Surprising virtually nobody in the local radio industry, KHYT 107.5-FM made some changes in its format last week, losing the brand Rock 107.5 in favor of calling itself K-Hit 107.5 and playing "classic hits." What is surprising is the choice of formats - from classic rock to classic hits.

To my untrained ear, the change is hardly noticeable.

But someone at a competing group of stations told me "anyone who listened to the station before won’t like what they’re hearing now."

The nuance is that these are hit songs, not necessarily rock music, largely focusing on mainstream music from the late 1970s through the 1980s.

It’s essentially the same format the station had in 1995 when Slone Broadcasting still owned it. That format was dropped by current owners Citadel Broadcasting in 2004 in favor of classic rock.

For the past three years, the station had been locked in a head-to-head see-saw ratings battle with Lotus Broadcasting’s classic rock station, KLPX 96.1-FM. The see-saw part of the battle stopped about 18 months ago and in the most recent ratings, released just last month, KLPX pulled away as the leading classic rock station.

That’s when it became apparent that some kind of change most likely would take place at KHYT.

Radio broadcasters keep format changes close to the vest. But there are those who think there might be more to come. In particular, I’m told, the change moves KHYT’s new format closer to what is already being played on another Citadel station, Bob KSZR 97.5-FM.

How long will two stations under the same roof continue to have formats so close to each other? Stay tuned.

Comcast is on the phone

Add Comcast to the list of phone companies in the Tucson area. The company announced it now has digital voice phone service in its service area, which covers the north and northwest sides including Casas Adobes, Catalina Foothills, Oro Valley, Marana and unincorporated Pima County.

Comcast is kicking off the new service with an introductory rate of $33 per month, which includes unlimited local and long distance direct-dial calls. Customers can also keep their existing phone numbers.

Among the other features of the service, customers can check their voice mail online. In its pitch, Comcast is encouraging customers to bundle their cable TV, Internet and phone service to save money.

Quick takes

• The Fox network’s telecast of the Super Bowl from Glendale Feb. 3 reached a record audience of 97.5 million people, surpassed only by the 1983 season finale of "M*A*S*H," which had nearly 106 million viewers. Nielsen Research also calculated the ratings for each Super Bowl commercial. The highest rated was one for Victoria Secret that aired at 7:44 p.m. and was seen by 103.7 million people. This is good news for promoting Arizona. But did anyone notice that before half-time Fox showed some exterior shots of the stadium where the sun had almost set? Does it really get dark in Phoenix faster than it does in Tucson?

• Tucson Newspapers is taking over the sales, marketing and distribution of TV y Mas, a weekly Spanish TV and entertainment guide that distributes 20,000 free copies throughout the Tucson region and Nogales. The change is effective with the Feb. 24 issue. Gannett’s Phoenix Newspapers has been responsible for the publication. Tucson Newspapers already publishes the weekly general interest newspaper La Estrella, and its website. Tucson Newspapers is the business agent for the Arizona Daily Star and Tucson Citizen.

• The newspaper carriers who have been throwing the Arizona Daily Star, Tucson Citizen and USA Today in your driveway will be adding the Arizona Republic, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times and Investors’ Business Dailyas of Feb. 18 when Tucson Newspapers takes over the Republic’s Southern Arizona distribution operation.