The year 1996 in radio involved some significant events.
Events
President Clinton signed the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which greatly increased the number of stations one could own per market, into law.
Geneseo, Illinois radio stations WGEN (1500 AM) and WGEN-FM (104.9) are sold to Connoisseur Communications, owner of KJOC, KQCS, WXLP and KBOB with studios in Davenport, Iowa. The FM signal is simply a repeater of KJOC's signal, which has an all-sports format, while the AM signal repeats KBOB (at the time, located at 99.7 FM with a country format) as Connoisseur was considering future plans for the two stations.
January 20 - WPAT-FMPaterson, NJ/New York City ends its Adult Contemporary format of over 3 years and shuts down the entire intellectual unit on 93.1 FM, located in Clifton, NJ at 12:01 a.m. The frequency and transmitter only were sold by Park Communications to Spanish Broadcasting System who at the next moment sign on the station with the same call letters from Manhattan with a Spanish AC format. WPAT FM had been a Beautiful Music Station for decades and evolved to AC at the end of 1992. AM 930 WPAT remains AC for a couple more months as they are also sold but to another Spanish broadcast group Heftel.
February - Jacor announced it would purchase Citicasters, Inc. and Noble Broadcast Group. In addition, SFX Broadcasting announced it would buy Prism Radio Partners.
February 5–10 – After 7 and a half years (in the country format (Over a year on 97.1 FM, the remaining time on 103.5), WYNY/New York drops the format at 6 AM and began to simulcast its sister stations outside New York, WRCX in Chicago on February 5, KKBT in Los Angeles on February 6, WLUP-FM in Chicago on February 7, KIOI in San Francisco on February 8, and WXKS-FM in Boston on February 9. On February 10, WYNY would flip to a Dance CHR format as "103.5 The New KTU."
February 15 - Top 40-formatted WYHY/Nashville drops the format after 14 years and flips to Hot AC as WRVW, "The River."
March 8 – KZZP in Phoenix flips back to Top 40/CHR
March 25 - KCIN/Seattle flips from country to Rhythmic AC, branded as "Kiss 106", after a week of simulcasting sister stations and a stunt loop of various sound effects
March 26 - WPAT-FM's sale from Park to SBS is final though SBS had custody of the frequency since January 20. WPAT AM 930 though is sold to Heftel on March 26 and at 3 p.m. the AC format (by then was more of a Soft AC since splitting from the FM) ends and a Spanish pop format begins. WPAT AM 93 evolves to a brokered format later in the year. The building and real estate is included in the sale of the AM but not the FM.
April - SFX Broadcasting and Multi-Market Radio announced plans to merge.
May - Former SFX President/CEO Steve Hicks and brother Tom Hicks of Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst launched Capstar Broadcasting, with plans to spend $1 billion on middle-market radio stations. Also that month, Cox Radio would acquire NewCity Communications for $250 million.
May 31 - WEDJ/Charlotte rebrands to "Kiss 95.1", bringing the "Kiss" moniker back to the market for the first time in 2 years, when it was formerly carried on 101.9 FM (now WBAV-FM)
June 20 - Westinghouse/CBS Radio announced its merger with Infinity Broadcasting. The $3.9 billion deal would be the biggest deal in radio history until Clear Channel's acquisition of AMFM in October 1999.
July - Capstar would buy Osborn Communications for $100 million; also that month, Heftel Broadcasting and Tichenor Media would merge, becoming one of the first major Spanish-language radio companies.
July–November - WHTZ/New York gradually segues from pop-slanted Modern Rock to mainstream CHR, with the shift completed in November.
July 29 – WWWE in Cleveland, Ohio (long nicknamed "3WE") reverts to their original WTAM call letters, now branded as "WTAM 1100."
August - American Radio Systems announced it would acquire EZ Communications' nearly 100 station group for $655 million. Also that month, Chancellor Broadcasting would acquire Colfax Communications' 12 station group for $365 million.
August 9 - Adult Contemporary-formatted WLTI/Detroit reverted to the WDRQ call letters and branding, and flipped to Rhythmic AC.
August 15 – Adult Contemporary-formatted KHHT/Denver (now KQKS) flips to Top 40 as "K-HITS 107.5"
^ abCox, Jim (2008). This Day in Network Radio: A Daily Calendar of Births, Debuts, Cancellations and Other Events in Broadcasting History. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN978-0-7864-3848-8.