COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A new radio station will begin broadcasting in central Ohio as CD 92.9 FM departs its frequency overnight Wednesday.

ICS Communications and Delmar Communications unveiled plans to launch 93X, which will take over the 92.9 FM frequency at midnight Thursday and is already streaming on its website. Branding it as “A Better Alternative,” Delmar Media President Brent Casagrande shared the initial plans for the station, which would feature “national alternative music, vintage alternative and mix of local bands,” as the company also recruited on-air personalities.

“The first 10 days will consist of commercial-free music,” Casagrande wrote. “93X will be soliciting submissions by local artists for frequent airplay on the station. We will be adding a mix of locally produced programming on the air as well as visual components such as YouTube and TikTok exclusive content.”

A Jan. 19 FCC filing from ICS first hinted at the brand’s launch, as it would change the call letters associated with the signal from WWCD to WXGT. ICS and Delmar hold the license for the frequency in central Ohio, but previously let alternative station CD 92.9 provide the broadcasted content in a rental agreement.

The 93X launch announcement came simultaneously as CD 92.9, operated by WWCD, Ltd. and Randy Malloy, held a farewell celebration at noon Wednesday in the station’s building. Malloy’s station had been broadcasting on the frequency since November 2020, after it previously lost access to its past frequency 102.5 FM.

“Thanks for being part of our journey,” Malloy said to attendees. “We’re blessed to have had the time we had and we’re blessed to have this fandom that we were part of.”

The new brand is seemingly a callback, with a single-digit difference from WXGT’s last stint in central Ohio. It previously focused on a mix of top 40 hits and rock in the 1990s as 92X. The 92X brand disappeared when the station WXGT rebranded to WCOL and swapped to country music, according to a 1990 page from industry newspaper R&R. WCOL continues to this day at 92.3 FM.

ICS’ Mark Litton told NBC4 that Malloy initiated the process to depart the 92.9 frequency in September. The station owner informed them that he wasn’t going to renew their current rental agreement and wanted to buy the frequency license instead. The group agreed on a price, but talks fell through as they discussed monthly installments and protections for late payments.

The 93X brand wasn’t Delmar’s first choice for what to do with the open frequency, according to announcements from Casagrande and Malloy. Casagrande shared his company’s initial idea for a new broadcast that would mimic the style of CD 92.9 FM, but Malloy’s station sent a cease-and-desist letter to prevent them from using the branding.

Litton also said support for local bands would continue on 93X, and encouraged artists to submit their music to the station’s email.