WFNX
| City of license | WFNX: Lynn, Massachusetts WFEX: Peterborough, New Hampshire |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Greater Boston, Manchester, NH |
| Branding | 101.7 WFNX |
| Slogan | Alternative Boston |
| Frequency | WFNX: 101.7 (MHz) (Boston) WFEX: 92.1 (MHz) (Manchester, NH) |
| First air date | November 1947 |
| Format | Alternative rock |
| ERP | WFNX: 1,700 watts WFEX: 170 watts |
| HAAT | WFNX: 191 meters WFEX: 423 meters |
| Class | WFNX: A WFEX: A |
| Facility ID | WFNX: 40824 WFEX: 52399 |
| Callsign meaning | Phoenix, as in Boston Phoenix |
| Owner | Phoenix Media/Communications Group (MCC Broadcasting Company, Inc.) |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | WFNX.com |
WFNX is a New England commercial alternative rock radio station. The station began broadcasting on Monday, April 11, 1983. It was one of the first American commercial stations to play alternative rock and has become a leading radio station for breaking new alternative music.
WFNX broadcasts on 101.7 MHz from atop One Financial Center in downtown Boston, and is simulcast on another New England radio station, WFEX in Peterborough, New Hampshire (serving Manchester, NH), at 92.1 MHz. Simulcasting on another 92.1 MHz station, WPHX-FM in Sanford, Maine, ended in August 2011.
WFNX is owned by the Phoenix Media/Communications Group and promoted as the broadcast cousin of the Boston Phoenix, the Boston area's long-running alternative media newspaper.
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[edit] History
101.7 FM began as the FM outfit of WLYN in November 1947. WLYN-FM for years simulcast WLYN during the day and had its own programming after the AM signed off at sunset.
By the late 1970s, WLYN-FM had begun broadcasting ethnic programming in the midday hours, with drive times still simulcast with the AM. In 1981, WLYN-FM began broadcasting a nighttime block of new wave music which eventually became a 24/7 alternative music format in 1982, known as Y102. The midday ethnic programs were moved to the AM where they continue to air to the present day.
In the spring of 1983, WLYN-FM was sold to the Phoenix Media/Communications Group and became WFNX, retaining for the most part the format that had been launched by the previous owners.
The station sponsored a free Green Day concert at the Hatch Memorial Shell in Boston, MA on September 9, 1994.
WFNX has a long history of breaking[clarification needed] new bands and being the first in the country to play artists such as Nirvana, The Killers, Franz Ferdinand, Florence and the Machine, Foster the People, Mumford and Sons, and many more. Since day one, WFNX has been all about new underground music, whether it’s local or national, and tries to balance them both and help the music community.[citation needed]
[edit] Simulcasts
WFNX broadcasts are simulcast in New Hampshire.
[edit] WFEX
In December 1999, 92.1 WFEX of Peterborough, New Hampshire began simulcasting 101.7 WFNX. Previously WFEX was WNHQ, simulcasting 105.5 WJYY of Concord, New Hampshire.
[edit] WPHX
On July 21, 1999[1] 92.1 WPHX-FM of Sanford, Maine began simulcasting of 101.7 WFNX. Previous to the simulcast, WPHX-FM was WCDQ, playing classic rock as Mount Rialto Radio. The WFNX simulcast on WPHX-FM ended in August 2011, when WPHX-FM switched to a simulcast of WXEX 1540 AM, Exeter, NH.
[edit] Signal upgrade and ratings growth
On March 30, 2006, WFNX doubled its power after receiving permission from the FCC to begin broadcasting from its new antenna located atop One Financial Center in downtown Boston. To promote its signal upgrade in downtown Boston, WFNX sold all of its commercial ad time to beverage maker Snapple from Memorial Day, May 29 through Independence Day, July 4, 2006 (both are national holidays in the United States). The unique deal allowed the station to eliminate traditional commercial breaks for that time.
The combination of WFNX's signal upgrade and the departure of Howard Stern from WBCN resulted in a significant ratings change in the core rock 18-34 demographic in Boston starting in 2006. Arbitron Ratings four ratings books in 2007 (Fa06, Wi07, Sp07, Su07) showed that WFNX's weekday 18-34 audience share had increased by 43% over 2005, while WBCN's 18-34 share decreased by 39% from 2005.
[edit] Trivia
Nirvana's 1993 Nevermind It's an Interview limited-edition promotional release on Geffen Records was produced and engineered at the station by Kurt St. Thomas and Troy Smith. The original interview sessions were recorded by St. Thomas the night of Nirvana's first appearance on NBC's Saturday Night Live in 1992.
[edit] Programming
WFNX Breakfast Show with D-Tension and Henry Santoro, Weekdays 6-10am
Julie Kramer, Weekdays 10am-2pm (includes "Leftover Lunch," which features tracks from the 80s and 90s, starting at noon)
Adam 12, Weekdays 2-7pm
Jim Ryan, weeknights 7-11pm
Specialty Programming:
The Nightly News with Paul Driscoll, features local, national, and international artists on the brink of stardom, weekday nights from 11pm-1am.
