For my entire 37 years, music has been a lifeblood for me. However, that lifeblood has been eroded, not by time, but by the hands of change. For many in the ArkLaTex area, 98.9 was more than a radio station; it was a beacon of harder, more modern rock and metal music. The decision to transform 98.9 into a mirror image of 98.1 has stripped us of our uniqueness and left us inundated with generic tunes meant for an older generation.

Radio remains a significant source of entertainment in America, even in this digital age. According to a study by Nielsen, 93% of adults tune into the radio each week, outnumbering TV and Smartphone usage. This data is indicative of radio’s relevancy and influence. Thus, turning one unique channel into a replication of another is not innovation; rather, it is regression.

Our voices have been drowned out by the quiet strumming of age-old melodies as 98.9 took on the persona of 98.1. V2.0. We want our voice, our station, our 99X back! ArkLaTex residents deserve musical variety and respect for their diverse tastes. We must insist on the restoration of 98.9 to its former self - a unique station, celebrated for its dynamic rock and metal offerings, a station respected for its bravery in being different.

So, let’s make a stand. Join me in calling for the reinstatement of 99X, to show the powers that be that we are not a city of just nodding heads, but a city of different tastes and styles. Sign this petition and let 98.9 reverberate to the sound of hard rock and metal once again. We shall not be silenced; our musical preference shall not be generic. Let our collective defiance become the soundtrack for change. Sign this petition to back The Rock Station 99X!