He programmed iHeartMedia‘s Alternative KYSR-FM “ALT 98-7” in Los Angeles until moving to New York in May 2018 for a programming post with Audacy Inc., then known under its original name, Entercom. He then returned to Los Angeles, assuming Brand Manager responsibilities for KROQ-FM in February 2020.
Now, he’s returning to iHeartMedia, but not in Gotham or in Hollywood. Rather, he’s ready to ignite an Alternative property serving the City of Brotherly Love.
Mike Kaplan is now Program Director of WRFF “ALT 104.5” in Philadelphia.
This puts Kaplan in charge of he day-to-day operations of the station’s music, programming, imaging and branding. He reports to Derrick Corbett, Senior Vice President of Programming for iHeartMedia in Philadelphia.
Amber Miller remains at WRFF, taking the role of Asst. PD/Music Director and host of the 7pm-midnight shift.
“We’re excited to add a programmer like Mike with a proven track record of excellence to the Philadelphia cluster,” Corbett said. “We’re happy to have him back in the company and can’t wait to watch him grow the ALT 104.5 brand.”
Kaplan’s accomplishments include the April 21, 2014 debut of The Woody Show as ALT 98.7’s morning show. Today, it is syndicated to several markets across the U.S. In 2019 and 2022, Kaplan was named among Streamline Publishing-owned Radio Ink’s Top 50 Programmers in America.
“I can’t thank Thea Mitchem, Tom Poleman, Brad Hardin, and Derrick Corbett enough for supporting my return to the iHeart family in my beloved hometown of Philadelphia,” Kaplan said. “It feels like coming home in more ways than one, especially collaborating again with The Woody Show. Here’s to leading the dynamic ALT 104.5 team and creating more unforgettable moments!”
The ‘ALT’ branding has been in place on Alternative WRFF since May 2020. Prior to that, the station was simply “Radio 104.5,” with its Alternative format arriving in May 2007. It filled a format void in Philadelphia left by the demise of “Y-100” in 2005.
Today, “ALT 104.5” is an outlier, of sorts, in that the Alternative rock format is not present on a New York FM, nor is the format heard on a full-market signal in either Washington or Baltimore.
