SAME SONGS they were playing a year ago–absolutely nothing new. at least the other channel *really* plays “new rock”.
I used to love Planet but the more Lex and Terry they played (and the less music) the less I listened. I admit I am a convert to X102.9. Same great music WITHOUT Lex and Terry. 102.9 won my listenership with great music and no crap. Sorry Planet.
WTF? Planet is who pulled in the big names, played better music and was the start for many Jacksonville based bands… This is low blow and completely sucks!!!
This sucks planet radio is 100 times better clear channel u blow. I hope lex and Terry will be back on in Jax soon
I agree with Andi, way to give in Clear Channel. Seems the smartest marketing decision would have been to cut down on commercials (Planet was infamous for TOO MANY COMMERCIALS), and remove the radio talent (if “talent” is what you’d call it) and embrace the slightly heavier metal crowd, since there isn’t a home for us in Greater Jacksonville. Instead you switch to an already saturated format? I guess ignorance is bliss.
No notice or anything Clear Channel CLEARLY SUCK as a company that cares about it’s listeners. Who ever run the company must be from other country, if they move to one. LEX AND TERRY rule.
I’ve been listening to them for as long as I can remember living here at that has been over 20 years. I hope they end up somewhere soon where they can be heard again here in Jacksonville. Please let it not be on another clear channel affiliate station though, they are just not a dependable station to listen to.
The radio stations suffer with lost listenership, and this is a prime example why. They have absolutely NO loyalty to their fan base.
This is total crap!!! I grew up listening to planet radio 93.3, moved to oregon for a while, came back and it was planet radio 107.3, but at least it was still here!!! I can’t believe a native station got booted, especially for oldies music… wtf???!!! So what a station “promised” to play fewer commercials… I’ve listened to 102.9 and they have just as many commercials as anyone else, just in different spots… We should protest!!!
SAVE PLANET RADIO
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=23014400371#!/group.php?gid=23014400371&v=wall
Sorry that was the wrong link listed before
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=131409793569374&ref=ts
This is clearly about Money.
The demographic that listens to magic will spend far more money than the demo that listens to planet.
Clear Channel can now base their advertising rates upon that older demo. More money for them.