BY MELISSA RUGGIERI/AJC Music Scene
(I’m helping to fill in for Rodney Ho while he’s out of the country.)
Alternative rock station 99x is no longer broadcasting on 98.9 FM.
A decision by the FCC following interference complaints ordered the station to cease broadcasting on the frequency at midnight April 11. The Carrollton station Great Classics also operates at 98.9 FM.
While listeners will no longer be able to tune into the FM signal, 99x can still be heard on 99.7 HD2, on the 99x app, through Alexa and streaming on 99x.com.
Last fall, AJC radio and TV writer Rodney Ho provided a colorful history of the alt-rock station, which, in its ‘90s heyday, crammed the airwaves with hits from bands such as the Lemonheads, Nirvana, Cracker and The Cure.
Its current playlists focused on acts including Phoenix, Young the Giant and Muse.
The Cumulus Atlanta station returned on Jan. 1, 2016, after a three-year absence.
The following message was posted on the station’s Facebook page:
A few things we want you to know:
1. We are pursuing the FCC with an appeal of their decision. We believe the interference complaints were remediated successfully and we have a right to continue to provide lovers of 99X with a product they have proven they love. We are not sure how long the process will take, but we will do all that we can to return 99x to the FM band.
2. This is not the end of 99x! Through the distribution channels described above, we’ll continue to program the station with the passion, the love and the effort we have. To that end we will be launching a promotional campaign on our products informing listeners on where they can find 99x.