Heart-pumping progressive and vintage rock music arrived on the Gainesville area airwaves Monday with the launch of Rock It 100.5 FM.

According to parent company MARC Radio Group, the station will fast become known for playing both familiar and underplayed hard rock music that’s been missing from the Gainesville playlists for decades.

“Rock It 100.5 is fueled by rock,” MARC Radio’s Scott Miller said in a press release. “If you like the Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, the Stone Temple Pilots, you’ve found your new radio station. We’ll introduce our listeners to groups like Disturbed, Pretty Reckless and Cage the Elephant.”

Miller said that the catchphrase “fueled by rock” was inspired by Fueled by Ramen, the Gainesville record company founded in 1996 by University of Florida student John Janick, whose diet at that time consisted of instant ramen noodles. The company has grown exponentially and is now part of New York City-based 300 Elektra Entertainment. 

Rock It 100.5 FM’s format features engaging personalities who know how to rock a mic, Miller said. It replaces The Buzz, which had a more typical classic rock music format. Based in Gainesville, Florida, the station is programmed to reach primarily male listeners ages 18-49 in Alachua County and surrounding communities.

“It’s hard to believe that this market has been so long without a true hard rock station,” Miller said. “MARC Radio is filling that void. We take rock seriously and can’t wait to share that high energy with you.”

In March, MARC Radio Group switched branding on WXJZ 100.9 FM from Classic Hits to The Beach. The station continued to play 80s and 90s rock/pop genre, but the new brand was upgraded to bring Florida’s beach persona to the Gainesville and Ocala markets.

Rock It 100.5 is owned and operated by MARC Media Group, which also owns radio stations coast to coast in Florida and in Texas. It also owns Mainstreet Daily News and an outdoor advertising company. The radio stations in the Gainesville market include WXJZ 100.9 The Beach, WTMG 101.3 Magic, WDVH 94.1 R&B, WPLL 106.9 I Am Country and WTMN 103.5 The Shepherd.