99X Off The Air After FCC Complaint

ATLANTA, GA — Alternative-rock radio station 99X is off the air after the FCC pulled the station's license over a complaint its signal was interfering with another station.

At 98.9 FM, the station went off the air at midnight Wednesday. A note on its website Thursday morning said the Cumulus Broadcast-owned station is appealing the Federal Communications Commission decision.

"We believe the interference complaints were remediated successfully and we have a right to continue to provide Atlantans with a product they have proven they love," the note said. "We are not sure how long the process will take, but we will do all that we can to return 99x to the FM band."

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There is a classic-rock station that also broadcasts on 98.9 FM out of Carrollton, about 50 miles west of Atlanta.

For now, fans of the station can listen to 99X via its mobile app, at WWWQ-HD2 or streaming from its website.

After launching in 1992, 99X became a groundbreaker in the South, one of the region's first and only commercial stations to program alternative rock. Its rise to prominence, then at 99.7 FM, coincided with bands like Nirvana, Soul Asylum and Georgia's own R.E.M. hitting the pop charts.

At its peak throughout the '90s and into the early 2000s, 99X helped launched local acts like Drivin' N' Cryin', Shawn Mullins and Collective Soul to national prominence. By 2008, its popularity had faded, however, and new owners Cumulus pulled the station off the air.

After a three-year absence, the 99X brand returned at 98.9 FM, albeit as a lower-wattage station with mostly pre-programmed playlists.

On Thursday, the station assured listeners that it will be back.

"This is not the end of 99x!" the website note read. "Through the distribution channels described above, we’ll continue to program the station with the passion, the love and the effort we have. To that end we will be launching a promotional campaign on our products informing listeners on where they can find 99x."

Photo via 99X.com