Mobile gets a new CHR player. iHeartMedia flips Sports Talk 99.5 to Kiss 99.5. It is setting up a direct fight with Cumulus’ 97.5 WABD.
What We Know: iHeartMedia has rebranded W258AY/WRKH-HD2 in Mobile from “Sports Talk 99.5” to CHR outlet “99.5 Kiss-FM.” The station will carry “The Alabama Show” in mornings. Hosted by Amber “Alabama” Cole, syndicated from sister station 103.7 The Q in Birmingham. The same show already airs on 106.5 Kiss-FM in Huntsville, 94.1 WZBQ in Tuscaloosa, and 102.7 Kiss-FM in Memphis. Cole called the move a chance to “wake up with Mobile every morning.”
What’s at Stake: Mobile’s CHR lane has been relatively open. And Kiss 99.5 now competes head-to-head with Cumulus’ 97.5 WABD for listeners and advertisers chasing today’s hits format. iHeartMedia is also leaning on a regional morning show strategy, syncing Cole’s program across four markets instead of building a standalone Mobile show. That approach saves resources, but it also tests whether a Birmingham-based host can authentically connect with Mobile’s audience…