As previously reported, a new station hit the airwaves in New York, powered by cloud technology. TJ98.7: A Pop-Up Station launched on Saturday, August 31, taking over the former frequency of ESPN Radio, WEPN-FM. The station is a collaboration between Radio.Cloud, United Stations Radio Networks (USRN), and Emmis. It marks a new chapter in radio by utilizing Radio.Cloud’s cloud-based radio playout studio and programming suite.

The station’s launch, achieved in just seven days, was made possible by cloud technology, which eliminated the need for hardware expenses and allowed for localization of all station content. GeminiXIII COO Charles Steinhauer highlighted the teamwork that drove the project, saying, “This was an amazingly collaborative project which came together in seven days or so, and included engineering, programming, imaging, music selection, and marketing.”

McVay Media President Mike McVay, praised the efficiency of the platform, noting, “I’ve been involved with many station launches in my career, but never one that launched at the absolute highest level with about a week to ramp up. Radio.Cloud enabled us to create the first-ever ‘Pop-Up’ radio station using their cloud-based technology.”

TJ98.7 features a blend of music and talk programming, anchored by The TJ Show, with host TJ Taormina, a former Z100 alum, returning to the New York City airwaves. The station also brings in familiar voices, including Steve Kamer from YES Network and Inside Edition, and on-air personality Jai Kershner.

Taormina, reflecting on the fast-paced launch, said, “When this pop-up station was first discussed, my immediate concern was how to get the technical side together with so little time. The moment I connected with the Radio.Cloud team, I was convinced if anyone could do it…it was them.”

The technical setup for TJ98.7 was also made seamless by Radio.Cloud’s platform. Emmis New York’s Chief Engineer, Alex Roman, emphasized the ease of installation, stating, “The server is a small appliance that fits on a rack shelf and integrated easily into our network with minimal configuration required.”