Pensacola gets a second CHR.

Cumulus Media’s flip of hot AC “Q100” WJLQ to the red hot format as “i100, Today’s Hit Music” shows that the return of two-CHR markets isn’t a trend confined just to large markets. The station launched commercial-free with 2,000 songs in a row, following nearly three days of stunting.

WJLQ ranked 12th with a 2.5 12+ in the spring Arbitron.  Now Cumulus aims for a piece of the 7.0 share posted by the Dittman Group CHR WABB, which tied for third place in the spring and has long held a commanding market position.  While CHR wars are becoming more common, they tend to be in major markets. Pensacola is Arbitron market #124.  Cumulus launched similarly-formatted CHRs in Dallas in September (“i93” KLIF-FM) and in Nashville (“i106” WNFN) in July.