From 24-hour news to 24-hour Beyoncé.
News92, Houston's first FM all-news radio station, has dumped its news programming, laid off the newsroom staff and says it will instead broadcast tracks from the Houston-born artist day and night, commercial free.
This includes everything from Destiny's Child to duets with husband Jay Z.
Why all Beyoncé, all the time?
"We want folks to tune in," said Yashima Azilove, VP of corporate communications for the station's owner, Radio One.
Tuning in seemed to be the main problem for News92. Management blamed the decision on "poor ratings" and "significant financial losses."
It laid off 47 workers.
"Unfortunately, the market hasn't shown a sustainable appetite for news radio," the company's statement read.
It thanked the listeners who "motivated us daily to produce a high-quality news program. Together, we made history."
Related: Clear Channel changes name to iHeartMedia
The format change at News92 speaks to even bigger issues in the changing radio landscape.
Stations shutting down and massive layoffs are becoming more and more common as terrestrial radio tries to find its way in today's media.
Azilove, who touted Radio One's billing as "The Urban Media Specialist," added that the transition was one that the market ultimately wanted.
When asked if she felt the loss of the 24 hour news station in Houston was a good or bad thing, Azilove responded that it was neither good nor bad but rather a "statement of fact."
As for the move to 24/7 Beyoncé radio being permanent, Azilove simply said, "stay tuned."
