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Published on Monday, 30 April 2012 23:11
WRWX-FM, one of the two radio stations run by Ridgewood High School in Norridge, Illinois, has flipped from classic hits "88.1 Jack FM" to smooth jazz/AC/easy listening "Smooth 88.1." The change occurred earlier today at around 9:00am.
Unlike the recent format on WLFM-LP/Smooth 87.7, WRWX-FM's "Smooth" format will have Smooth Jazz & soft urban AC, but will also mix in other types of AC, plus easy listening/beautiful music, and even some Big Band era songs. The new "Smooth" format will play around the clock, with the exception of a few locally done shows.
John DiVita, formerly of WJJG-AM 1530, hosts the station's weekly public affairs program "Meet the Chicago Historians" and provides the Big Band music show. Hourly, there is national & world news and sports from USA News Network and extremely local news with "The Ridgewood Report."
WRWX-FM made headlines
last November 1st by being the first Chicago area radio station to flip to a full-time Christmas music format, going from "Jack FM" to "Jack Frost." The "Jack Frost" holiday format is still expected to return to the station next November.
Sister-station, WRHS-FM continues to air the classic hits "Jack FM" format.
Both WRWX-FM and WRHS-FM are operated by the students of Ridgewood High School and overseen by Media Production Supervisor, Kevin Szaflik -- himself an alumnus of the high school and its radio stations.
The low-powered radio stations can be heard within a few miles of Ridgewood High School in the suburbs of Norridge, Harwood Heights, Rosemont, Schiller Park, and into Chicago. For those not in range of the radio waves, both stations can be heard via the Internet. The 24/7 "Smooth" station on WXMS-FM can be streamed online
HERE. The "Jack FM" station on WRHS-FM can be streamed online
HERE.
WLFM-LP/Smooth 87.7 went off the air just after Midnight earlier this morning and is no longer known as "Smooth 87.7." The owners of WLFM-LP decided to take a cash offer from Chicago-based investment group GTCR, allowing the radio company that GTCR is primary owner of, Merlin Media, LLC, to take control of the radio station via a Limited Marketing Agreement as of today. Merlin Media ended the Smooth format and is currently simulcasting sister-station WIQI-FM/FM News 101.1 on 87.7. That is expected to end soon and the station will become an Alternative Rock format. The news of this dramatic change was first reported
HERE. With WLFM-LP no longer on the air, WRWX-FM's "Smooth 88.1" format is the closest offering to what was heard on 88.7 last week.
