2017 in radio
The following is a list of events affecting radio broadcasting in 2017. Events listed include radio program debuts, finales, cancellations, and station launches, closures and format changes, as well as information about controversies.
Notable events
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
| Date | Event |
| 1 | Entercom announces that the merger with CBS Radio has been cleared by the FCC and the DOJ, thus paving the way for the deal to close on November 17. The company also announced that it has found new buyers for the 16 stations that they are divesting to comply with FCC ownership rules. Bonneville will acquire through an LMA San Francisco-Oakland's AC KOIT, Top 40/CHR KMVQ, and Urban AC KBLX-FM, San Jose's Classic Rock KUFX, and Sacramento's AC KYMX, Adult Top 40 KZZO, Country KNCI, and Sports KHTK ; iHeartMedia will add Boston's Urban AC WKAF, Classic Rock WZLX, Conservative Talk WRKO, and All News WBZ , and Seattle-Tacoma's Adult Hits KJAQ, Classic Rock KZOK-FM, and Sports KFNQ, all as part of a swap deal that will see Entercom acquiring iHeartMedia's Chattanooga roster of Top 40/CHR WKXJ, Adult Hits WLND, Country WUSY, Active Rock WRXR-FM, and Urban WUSY-HD2, and Richmond's roster of Top 40/CHR WRVQ, AC WTVR-FM, Alternative WRXL, Urban WBTJ, Sports WRNL, News/Talk WRVA, Classic Rock W241AP/WRVQ-HD2, and Country W253BI/WTVR-HD2 ; and Beasley will swap Boston AC WMJX to Entercom in exchange for Sports WBZ-FM. The sales are expected to close in 2018 upon the completion of the merger. |
| 1 | Citing "inappropriate behavior", Michael Oreskes resigns from his position as senior vice president of news at NPR after three journalists accuse him of sexual harassment. |
| 1 | CJUI-FM Kelowna, British Columbia flips to oldies branded as "Okanagan Oldies 103.9" |
| 6 | After 19 months with Rhythmic AC, CFXJ-FM Toronto shifted back to a full-fledged Rhythmic CHR while retaining the "Move" branding. |
| 9 | Country musician Pat Garrett sells Active Rock WTPA Palmyra/Harrisburg to Educational Media Foundation, giving the Pennsylvania capital city a K-Love affiliate; EMF is expected to move the format from its translator at 101.7. The sale also ends WTPA's 38-year legacy as a rock station, which began in 1980 at 104.1, followed by a move to 93.5 in 1985, with its final move to 92.1 in 2011. |
| 13 | After ten years as owner and on-air personality at WPTY Long Island, Vic Latino is selling his interest in JVC Broadcasting to his seven partners, but will keep one of the JVC outlets, WSVU/W240CI/W295BJ West Palm Beach, with him as part of an exchange deal. JVC will continue to maintain ownership of the eight stations in New York State and Florida. |
| 17 | Entercom officially takes ownership of CBS Radio on this date. And along with it flips formats in three markets: In New York City and Dallas-Ft. Worth, the "AMP"-branded Top 40/CHRs WBMP and KVIL both switched to Alternative as "ALT 92.3" and "ALT 103.7" respectively; the flips brings the formats back to the two markets for the first time since 2012 in New York City and 2016 in Dallas-Ft. Worth. In Chicago, WJMK ended its run with Oldies/Classic Hits in favor of Classic Hip-Hop as "104.3 Jams." And in San Diego, Country KSON traded frequencies with Top 40/CHR KEGY, the latter temporarily going online until November 20. Later in the afternoon, 39-year Country veteran KMPS-FM Seattle began playing Christmas music, leading into a flip to Soft AC as "94.1 The Sound" on December 4; that flip later resulted in KVRQ to quickly drop Active Rock on the same day to become “Country 98.9” and challenge KMPS’ sister KKWF in the market. |
| 17 | Cumulus Media pulls the format plug on its two outlets in two markets in favor of Christmas music. After two years with Rhythmic AC, WRWM Indianapolis began stunting as "North Pole Radio,” while in Green Bay, WKRU drops Adult Alternative to become "Christmas @ 106.7". On December 25, WKRU flipped to Classic Rock as “106.7 The Big Dog,” while WRWM flipped to Top 40/CHR as “Energy 93.9” on December 26. |
| 20 | After six years with Classic Rock, and then six months with Adult Hits, WDTW-FM Detroit flipped to Alternative as Alt 106.7, launching with "Seven Nation Army" by Detroit's The White Stripes. The flip, which come amidst rumors that Entercom was going to flip one of its outlets in the market to the same format, puts them in competition with the Windsor-based CIMX-FM, and gives the market its first U.S.-based alternative rock station since WMGC-FM's period as 105.1 The Edge from 1997 until 1999. |
| 20 | President Donald Trump puts an indefinite hiatus on the weekly Presidential radio address after 35 years, citing feedback that it wasn't used to its full potential. While there is no official word on whether it is being discontinued, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders did leave open the possibility of resuming the broadcasts in the future. |
| 23 | Cumulus Media's KAYD-FM Beaumont dropped its Nash FM Country format and began playing Christmas music as “Santa 101.7” ahead of a planned format flip and an impending signal upgrade for Classic Country sister KYKZ Lake Charles, Louisiana to cover the area. However, on December 26, KAYD-FM returned to its Country format without any explanation. |
| 27 | After two years with Classic Hip-Hop, WBMO Columbus, Ohio dropped the format and began simulcasting Rhythmic contemporary sister WCKX. The simulcasts comes full circle, as it expands the "Power" branding to its former 106.3 signal after 20 years. |
| 29 | After nearly four years as a Top 40/CHR, WQMP Orlando flipped to Alternative, branded as "Alt 101.9"; they're the third Entercom station to flip to the "Alt" brand. This brought the format back to a full-market signal for the first time since 2008, when sister WOCL flipped to classic hits. |
| 29 | Minnesota Public Radio fires A Prairie Home Companion creator and ex-host Garrison Keillor over an allegation of inappropriate behavior, thus losing the rights to the name A Prairie Home Companion. The show that had been airing under that name with Chris Thile as host continues under the name Live from Here. |
| 29 | Cumulus Media files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as part of a restructuring of the company. |