At the end of 2012, Clear Channel Media & Entertainment launched the Electronic Dance Music (EDM) station, after a $14.5 million signal purchase from Phoenix Media/Communications Group. Just days ago, however, EDM was replaced by “The Bull”, which claims to be “a new brand of country.”

The new station will run commercial-free for the entire summer. It will feature an award-winning syndicated program, based in Nashville, “The Bobby Bones Show” among other locally based programs, to be announced soon.

In direct competition with Boston’s longtime WKLB Country 102.5, Dylan Spraque, Vice President of Programming for Clear Channel Media and Entertainment Boston, in a press release, says “The Bull” is “for the new generation of Country Music fans.”

Evolution 101.7, Clear Channel’s first EDM broadcast station in it’s company history, willcontinue to air on 107.9 HD2 and will be streamed online.  Fans of the station have already begun protesting the abrupt switch.

The station’s final message to the fans:

Thanks for listening to Evolution 101.7 over the past year and a half. Thanks to your support, Evolution 101.7 has grown, generating a loyal fan base in Boston at 101.7 on the radio and especially digitally on iHeartRadio.

Evolution will transition off 101.7 but remain on iHeartRadio and HD radios at 107.9 HD2, where we will continue to support the local Boston dance scene, the clubs, the shows, the energy, the lifestyle. Pete Tong, Sisanie, DJ Costa, DJ Cesar and all of our Evolution Underground local DJs will all still be right here with the same shows, same music, same website, same Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. It’s the same Boston Evolution 101.7 on iHeartRadio.

We’ll still be there when you get into an uber late night and see the driver streaming Evolution 101.7, when you’re at the gym and hear the Evolution 101.7 stream during your workout and when you are out with friends on the weekend and someone has Evolution 101.7 streaming for the pre-party.

Thank you for listening to Boston’s Evolution 101.7!

See the press release below:

101.7 THE BULL BRINGS NEW HIT COUNTRY STATION TO BOSTON FEATURING COMMERCIAL-FREE MUSIC — ALL SUMMER LONG

Country’s Top On-Air Personality Bobby Bones Joins Show Lineup

BOSTON – June 13, 2014 – Clear Channel Media and Entertainment Boston announced today the debut of 101.7 The Bull, Boston’s New Hit Country effective immediately. 101.7 The Bull will kick off with commercial-free music for the entire summer featuring the newest hits from Country artists such as Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church and Miranda Lambert.

In addition, 101.7 The Bull will feature award-winning Country morning program The Bobby Bones Show beginning this summer. The morning show entertains listeners with a unique mix of pop-culture, news and music and features on-air personalities Bobby Bones, Lunchbox and Amy, with special guest appearances from the biggest names in Country music straight from Nashville. 101.7 The Bull programming will also include local news and events, exclusive album premieres, new song releases and a team of local Boston personalities to be announced soon.

“We are excited to launch 101.7 The Bull, a fresh new take on Country music, for our Boston listeners. This station is for the new generation of Country music fans and will give our listeners a front-row seat to Country’s biggest artists and concerts,” said Dylan Sprague, Vice President of Programming for Clear Channel Media and Entertainment Boston. “Listeners will also enjoy waking up with the Bobby Bones Show and his unique and entertaining insight on Country music. No one is closer to the heartbeat of Nashville than Bobby Bones.”

Prior to 101.7 The Bull, the signal aired Electronic Dance Music (EDM) as Evolution 101.7. Boston’s EDM fans can continue to listen to Evolution 101.7 on the station’s website, www.evolution1017.com, on 107.9 HD2 and on iHeartRadio, Clear Channel’s all-in-one digital radio service.

“Evolution 101.7 attracted a passionate and loyal audience on iHeartRadio in a short period of time, and the number of fans listening digitally continues to grow rapidly,” Sprague continued. “We’re excited to continue to provide Boston’s EDM fans with the same great programming on Evolution 101.7 through iHeartRadio, featuring local shows from Pete Tong, Sisanie, DJ Costa and DJ Cesar. Also Evolution Underground, which supports local DJs by letting them take over the station, will continue to air after hours on Saturdays.”

Fans can also listen to 101.7 The Bull on the station’s website, www.TheBull1017.com, and on iHeartRadio. iHeartRadio delivers everything listeners want in one free, fully-integrated service: instant access to more than 1,500 of the nation’s most popular live broadcast and digital-only radio stations from 150 cities, plus user-created custom stations inspired by favorite artists and songs. iHeartRadio also offers listeners a “Perfect For” feature which allows users to choose from thousands of curated stations based on a range of moods and activities. New – iHeartRadio Talk feature offers on-demand listener-created talk content alongside popular news, celebrity and entertainment “audiosodes.” iHeartRadio Talk also features “Daily Pulse,” a customizable Talk channel featuring the most up-to-date news and culture highlights, to which users can add or remove content that is most important to them.