Another Houston radio station has changed formats, or "flipped," although early reaction from some listeners is that the change is so slight it's hardly a change at all.

Cox Communications has rechristened its property at 106.9 FM from "The Point" to "The Zone." It's not a sports station, although anyone who either regularly commutes to and from Austin or has recently moved from the state capital would be excused for thinking so. Central Texas' No. 1 sports-talk station also goes by that nickname.

Whereas The Point played alternative-leaning '80s and '90s hits, The Zone is now spinning "alternative gold"... which is, from what we can tell, alternative-leaning '80s and '90s hits. Understandably, the reaction on the Radio-Info.com online message board was less than enthusiastic.

"If this is Cox's answer to trimming down ratings for the successful Buzz, its pretty weak," one commenter said. "Sounds like 90 percent of 'The Point' playlist is still loaded."

However, one commenter noted the station had played The Cult's "She Sells Sanctuary," so there.

When Rocks Off tuned in to the jockless station about 15 minutes ago, the first song we caught was Semisonic's "Closing Time." Hardly what we would call "alternative" - or "gold," for that matter - but not without its own convoluted wisdom/commentary on the situation: "Every new beginning is some other beginning's end."

A few songs later, though, after Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" and Stone Temple Pilots' "Interstate Love Song," the Point Zone played a song we haven't heard on Houston's airwaves in ages - not to mention one of our favorite songs ever - in Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence."

Apparently we also just missed the Cure's "Love Song," so we're not going to give up on the station just yet. Stream The Point The Zone online here.