WOGL parts way with most of its staff as it relaunches as BIG 98.1
The station’s BIG 98.1 relaunch arrived Thursday with a selection of songs that had the word “big” in the artist name or song title, including “Big Pimpin’” by Jay Z and Mr. Big’s “To Be With You."
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Classic Hits 98.1 WOGL-FM has parted ways with most of its on-air staff as it rebrands to BIG 98.1. The new era began Thursday.
The station, owned by Philadelphia-based Audacy, retained only Sean “Coop” Tabler, who handles the morning drive time slot, as an on-air host in the relaunch. Bob Pantano’s Dance Party, which has been running for 45 years and airs on Saturday nights, will now air on WOGL-HD2.
Additional hosts and programming will be announced in the coming weeks, Audacy said.
With its relaunch, BIG-FM (98.1) will continue to air 1980s hits from artists like Bon Jovi, Prince, The Police, Queen, and others, and is expected to add additional songs from the 1990s. That change comes nearly two decades after the station moved away from its Oldies 98 format — which featured hits from the 1950s through ‘70s — with its Classic Hits format.
As a result, the station hopes to “invigorate” its broadcast by playing “classic hits for the largest possible audience,” said David Yadgaroff, senior vice president and market manager for Audacy Philadelphia.
“The station remains one of the most listened to in the region and we’re looking forward to making further investments in its growth to continue serving our consumers,” Yadgaroff said.
WOGL-FM is among the top-10 stations in the Philadelphia market, ranking sixth overall behind stations such as 102.9 WMGK, and 93.3 WMMR, according to Nielsen Audio PPM Monthly Ratings.
The station’s BIG 98.1 relaunch arrived Thursday morning with a selection of songs that had the word “big” in the artist name or song title, including “Big Pimpin’” by Jay Z and Mr. Big’s “To Be With You.” Tabler’s Coop Show anchored the change. Additional artists featured on Thursday morning’s broadcast included Coldplay, Alanis Morissette, Wham!, and Bryan Adams.
WOGL has undergone a number of format changes over the years, serving as a disco station in the 1970s, a top-40 station in the 1980s, and an oldies and soul station in the 1990s. Its former owner, CBS Radio, merged with Audacy — formerly known as Entercom — in 2017.