iHeartRadio's Real 106.1 Debuts as Philly's Real #1 for Throwbacks

Today iHeartRadio flipped Mix 106.1 (WISX) in Philadelphia to "Real 106.1" playing Classic Hip-Hop and Throwbacks. The flip was ushered in by morning host Chio. He went on a rant about there being too many radio stations in Philadelphia playing Taylor Swift and Maroon 5. Then began stunting by taking requests from listeners and playing anything- even Metallica.

The station had been hurt by the emergence of CBS Radio's "Today's 96.5"-- as the former Mix 106.1 had been chasing ratings leader "101.1 More FM." In a last ditch attempt to save it's ratings, Mix starting playing music from the 80's. Today's 96.5 has been doing so well siphoning listeners from More FM, that their Oldies station WOGL has gained in the market place. However iHeartRadio's Urban AC station WDAS-FM garnered a number 1 share in the most recent ratings. Something WDAS hasn't done in years.

The programming of Real 106.1 is essentially Modern AC and geared towards the suburban listeners who are now adults but grew up on the Hip Hop and R&B of the early 2000's. (Lauryn Hill, DMX, JaRule, Ashanti, and Eminem's Slim Shady) One of those main host during that time period was Chio, who was heard on iHeartRadio's Hot AC station Q102. But the marketplace misses the Wired 96.5 brand, when it was owned by Beasley and the morning man back then, ironically enough, was none other than Chio. So he is a wise choice to lead the format change. Wired 96.5 was purchased by CBS and flipped to AMP Radio, then eventually it became Today's 96.5, which in essence made Mix 106.1 expendable.

This is the second attempt at a Classic Hip Hop station in Philadelphia. Radio One's Boom 107.9 did not make the immediate splash it did in other cities and relocated to 103.9. It also dropped the Ed Lover Morning Show as well and is now your typical Urban/Hip Hop station with a limited amount of throwbacks. 

Real 106.1 is set to go commercial free through the July 4th holiday. 





OFFICIAL RELEASE from iHeartMedia:

iHeartMedia Philadelphia announced today the debut of the new Real 106.1, Philly’s Real No. 1 for Throwbacks, effective immediately.

Real 106.1 will broadcast a variety of Hip Hop, R&B and Rhythmic music from the ‘90s and early 2000’s, including songs from popular artists such as Notorious B.I.G., Eminem, Beyoncé, Rihanna and Kanye West. The station will continue to feature Chio in the Morning, the popular local morning show heard in the community for 14 years.

“We’re thrilled to launch a station that really represents Philly,” said Brian Check, Senior Vice President of Programming for iHeartMedia Philadelphia. “We hear from our listeners all the time that this music is fun, infectious and timeless, so we can’t wait to bring these songs back to the airwaves.

“This will be amazing for our listeners and our partners,” said Richard Lewis, President of iHeartMedia’s Philadelphia Region. “Our Philadelphia stations already reach two out of three Adults 25-54 in the market; and now after our quest to connect with even more people in the area, we’ll be able to deliver even more entertainment, companionship and connections for Philly radio listeners and a larger audience for our partners.”

iHeartMedia is a leading media outlet in the Philadelphia market and its content is available across multiple platforms, including its broadcast stations; online via its branded digital sites; mobile; and social, with nationwide listening through iHeartRadio, the all-in-one streaming music and live radio service – with its more than a billion downloads and 100 million registered users.