Expect a format change soon on R&B "V100" 100.3 FM, KRBV-FM -- the station that was once hip-hop "The Beat." Since becoming a more mellow urban AC, the listenership on 100.3 has plunged.
Enter Bonneville, the radio group (owned by the Mormon church) that once had a presence here in L.A., owning outlets such as KBIG-FM 104.3 and country KZLA 93.9. Bonneville is back in L.A. and the new owner of 100.3, in a $137.5 million transaction.
Early rumors have hinted that Bonneville might flip 100.3 FM to a news/talk format. The company has had success with FM news/talk in other markets, including D.C.
If that happens, expect some real shuffling, as pundits believe Clear Channel would be prepared to put KFI on FM, dumping one of its music formats (such as Hot 92.3 or Star 98.7) in the process. Clear Channel would want to protect its news/talk franchise, the scuttlebutt goes -- and the idea of a KFI-FM has been floating around for years.
But the message boards over at Radio-Info wonder if Bonneville will go news/talk, given how saturated L.A. already is with two news stations and countless gabbers.
That's why another rumored format is making the rounds: Country. Would Bonneville bring some twang to the 100.3 frequency? And if so, what would independent owner Saul Levine do with his KKGO-FM 105.1, which flipped to country when KZLA 93.9 dropped the format?
With all this mixing and moving, perhaps there's an opportunity for an underserved radio format to also return to L.A. airwaves. What would you like to see -- a real album-oriented rock station? Dance? Adult alternative?
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