  RADIO NEWS **UPDATED** In case you don't listen, Cox Radio Inc. blew up B103 after roughly 17 years to bring you the new Mix 103-7. At about 11:58 pm on Sunday, B103 played "It's The End Of The World As We Know It" by R.E.M and at the start of Monday kicked off a new legal ID complete without the "B" monicker. The idea behind the switch is very good. Lite 98 has had the soft rock market cornered for years, and needs a little competition. B103 however has been floundering as a Hot AC station for several years, and was desperately in need of a jump start.
I don't know however if the station as it had been know for years needed to be erased. The B103 name was not the problem. While the music sucked, the on air staff was not too bad, and people still listened to B. It was on the same page as Q94 and the former XL102 in terms of name recognition. So while the music needed to be switched up, why not utilize the B monicker that has for years been associated with that frequency. As far as the airstaff goes, there has not been one since the weekend. Does that mean that the likes of Sheri Blanks and Richmond landmark Jon Barry are out of work? I guess we will find out, although the only airstaff that has been removed from their website are Eric and Tara: the B103 morning show.
Hopefully that means that the rest are safe. Sheri, may not work on a soft rock format, but Jon Barry has the voice, the look, and the personality to be very successful again on that type station. Anyway, just a note on what is happening in the world of Richmond radio. Good luck to them. Here is a list of some of the revolving airstaff at B103 since I began working for Cox: Mo and Sally Bender and Jackie Lisa Greene Rebecca Wilde Bishop Charlie Travis Griffin Dead Air Dave Enzo Dave Reynolds Ozone Kelly Boom Jeff Cochran Eric Summers* Tara Hart* Plus all the part timers who have come and gone over the years.
Maybe this change could bring some stability to the station. urlLink Click Here to check out the new Mix 103-7 UPDATE: From what I understand Eric and Tara have both been let go from the station. Both Sheri Blanks and Jon Barry are slated to return after a brief hiatus. 
