You've probably heard about some of the weird programming a radio station does when it's planning to change its format. 

They can start playing Christmas music in the middle of July. Or they run the same song over and over all day and night, while noting "something big is coming." There's even a term for it - Rickrolling, when stations played "Never Gonna Give Up You" by Rick Astley non-stop.

Perhaps the best one ever was a stunt that was noted extensively here and made headlines all over the world, when a New York state border station aimed at Kingston morphed into "The Pole 102.7," featuring all stripper music and fake DJs. 

These publicity gimmicks are often successful in setting out what they want to do - attract an audience's attention that something new is coming to their radio dial.

But what happens when it doesn't work? Welcome to WJHT-FM in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. They suddenly signed off their contemporary music format and started playing bizarre construction noises 24 hours a day. The sounds of chainsaws, hammering and drills were occasionally interrupted by a "foreman" who kept urging listeners to stay tuned because they were building a brand new radio station.

According to press reports, the owners were planning to sell the place and let a new company take the place in a different direction. But the sale fell through, leaving the previous owners with nowhere to go and no way to keep their promise of change. 

After 5 straight months(!!) of the annoying construction racket (which you hear below) they stopped the loop and went back to one of their original formats. I have no idea how big their audience was, but what a complete waste of time (not to mention loss of ad revenue.) I wonder if their original listeners, who they were all too anxious to blow off, will ever come back. 

Station Stunting Goes Awry