1993 in radio

Events

• January: The Quad Cities' KSTT call letters are retired as 1170 AM is given the new call sign KJOC, reflecting that station's all-sports format. The station had been simulcasting WXLP's FM signal for the past four years, although its sports programming had been steadily increasing during that time. Also that month, WPAT and WPAT-FM Paterson, NJ/New York City quietly completed their evolution from Beautiful Music to down-tempo Adult Contemporary, still known as Easy 93.
• 4 January - WOWF/Detroit officially completes their flip from Top 40/CHR to talk as "Wow FM."
• 6 January - After 5 days of stunting with all-Garth Brooks music, rhythmic CHR-formatted WMXP/Pittsburgh flips to country as "K-Bear", WKQB.
• 10 January - Denver gets its second local country outlet when KDHT completed its move-in to the market and flipped to "Big Dog 92.5."
• 15 January - KONC/Phoenix flips from classical to modern rock. A few weeks later, on 1 February, cross-town rival KFMA flips to beautiful music.
• 25 January - After stunting with all-Elvis music for 3 days, Top 40/CHR-formatted KFXD-FM/Boise flips to adult contemporary.
• 26 January - Toronto got its first country-formatted FM station when CISS-FM signed on the air.
• February - KZKZ/Ft. Smith flips from album rock to gospel, while KTEZ/Lubbock flips from beautiful music to country.
• 2 February - Pittsburgh picked up its third country outlet, as WORD-FM's former 104.7 frequency flips from religious programming and became "Rebel 104.7", WXRB.
• 5 February - WODZ/Memphis flips from oldies to country as "Froggy 94", WOGY. Also on this day, Top 40/CHR-formatted KXXR/Kansas City changes call letters and rebrands as KISF, "Kiss 107.3."
• 7 February - KLZR/Lawrence, Kansas flips from satellite-fed Hot AC to modern rock
• 15 February - WXQL/Jacksonville flips to Urban AC
• 19 February: KBEQ/Kansas City drops its top-40 format of 20 years as "Q-104" to go country as "Young Country 104." It would initially be simulcast on KBZR 1030, which had been airing Z-Rock. The "Q-104" handle would return a few years later, but the format would remain country.
• 23 February – KZGZ in Agana, Guam signs on the air for the first time. The first format is rhythmic top 40 music as "Power 98".
• March: After 40-plus years in its hometown, KFMH moves its studios from Muscatine, Iowa to Davenport. Also that month, Cleveland-based Malrite Communications announces it will merge with Shamrock Broadcasting. The merger would be completed in August.
• 8 March - KKNB/Lincoln signs on with a modern rock format.
• 12 March: After 10 years in the Top 40/CHR format, WEGX/Philadelphia becomes smooth jazz-formatted WJJZ. Three days later, struggling AC WKSZ fills the format void by flipping to "Z100." However, due to the presence of nearby WHTZ in New York, the "Z100" moniker would be modified to "Y100".
• 2 April: After 20 years as an influential Top 40 station, WRBQ-FM/Tampa flipped to country, while keeping its heritage "Q105" moniker. Also on this day, KQLZ/Los Angeles flipped from modern rock to Soft AC as "EZ 100.3" after Westwood One sold the station to Viacom. In addition, KCMQ/Columbia flips from Top 40/CHR to country.
• 5 April - Two stations in Syracuse would flip to country within two days of each other: Beautiful Music-formatted WRHP flips on the 5th, while classic rock-formatted WKFM flips the next day. In Akron, Ohio, Hot AC-formatted WQMX would also flip to country on the 5th.
• 19 April - WAQZ/Cincinnati flips from album rock to modern rock
• 30 April: Virgin Radio, originally called Virgin 1215, was launched nationally in the United Kingdom on 1215 kHz at 12.15pm by Richard Branson. It has since become the most listened to online radio station in the world.
• 11 May: CHR-formatted WZOU/Boston shifted to rhythmic CHR as "Jam'n 94.5", WJMN.
• 28 May: At 4 PM that day, WOWF/Detroit dropped their 5-month old talk format and flipped to country, becoming one of the first "Young Country" stations.
• 3 June: Atlantic Ventures, Stoner Broadcasting and Multi Market Communications all merge to form American Radio Systems, consisting of 16 stations in 7 markets.
• 9 September: Cox and CBS make a swap involving the Dallas and Tampa radio markets. Cox received AOR WYNF 94.9 "95 YNF" in Tampa from CBS to pair with its WWRM "Warm 107.3", while CBS received KLRX "Lite 97.9" in Dallas from Cox to pair with its KTXQ "Q-102." KLRX flipped to classic rock as KRRW "Arrow 97.9" on 15 October, while Cox moved the "Warm" format from 107.3 to 94.9 and launches 1970s hits WCOF "107.3 The Coast."
• 10 September - CBS installs the very first 70s-based classic hits-formatted "Arrow" station on KCBS-FM/Los Angeles, who dropped their 4-year old oldies format.
• 22 September - WLUP-AM/Chicago moves their comedy/talk programming over to their FM sister station, and flips to sports talk as WMVP.
• October - Memphis got its sixth urban-formatted station when WOGY-AM dropped the simulcast with its FM sister station and flipped to urban oldies as "The Juice", WJCE. Also this month, Carl Hirsch launches his new radio group venture, OmniAmerica Communications.
• 11 October - Westwood One announced it would acquire Unistar Radio Networks for $101.3 million; in addition, Westwood One would sell a 25% equity stake to Infinity Broadcasting for $15 million. Also on this day, KPOI/Honolulu flips from album rock to modern rock.
• 25 October - Smooth jazz-formatted KHIH/Denver flips to religious programming; the format void would be filled by AC-formatted KHOW-FM a few days later.
• November - WWKS/Pittsburgh flips from classic rock to hard rock. Also during this month, Booth American Company and Broadcast Alchemy announced plans of a merger, with the newly combined company getting 11 stations in 7 markets and $160 million. In addition, Metroplex Communications would merge with Clear Channel, a deal worth $53 million.
• 10 November - KQBR/Sacramento dropped country for smooth jazz
• 12 November - After 23 years in the country format, KLAC/Los Angeles flips to Unistar's adult standards "AM Only" format.
• 15 November - Top 40/CHR-formatted WYAV/Myrtle Beach flips to classic rock, and became an affiliate of The Howard Stern Show.
• 19 November - The "Arrow" format is expanded to two adult contemporary-formatted stations in two markets; in Washington, D.C., WLTT adopts the format, while in Houston, KLTR flips to the format four days later.
• 16 December - 96WEFM begins broadcasting in Trinidad and Tobago.

  Debuts

• Art Bell begins national syndication of his late night talk show.

  November

• 1: Flagler College's WFCF/88.5 begins broadcasting with a 12-hour-per-day schedule and a power level of 6 kilowatts

  Endings/Closings

• Undated: Bill Ballance retires from radio after more than 50 years in the industry.

  April

• 28: Salty Brine, longtime morning host at WPRO does his last program on that station.

  September

• Final broadcast of Bit, byte, gebissen, a German program on computer topics, produced by the Bayerischer Rundfunk.

  Births

• 28 January: Roman Kemp, American-born English radio music presenter.

  Deaths

• 25 November: Harry Elders, 84, American radio actor and announcer.
• 28 November: Garry Moore, 78, American entertainer, game show host and comedian.
• 28 December: William L. Shirer, 89, American war correspondent.