As longstanding Central Ohio Alternative station CD 92.9 FM signs off, the signal’s owners are rebranding the frequency as “A Better Alternative” in the wake of a quarrel that led to a cease-and-desist over naming rights and programming.
Randy Malloy has independently run and managed the CD brand and WWCD call letters for three decades on Columbus airwaves. CD 92.9 has been run under a rental agreement with ICS and Delmar since November 2020, following its move from the 102.5 frequency.
When that agreement fell apart, Delmar Media President Brent Casagrande said they had plans to launch a, “New and refreshing version of the new WWCD.”
Afraid he would lose the brand he built, Malloy took action against ICS and Delmar. In a post on WWCD’s social media, he said, “We sent a cease-and-desist letter to ICS and Delmar to make it crystal clear: no matter what happens, they cannot represent themselves as a continuation of WWCD’s programming. In response, they stated that they will be changing the call letters and will not use ‘WWCD’ going forward.”
“In short: WWCD/CD 92.9 is planning to remain a part of the central Ohio community. Whether that’s on the air, online, or a combination of the two remains to be seen, and we’re working around-the-clock to find a solution.”
With the operator change happening at midnight, February 1, Delmar has announced their plans – a new Alternative station, named 93X, dubbed a “A Better Alternative.” The station, already streaming online, focuses on current and vintage Alternative music.
93X will bear the new, FCC-approved call letters WXGT and start with ten days of commercial-free music. The 93X name appears to be a reference to another Central Ohio alternative station, 92X, which broadcast in the 90s.
Casagrande says a significant part of 93X’s mission is to support local talent by encouraging submissions from area artists for airplay consideration. The station also plans to diversify its content with locally produced programs.
Malloy’s next plans for WWCD have not yet been announced.
