WBBM-FM Chicago & WBMX-FM Chicago simulcast. B96 The Rhythm of Chicago. - Small sample & observation
Posted by WYTZZ95FM on January 31, 2026, 9:42 am
I tuned in last night. For a brief period of time. It is hard to tune in before the top hour and be greeted with a long stop set of commercials. Into 3 songs and another stop set of commercials. See time and titles played below - add up the commercial time, so you can see for yourself.
Music is their strength. Not offered anywhere else and it is an upbeat alternative to The MIX and KISS being CHR. The best way to describe it is Hot AC w/ popular Classic Hip Hop titles. I imagine this will shift with time and research. They still position themselves as "B96 the Rhythm of Chicago". You get short safe, 10 second jock mic cracks. The RDS was scrolling on 96.3 "B96 Chicago" and song title + artist. RDS was not scrolling on 104.3 JAMS. I was listening on a better audio deck, the 104.3 audio chain sounded better to me.
Besides seeing AM outlets vapor or sell for 1% of what they were 10 years ago, you will be seeing a lot of FM outlets escalating their shift to spoken word and no music formats as time rolls on. I do not believe the government will make any moves to save the AM band and broadcasters have no appetite to carry on the FM band. Matter of time, before all of it is shut off and rely on IP based communication.
Z 19:05 Chingy - Right Thurrr
18:53 Sean Kingston - Beautiful Girls 18:51 David Guetta / Ava Max - Forever Young 18:46 Nelly - Ride Wit Me 18:43 Taio Cruz - Dynamite 18:38 Daddy Yankee - GASOLINA 18:34 Doechii - Anxiety
96.3 sounds more tightly compressed, like it had been all the way back from the Hot Hits! days. I can literally tell when B96 is tuned in after 30 seconds or so without looking at the display.
on January 31, 2026, 9:42 am