Boston Accents, hosted by Michael Marotta, featuring the best local bands from New England, every Sunday night from 8-10pm
London Calling, hosted by XFM personality Ian Camfield and produced by Redefined Media, Sunday nights 10pm-midnight. Added to lineup in September 2010.
The weekend air staff includes Christine, D-Tension, Jason Layne, and Kaya.
Since November 2011, Paul Armstrong is Creative Services Director, overseeing the station's sound.
[edit] Notable former on-air staff
- Liquid Todd (Production Director 1993-96, Assistant Program Director, 1996-97. Created "Spin Cycle" mixshow and did "Product" speciality show on Sunday nights.
- Bill Abbate (1984–88 evenings & weekends); Left to join WBCN & Patriots Rock Radio Network: 1988–2003
- Angie C (1993–2002, evenings 1996–98. Morning co-host 1998 - May 2002). Recently started on-air gig at Indie 103.1 in Los Angeles.
- Duane Bruce 1987–92(Host of "Radio Free Boston","Moods for Moderns" and "X-Nite").
- Nik Carter (Evenings 1988–95, middays September - November 1995). Left to join WBCN FM, Boston. Hosted middays at now defunct K-Rock (WXRK) in New York City. Also did afternoons on "The NY Rock Experience" WRXP.
- Kat Corbett (On-Air Personality) Now middays at KROQ in Los Angeles and host of Locals Only.
- Cruze (1998–2003, program director. Afternoon drivetime host from 1998 to 2001, 2003).
- Joanne Doody (Evenings 1983–1985, middays 1985–94)
- Laurie Gail (Music Director)
- Mike Gioscia (1992–2000 - Production Director, and DJ/Host of X-Nite @ Axis). Currently an award winning independent filmmaker. Writer and Indie Filmmaker. VO artist. Drummer. Producer.
- Tom Irwin a.k.a. "Morning Guy Tai" for his initials T.A.I. (morning drivetime host 1985 - May 1997)
- Paul Jaxon (Co-host of morning drive time show Jaxon and the Pharmacist August 2000 – August 2001)
- Juanita (host of Boston Rocks - local music showcase)
- Chris Kennedy (June 1989 – April 2001, longtime host of overnight music show Annihi-late Night 1991–2000, producer of Morning Guy Tai morning show as well as brief interim host of morning show 1998–99).
- Kevin Mays (music director and part time on-air talent) Currently the music director and afternoon drive talent at WBTZ-FM in Burlington, VT.
- Bruce McDonald (Music Director, Assistant Program Director air staff 1983–90; evening host, 1989–90. Creator and host of "Moods For Moderns" which mutated into "First Contact"). Later Program Director of WHTG, Asbury Park. Also Polydor Recordss' National Director of Promotion, Restless Records' Vice President of Promotion and Mute Records' Artist Development.
- Brian Mulhern a.k.a. "The Pharmacist" (Co-host of morning drive time show Jaxon and the Pharmacist August 2000 – August 2001. Morning host August 2001 – June 2002)
- Neal Robert (1987?-95, 1998–2000. co-host of morning drivetime show Asleep At The Wheel May 1998–2000)
- Kurt St. Thomas, (Production, music and program director, evening host, 1987–95, award-winning independent filmmaker Co-wrote Nirvana: The Chosen Rejects with ex-FNX jock Troy Smith). Also on air at KROQ and Indie 103.1 FM in Los Angeles. Now runs own independent online radio station, "http://www.houndstoothradio.com".
- Troy Smith, a.k.a "Boy Troy" (Production, Music and Program Director, midday show host, 1989–96) Now at WQRC-FM, Cape Cod, MA
- Steven Strick (on-air and music director during the 1980s, before returning to WBCN). Now a business owner in the Los Angeles area.
- Michael Swasey (The Third Shift2003-04 show host), (The Swasey Show 2004-07 show host)
- Max Tolkoff (Program Director in early '90s and then again in 2003) Was the PD for Indie 103.1 in Los Angeles and programming consultant for WFNX.
- Jim "Big Jim" Murray - Production Director and Drive time DJ; currently fill-in sports anchor for WBZ-AM
- Dave Duncan - Local Music Director, Host of New England Product/Boston Accents, 2005-2011.
- Chris "Charlie" Padgett - Co-host, "The Sandbox" morning drivetime show, June 2007 - January 2010; previously part-time DJ, 1996-2000
- Elbe "Special Ed" d'Oliveria - Co-host/Producer, "The Sandbox" morning drivetime show, June 2007 - January 2010
- Dustin "Fletcher" Matthews - Co-host, "The Sandbox" morning drivetime show, June 2007 - January 2010; Co-host (later host) of the "WFNX Breakfast Show," January 2010 - August 2011
[edit] References
- ^ "North East RadioWatch July 30, 1999". Scott Fybush. http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-990730.html. Retrieved 2009-12-14.
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This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (June 2009) |
- 1992 Broadcasting & Cable Marketplace, page A-165
[edit] External links
- WFNX official web site
- Query the FCC's FM station database for WFNX
- Radio-Locator information on WFNX
- Query Arbitron's FM station database for WFNX
- Query the FCC's FM station database for WFEX
- Radio-Locator information on WFEX
- Query Arbitron's FM station database for WFEX
