A commenter on radio message boards said it best: “From Rush to Rush!” As first reported by DCRTV, “105.9 The Edge” WVRX has switched formats from classic rock to a simulcast of sister station WMAL 630. The swap will bring Rush Limbaugh, among others, to the FM dial, and occurred at noon today.

According to DCRTV, the move is an attempt by WVRX owner Cumulus Media, Inc. to take a chomp out of WTOP’s listening audience:

“By expanding our successful brand to the FM dial, we will be a viable listening and advertising option for many more people in the Washington DC area,” said WMAL President/General Manager Jeff Boden. “There are many potential listeners who never listen on AM, and we are now making programs of wide interest available to the largest possible audience,” he added. The Cumulus Monday release claims that the simulcast “uniquely positions WMAL/WVRX to compete head-to-head with WTOP, whose $57 million in annual ad sales make it the highest-grossing station in the nation. While WTOP has a repetitive news-wheel format, WMAL/WVRX programming is interactive through a mix of news reports and call-in shows that allow for engagement with listeners.”

WMAL’s ratings are about double what WVRX was drawing with its mix of Zeppelin and company; the move puts a cadre of jocks out of a job. Of course, given that the station only switched to the classic rock format in 2009 and the general state of the medium, the on-air talent probably came to the realization that they could be expendable a long time ago.

As for Cumulus’ plans to compete with WTOP, it’ll be an uphill battle — even with the appeal of such right-wing bloviations, WTOP’s Glass Enclosed Nerve Center is practically built on Edward R. Murrow Awards and the station’s been a ratings powerhouse for some time.