Local residents surfing Baton Rouge radio stations may have noticed a few changes in the frequencies recently.
Guaranty Broadcasting, a division of Guaranty Group, shuffled Country Legends from its former location on 107.3 to 104.9. A new station, TALK 107.3, took Legends’ place and The X, formerly located on 104.9 and 104.5, is no longer broadcasting.
Guaranty Broadcasting currently owns Eagle 98.1, Country Legends 104.9, New Country 100.7 The Tiger, TALK 107.3 and ESPN Baton Rouge 104.5.
Guaranty Broadcasting stations also control University sports coverage and serve as Baton Rouge affiliate of the New Orleans Saints.
Dave Dunaway, operations manager and programming director for Guaranty Broadcasting, said decisions are made based on overall listenership and will benefit the community.
“I think [Guaranty Broadcasting] saw a better opportunity to showcase the new format, TALK, and TALK seemed to fit better on 107.3 and Legends seemed to fit better on 104.9,” Dunaway said.
Dunaway said the change was approved by the Federal Communications Commission, which regulates interstate and international radio, television, wire, satellite and cable communication.
“Any time you change the signal, you have to apply for a signal change,” Dunaway explained. “You have to notify the FCC, and they gave the OK and they gave us back a document that said that 107.3 is moving to 104.9. And the call letters change too because 104.9 is in Donaldsonville.”
Alabama Anna, former disc jockey for 104.9 The X, currently hosts a morning show for New Country 100.7.
Anna, who has worked in radio for more than five years, said her move between the stations required adaptation.
“For me personally, it was a huge transition because I was doing mornings and mid-days on an alternative station, and now I’m doing mornings on a country station,” Anna said. “It was a format change, an audience change and a content change — with alternative versus country. You just have to tap into the part of you that relates to the new audience.”
Anna said she loves the radio lifestyle and the unique personalities of her coworkers, regardless of the genre of music played.
“You never know what you’re doing on a day-to-day or week-to-week basis,” Anna said. “One day I could be here in the station, and the next I could be broadcasting live on location.”
Dunaway said when 104.9 changed from The X to Country Legends, the call numbers changed from WYPY to KYPY, with the approval of the FCC. Stations broadcasting west of the Mississippi River start with K, while stations broadcasting from the east side start with W.
“The FCC does not just let … everybody have radio stations,” Dunaway said. “You have to qualify, and if you’re buying radio stations there are certain criteria you have to meet. You have to show them you’re going to buy these things and operate them in the public interest. That’s what radio stations do. That’s why they are there — because they serve their communities.”
Dunaway said local Guaranty stations have advantages over stations that broadcast nationwide.
“It’s a business, but we don’t operate just to make money,” he said. “It’s in the best interest to serve our communities and our public and the listeners that listen to our radio stations. We’re very concerned about them and very interested in what they do and the things that affect them and the cities that they live in.”
For those who are upset by the station swaps, Anna said there are still plenty of music options available.
“I tell people that The X flipped, and I happily remind them about Eagle 98.1 and the ESPN station, and that we do have other alternatives here at Guaranty Broadcasting,” Anna said.
 
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Contact Morgan Searles at [email protected]