I'd like to know how many ROCK radio stations have flipped from the
rock format to other formats each year since around 1997 in the U.S. -
  Specifically I want to know which stations (call letters), which
year they flipped, and what format they adopted during the flip.

I am specifically trying to ascertain the rate, and acceleration, of
the decline of rock radio stations in the U.S. over the past ten
years.

---

Request for Question Clarification by belindalevez-ga on 15 Aug 2006 07:39 PDT

<Hello,
I have identified 25 stations that have flipped in this period. Would
this information be of interest to you as an answer?>

---

Clarification of Question by djmikewatt-ga on 15 Aug 2006 12:03 PDT

Yes, based on the following:

Can you provide the call letters and year flipped for each?  Also, can
you be confident that you've found all (or at least the bulk majority)
of stations that qualify?  If we're missing stations it defeats the
purpose as I am trying to create an accurate graph of this info.

Thank you!

---

Request for Question Clarification by belindalevez-ga on 16 Aug 2006 01:51 PDT

<I've researched the subject further to find out how many rock
stations there were in each year and have turned up the following
numbers.

1998 ? 856
1999 ? 539

Between 1998 and 1999 there is a difference of over 300 stations, so
the 25 i found are a small fraction. Finding all 300 will be a mammoth
task.

In addition I also have figures for the number of rock stations in
2000, 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2005. The reports containing these figures
also have details of the number of stations for all other formats.
Would the number of rock stations each year be of use?>

---

Clarification of Question by djmikewatt-ga on 16 Aug 2006 18:07 PDT

First of all, I have increased the bid for this answer to $45 because
I see that it requires some attention.

Also, This information is useful, but I would need to source included
with the answer. (Proper citation).

As opposed to specific information for every single one of these
stations, if you could find and include specific information for some
of the more major station flips within the format (i.e. WHFS in DC,
WXRK in NY, etc) that would be good enough... Perhaps 8 to 10 of those
included with the overall figures you've found for all the years that
you have would be satisfactory to me.

<Rock radio stations flipping to other formats.

Summary of the number of rock radio stations.

1998 ? 856
1999 ? 539 plus ?new rock?
2000 ? 770
2001 ? 812
2003 ? 860
2004 ? 872
2005 ? 869

Source: Radio Today. Arbitron

1998 
381 album rock stations.
381 classic rock stations.
94 modern rock stations.
Total rock stations 856
Source: Radio today 1998. Arbitron.
http://www.arbitron.com/downloads/radiotoday98.pdf

1999
539 rock  stations
The figures for alternative also include ?new rock?. There were 424
?alternative? stations.
Source: Radio today 1999. Arbitron.
http://www.arbitron.com/downloads/radiotoday99.pdf

2000
770 stations
Source: Radio today 2000. Arbitron.
http://www.arbitron.com/downloads/radiotoday00.pdf

2001
812 stations
Source: Radio today 2001. Arbitron.
http://www.arbitron.com/downloads/radiotoday01.pdf

2002
860 rock stations
Source: Radio today 2003. Arbitron.
http://www.arbitron.com/downloads/radiotoday03.pdf

2003
872 rock stations.
Source: Radio today 2004. Arbitron.
http://www.arbitron.com/downloads/radiotoday04.pdf

2004
869 rock stations.
Source: Radio today 2005. Arbitron. 
http://www.arbitron.com/downloads/radiotoday05.pdf

Over the years the rock format has fragmented into several subformats.
Formats that are experiencing growth include include Spanish
Contemporary, AOR and Talk Personality.
Source: Radio today 2006. Arbitron. 
http://www.arbitron.com/downloads/radiotoday06.pdf

This article looks at what happened at the end of the 90?s when there
was a the rise and fall of modern rock radio.
?With so many stations going after the same audience, the bottom
nearly fell out of Modern Rock radio last winter. Stations that had
doubled their ratings overnight found them cut almost as quickly.
Between the spring of '96 and spring '97, KNRK in Portland, Oregon,
saw its Arbitron ratings slide from 4.4 to 2.9 percent of the
listening audience. WDGE in Providence was down from 3.0 to 1.7. WMRQ
in Hartford, Connecticut, down from 5.7 to 3.9. KEDG in Las Vegas,
down from 7.0 to 4.1. Even KROQ took a hit. By the fall of '96, the
station had fallen from a high of 4.5 the previous summer to a shaky
2.9.?
Source: Who killed rock radio?
http://www.radiodiversity.com/whokilledradio.html

------------------------------------------
Stations that have flipped.

2005 changes.
February 24, 2005, Y100 flipped to hip-hop.
WHFS (Washington D.C) has folded.
WZBT (Miami) has folded.
KLOL (Houston) has folded.

?Ratings for rock radio have been in decline for at least six years,
with audiences shrinking by nearly twenty percent. With urban and
Hispanic formats increasing nationwide, rock is getting squeezed out.?

Listenership of album-oriented rock has fallen 70% since 1998. 

The article explains the changes due to shifting demographics.
Source: Rock radio not rolling. Stations dump rock format as audience
declines.Bill Werde. Rolling Stone.
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/7092231/rock_radio_not_rolling


KQLZ
From 1989 to 1992 hard rock and heavy metal.
From December 25, 1992 new format that was a hybrid of rock and
alternative. Station was know as 100.3FM.
From 1993 ? easy listening known as KXEZ EZ100.3
From 2001 KQLZ returned to the heavy metal format on the internet.
Source: Wikipedia
http://www.blinkbits.com/en_wikifeeds/KQLZ

WJZE ? August 1, 2000, classic hits, March 2005 rap and R&B.
WXKR dropped its classic rock format in the spring of 1996 for an
Adult Album Alternative format. In 1998 it returned to the classic
rock format.

