On Tuesday, Gainesville-based hip-hop radio station Magic 101.3 began borrowing sister station R&B 94.1’s signal. This signal is a temporary solution until Magic’s radio tower can be rebuilt and the original signal restored after undergoing damage from Hurricane Helene. 

“Our first move was to start pushing the new streams as we have huge listenership in Gainesville and Ocala,” said Vinny Foo, Magic’s program manager and DJ. “We want to make sure our listeners keep their daily routine.” 

Last Thursday, wind from Hurricane Helene knocked down Magic’s tower, which was located near Williston. The downed tower also caused extensive damage to the roof of the transmitter building. 

MARC Media technical operations manager Marty Hall is engineering the rebuild. He said until it’s complete, they’re looking at temporary solutions to keep Magic up and running. 

“We will rebuild,” Hall said. “We will be back.” 

In 20 years of working in radio, Foo said this is the worst broadcasting issue he’s ever faced. But he also said Magic isn’t the only station grappling with issues like these, and some are far worse.  

“There are stations dealing with the floods up north that have been wiped out,” Foo said. “Seeing that some stations lost everything, from studios to towers, is really heartbreaking. While our issue is a serious issue, we do know others are in worse situations.” 

Foo said even though the mission is to fix the tower and restore Magic’s signal as soon as possible, securing the necessary permits and inspections, as well as complying with the Federal Communications Commission regulations are time-consuming processes. 

“This could take some time, especially while a big portion of the state is trying to rebuild, not just their stations but also their livelihoods,” he said. 

For now, Magic listeners can tune in to FM 94.1 to catch The Breakfast Club morning show, Babs in the middays, the Bootleg Kev show and “all the hits in hip-hop” normally aired on 101.3, Foo said. 

At 5 p.m. on Wednesday, R&B 94.1 moved to Gainesville radio at AM 980.
“Magic will remain on 94.1 for the time being while we work on repairs to our tower and transmitter,” said Hall. “We would like to thank the people of Gainesville for supporting us through this trying time. Helene has been horrible to a lot of people. We are not immune. Thank you for staying with us.”

Magic and R&B 94.1, along with 106.9 I Am Country and 100.9 The Beach, are part of a group of local stations owned by MARC Media, which also owns Mainstreet Daily News.

Editor’s note: This story was updated with information about R&B 94.1 FM moving to AM 980.