Entercom Debuts New Urban AC in Boston

RADIO ONLINE | Thursday, January 5, 2017

In a move to provide the only full-signal, Urban radio format in Boston, Entercom announces the debut of "The New 97.7" using the slogan Boston's #1 For R&B. Since 2006, the frequency had been simulcast with the company's heritage Rock station, WAAF 107.3FM. The present WKAF call letters will remain for The New 97.7 which ended its simulcast with WAAF today at 11:00AM.

Leading the venture is Program Director Chris Malone, recruited from Cumulus Media's WRBO and WKIM in Memphis. He's joined in the new station's brain trust by Urban radio veteran and consultant Jay Dixon, KBLX/KRBQ San Francisco Director of Programming and Operations Elroy Smith, and Sean Ross, VP of Music and Programming, Edison Research. The New 97.7 will launch with 10,000 songs-in-a-row affording listeners a chance to experience the full breadth of the station's deep playlist for weeks without interruption.

Entercom New England VP/Market Manager Phil Zachary says The New 97.7 fills a massive void for an underserved market. "Boston has a higher concentration of African-American consumers than San Francisco or Los Angeles," he said, "but no rated Urban signals. The prospect of reaching almost 8% of the population with one radio station in a Top-10 market is almost inconceivable in 2017."