By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Wednesday November 25, 2015
The country station Nash ICON 98.9, which blended older and current hits, is gone after 15 months.
For now, the station is being identified as Warm 98.9 and playing all Christmas, a very soft version of the format.
I have not heard what the station will become after Christmas but given the name Warm implies a soft adult contemporary format, which is not really being covered in this market and hasn't been for years. (Market manager Sean Shannon said the world won't know until December 26.)
Nash ICON never gained any real traction with a weak signal. It drew a mere 0.1 share in the latest Nielsen Audio ratings.
Its website has already been wiped off the face of the earth. Its Facebook page has attracted a mere 509 likes.
Atlanta-based Cumulus, which owns the station, has been using 98.9 as an experimental playground. In 2011, when it launched the 97.9 signal, it was alternative rock 99X's last home before the station swapped over to active rock (The Bone) followed by an unusual Christian/country hybrid (The Walk), then a brief run as True Oldies, then Good Time Oldies. At 15 months, Nash was actually the longest run of any format on 98.9 to date.
Cumulus has tried to push the Nash brand nationally though it has resisted switching Kicks 101.5 to the name.
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