Steve Hegwood’s Core Communicators has launched Hip Hop “Streetz 100.3” on Coastal Broadcasting of Larose Sports “ESPN New Orleans” 100.3 KLRZ Larose/New Orleans LA.
Launching with 5000 songs-in-a-row commercial-free, the move brings a competitor to iHeartMedia’s market leading “Q93” WQUE. The station is being operated via Time Brokerage Agreement with an option to purchase.
The move marks Hegwood’s return to New Orleans nearly two decades after his On Top Communications Hip Hop “Hot 104.5” KNOU’s facilities were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 leading to the company filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in early 2006. After its temporary facilities were destroyed by Hurricane Gustav in 2008, the station was sold twice and finally resumed full operations as 1980s Hits “Z104.5” KWMZ-FM in 2013.
The Time Brokerage Agreement on file with the FCC notes that Core Radio Group has also entered into an Option Agreement to purchase the station with the $10,000 per-month LMA fees going towards the acquisition should it be exercised. The company operates multiple Hip Hop stations under the “Streetz” brand including in Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, and Norfolk. All of the stations also carry the Atlanta based “Yung Joc and The Streetz Morning Takeover” distributed by Superadio Networks.
Local Sports programming had come to an end on KLRZ at the end of August when the 12-3pm “Sports Hangover with Gus Kattengell” ended after a fourteen year run between Cumulus Media’s “106.1 The Ticket” WMTI and then KLRZ. Kattengell also served as studio host for pre-game, halftime, and post-game coverage of the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans for the past five year. The Pelicans announced their move from KLRZ to Audacy News/Talk 870 WWL New Orleans/105.3 WWL-FM Kenner for the upcoming season in June. KLRZ carries ESPN Radio national programming plus the morning and afternoon shows from Guaranty Media’s Baton Rouge based “104.5 ESPN” WNXX Jackson/104.9 KNXX Donaldsonville LA.
This story first appeared on radioinsight.com