SiriusXM has moved iHeart-owned pop radio station WHTZ from its satellite service to its streaming platform, clearing the way for an artist-specific station to remain on its satellite lineup permanently.
WHTZ (100.3 FM), also known as “Z100,” is one of two iHeart stations syndicated nationally on SiriusXM, a holdover from the days when Sirius and XM were separate services.
When XM launched in 2001, it signed a content distribution deal with iHeart, then known as Clear Channel, that saw the terrestrial radio broadcaster programming around a half-dozen channels on the satellite platform.
The iHeart-formatted stations were the only channels to carry commercials alongside music on XM Radio.
In 2006, iHeart announced it would stop programming its stations on XM and instead switch to a simulcast of existing AM and FM stations in major metropolitan areas. WHTZ was one of several stations selected for the move, which included pop station KIIS-FM (102.7 FM) Los Angeles, WLTW (106.7 FM)in New York and WLS (890 AM) in Chicago.
WHTZ and KIIS were left on the satellite lineup when Sirius and XM merged to form one company in 2008.
This week, SiriusXM announced a channel lineup refresh that will see WHTZ move from channel 12 on its satellite platform to 769 on its streaming platform. WHTZ, one of the most-listened to pop stations in the world, is also available to stream for free on the iHeart app for smartphones, tablets, smart TVs and smart speakers.
KIIS will remain at channel 11 on the satellite platform, while the 1990s-2000s adult contemporary station Pop Rocks moves to channel 12.
As part of the shuffle, SiriusXM announced Dave Matthews Band Radio will become a permanent part of its lineup on channel 30.
