Montgomery Radio: LP Streamz 100.5 Plays The Local Hits

A Montgomery, Alabama, FM translator has launched Streamz 100.5, a Hip-Hop and Contemporary R&B station uniquely programmed based on local streaming data, marking what operators call a first-of-its-kind approach in the U.S. radio market.

The station, airing on low-power translator W263BX (80 watts) and fed by the HD2 channel of WQKS-FM 96.1, replaces a previous rhythmic throwbacks format. Despite its limited power, operators say the signal fully covers the city, serving as a testbed for aligning broadcast radio with real-time community listening habits online. Radio futurist James Cridland writes in his radio newsletter the station is using a service called StreamStats from Bridge Ratings.

Rick Peters

Bluewater Broadcasting Managing Partner Rick Peters describes Streamz as bridging live radio and local streaming trends, turning listeners' online choices into direct influencers of the on-air playlist—effectively making audiences active programmers rather than passive ones.

Program Director DJ Fresh explains the process as a "weekly vote": The station analyzes over three million local streams weekly from 19 pure-play streaming services, using Bridge Ratings' Stream Stats tool to identify top songs in the Montgomery metro area, which then form the core playlist. 

The lineup also features Compass Media Networks' DeDe In the Morning syndicated show.

Operators emphasize the format's goal of reflecting Montgomery's evolving musical tastes in real time, with the slogan implying: If locals are streaming it, Streamz will play it. They position the concept as groundbreaking, allowing community-specific streaming behavior to shape broadcast content on a hyper-local level.