In 1997, WJZE became a classic rock station ( formerly smooth jazz) by
2000 it had a classic hits format and then in 2005 flipped again to
rap and R&B.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WJZE

WCXR now WJZW smooth jazz format. Woodbridge Virginia. ABC/Disney
Source: Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WJZW

WHTT
Classic rock from 1986. Changed to oldies in 1987. Changed to soft
rock. R&B and pop music in 2003.
Citadel communications.
Buffalo.
Source : Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WHTT

WXTM
Rock from 2001 to 2005. After 2005 the format shifted to
non-traditional rock artists. On January 1st 2006 ? call sign chaged
to WXRK - random play commercial modern rock.
On January 17th 2006 ? commerical modern rock format. 
On July 31. 2006 WXRK launched it?s HD2 staion ?k2?with harder-edged acts.
Source: Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WXRK

WPLJ switched from rock to top 40 June 83.
Source: Wikipedia
http://66.249.93.104/search?q=cache:HTepJrtI-csJ:www.blinkbits.com/en_wikifeeds/KZJK+wikipedia+%22radio+station%22+rock+format&hl=nl&ct=clnk&cd=8

WCFL March 1975 rock to beautiful music.
Source: Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stunting_(Broadcasting)

WHFS, January 12, 2005, Tropical Latin format.
Source Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WHFS

WNEW-FM, Sept 13, 1999, talk format, New York.
Source: Rock Radio Scrapbook.
http://rockradioscrapbook.ca/changes.html


WHFS_FM, January 2005, Spanish-Language POP ? Infinity Broadcasting, Washington.
WNEW-FM, 1999, talk format (other formats tried since) ? Infinity
Broadcasting, New York
KSJO-FM, 2004, Spanish language, San Francisco
KLOL-FM, 2004, Spanish language, Houston.

Source: Rock, Rolling Over. By Paul Farhi, Washington Post. 
http://www.edisonresearch.com/home/archives/WashingtonPost01-18-05.pdf

WMRQ (Radio 104), Cookie cutter format, Hartford
WHCN,   gone,   clear channel, Hartford
Source: The Last Days of Rock Radio? Mike Larkin.
http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/10/06/215647.php

WCBS-FM, ?Jack? format, 70?s and early 80?s.
Source: Mark Adams.
http://66.249.93.104/search?q=cache:WN24_CiQjy8J:blogcritics.org/archives/2005/06/06/160952.php+%22rock+radio%22+demise&hl=nl&ct=clnk&cd=4


Rock 101, KLOL, October 2004, Spanish Hip-Hop, Raggaeton and Pop/Dance
music. Clear Channel Radio, Houston.
Source: KLOL fans rock the web to get station back. Michael McGuff.
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=sci_tech&id=3447539

WKKB-FM, February 2005, salsa and other Spanish-Language programming. Fairhaven.
Source: Rock radio station sold; format changes to Spanish language.
Joao Ferreira. Standard-Times.
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/02-05/02-04-05/a03sr736.htm

WPLY, 2005, Philadelphia.  Flipped  to Spanish.
Source: It?s the end of the world as we know it. Lee Gardner.
http://www.citypaper.com/music/story.asp?id=9938

97X Cincinatti ? now broadcasts online.
Source: Fans, and some advertisers, keeping Y100 alive and online. Elites Tv.
http://www.kurthanson.com/archive/news/032205/index.asp

ZETA 94.9 WZTA becomes Mega 94.9 WMGE-FM, 2005, spanish
Source: Backwash.com
http://www.backwash.com/content.php?jouid=9381


K-Rock (WXRK), 2005, sports, politics and pop culture with music at
weekends and after 7pm. New York.
K-Rock 2, 2005,  has been launched as an online rock radio station.
WHFS, 2005, Latin plus online rock., Baltimore
WPLY,  2005, online rock.
WOXY (97X), 2005,  online rock.
The Future of Radio: Rock is Out, Talk And Latin In As Industry
Reinvents Itself. Gil Kaufman.
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1513542/20051111/index.jhtml?headlines=true

KJJO switched from rock to country in 1992  then jazz in 1995.
Source: Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KZJK

WWWW
Rock to country in 1980.
Source: Wikipedia
http://www.answers.com/topic/wwww


KNAC, 1995, Spanish language, relaunched 3 years later as web-based rock radio.
Source: Metal madness. By Andrew Leonard.
http://archive.salon.com/21st/feature/1998/02/13feature.html

<Additional links:>

<An analysis of the effects of consolidation on the radio industy.
Danile J. Rapela.>
<http://mmstudio.gannon.edu/~gabriel/rapela.html>


<Search strategy:>

<"rock radio" demise>
<://www.google.com/search?hl=nl&q=%22rock+radio%22+demise&lr=>

<"rock radio" flipped>
<://www.google.com/search?hl=nl&rls=GGLG%2CGGLG%3A2006-26%2CGGLG%3Aen&q=%27rock+radio%22+flipped&lr=>

<'rock radio" flip>
<://www.google.com/search?hl=nl&rls=GGLG%2CGGLG%3A2006-26%2CGGLG%3Aen&q=%27rock+radio%22+flip&lr=>

<arbitron>
<://www.google.com/search?hl=nl&rls=GGLG%2CGGLG%3A2006-26%2CGGLG%3Aen&q=arbitron&lr=>

<"rock station" format>
<://www.google.com/search?hl=nl&rls=GGLG%2CGGLG%3A2006-26%2CGGLG%3Aen&q=%22rock+station%22+format&lr=>


<Hope this helps.>

Overall very good answer with citations of where the answers were
found. It was slightly difficult to follow in some sections, however,
as I can't really find the organization system that was used in the
answer.