Update: Station DJ defines new format as "built for Gen-X , by Gen-X.
Looks like big changes are headed to the Valley's long-running X103.9 (those of us who have been around awhile still slip up and call it "The Edge" regularly).
According to Kassi Jayde, the co-host of Dave Pratt Live, which has been served as the station's morning show since August 15, 2011, the station will soon shift from its alternative format to something a little less rare on the Valley FM dial: classic rock.
Jayde tweeted the following statement around 5 o'clock Monday evening:
Huge new announcement for our station. KEXX 103.9 changes format from X103.9 to MY 103.9 classic rock. Get ready Phx!!!!
The tweet has since been removed, but not before former New Times music editor and Chubster author Martin Cizmar retweeted it:
A less revealing Tweet was posted to her profile around 7 P.M. Monday evening:
Pratt's nearly freeform format didn't seem to mesh with X103.9's style, something X103.9 fans have noted on the station's Facebook profile. (A recent comment from Friday, January 6: "Pratt doesn't belong on this station. He's always playing some weird crap. Whenever he's on it seems like a totally different station and I won't listen.)
But it seems "The Morning Mayor" was simply ahead of the curve as far as the station's future. If the format change is indeed a shift to classic rock, MY 103.9 would join 93.3 KDKB and 100.7 KSLX as purveyors of Steve Miller Band, The Stones, and The Beatles.
And on the alternative end? The low-power FM station 106.7 KWSS (I do a weekly call-in to the station's morning show, The Morning Infidelity) on the FM dial, and The Blaze 1330 on the AM. And both of those are pretty tough to tune into depending where you are in the Valley.
We've heard rumors that some of the station's staff has been let go, but can't confirm anything yet, as the station's official site and Twitter account haven't said peep. We've placed calls to the station, and will report our findings as soon as we get 'em.
As they say out there in radioland: stay tuned.
