million-sellers, it was not played anymore. After a couple of years, WTIC-FM moved to a more conventional Top 40/CHR direction. Hot AC From the mid-1980s to the early 1990s, WTIC-FM was locked in a Top 40/CHR battle with WKSS, which had converted from an easy listening station. WTIC-FM management decided not to aim as young as WKSS, removing the rap music and other harder edged songs from its playlist, switching to its current hot AC format on June 15, 1994. Initially, the station's playlist moved a bit softer; since then, the hot AC format as a whole has embraced more upbeat music, and so has the station. Since its days as a Top 40/CHR station in 1977, WTIC-FM has referred to itself on the air variously as "Your Music Connection 96 TICS WTIC FM", "96 TICS WTIC-FM", "Hot Hits! 96 TICS WTIC-FM", "96 TIC-FM", and "The New 96.5 TIC-FM". In 1998, WTIC-AM-FM were acquired by Infinity Broadcasting, which was renamed CBS Radio in December 2005. CBS also acquired then-adult contemporary station WZMX (now rhythmic contemporary) and adult contemporary WRCH. On February 2, 2017, CBS Radio announced it would merge with Entercom. The merger was approved on November 9, 2017, and was consummated on the 17th. References External links www.wticalumni.com: A site that was created by Bill Clede and *carried on by David Kaplan featuring pictures, audio, information and trivia about the old *WTIC AM/FM/TV before its sale by the Travelers in 1974. Steve McVie Solomon's Hot Hits tribute site including clips of *WTIC-FM as 96 Tics Aircheck of WTIC-FM *change to "Today's Top 40 Without the Rap", 6/15/1994 TIC-FM Hot adult contemporary radio stations in the United States Radio stations established in 1940 1940 establishments in Connecticut Audacy, Inc. radio stations