WAQX-FM

WAQX-FM

File:WAQX-FM logo.png
Manlius, New York
Broadcast area	Utica-Rome, Syracuse
Frequency	95.7 MHz
Branding	Rock Radio 95x
Programming
Format	Active rock
Affiliations	Cumulus Media Networks, Westwood One
Ownership
Owner	Cumulus Media
Sister stations	WNTQ, WSKO, WXTL
Technical information
Facility ID	52606
Class	B1
ERP	25,000 watts
HAAT	91.0 meters
Transmitter coordinates	43°0′25.00″N 76°5′38.00″W
Links
Webcast	listen live
Website	95x.com

WAQX-FM (95.7 FM) is a radio station broadcasting an active rock format. Licensed to Manlius, New York, USA, the station serves the Utica-Rome, Syracuse area. The station is currently owned by Cumulus Media and features programming from Cumulus Media Networks and Westwood One.

Format

WAQX Radio was founded in 1978 by Syracuse University students Craig Fox, Ted Utz and their PD, Ed Levine. Levine competed with 94 Rock (Classic Rock) with 95x and was easily beat in the ratings every hour and every book. You almost felt sorry for the staff because Levine as also known as the "Worst PD to work for in history". Meaning that he was like a bad general that no one could get behind and this reflected on the air. The music selection was bad and no one seemed happy. Levine has a series of broadcast facilities to this day that feel the same way and the reason why is in 1983 the large company that bought 94Rock believed that a wider variety format would make more money than the rock format, and flipped it to the listeners dismay. Now all of the Classic Rock listeners were forced to settle for second best.

95x was owned and operated by AGK Communications as an independent property until the acquisition of WOLF Radio in 1983. At that time, the station was moved from its original location on Rt 92 in Manlius, New York to Syracuse's West Side. It was also moved from its original frequency 95.3 to 95.7 in order to boost its coverage area to include not just Syracuse, but other surrounding cities, including Rome, New York and Utica, New York. The original on-air line-up featured Champaign Lenny, Craig Fox, Ted Utz, Ed Levine and Dave Frisina.

In later years the station was the Syracuse affiliate of The Howard Stern Show from June 17, 1996 until December 31, 2005 when the station carried an active rock format. The station changed formats to mainstream rock when the show left the station; however, it would revert to active rock after Mediabase & Nielsen BDS gave that station back to the active rock panel. On December 1, 2004 a dispute occurred directly between Stern and 95X, Stern was upset that the station was censoring and cutting his show short before it actually ended, 95X and its parent company Citadel Broadcasting contended that Stern was giving free advertising every time he talked about Sirius Satellite Radio. In a public statement, 95X DJ Ryno wrote on the station's website: "We don't appreciate him talking about satellite radio and we don't appreciate him taking our money to do a show then end up talking about moving to a direct competitor." Within a few hours of the statement's posting it was removed without explanation.

Prior to the Stern show, the station aired "Fatman and Stacy", Ray Lytle and Dave Coombs (Coombs left for WTKW-FM, a rival classic rock station in 1995) and "Dave and The Fatman". After Stern's departure, WAQX broadcasted "The Beaner and Ken Show", formerly Birmingham, Alabama-based, for a year but then dropped the program in favor of Opie and Anthony which was later dropped and then replaced with the "Shut up & Rock" program mornings with Alexis. The station's morning show from 2010 to 2012 was called The Show with Hunter and Josh.

In February 2011 the "Irish Power Hour," a Celtic rock program previously heard on WXTL, moved to WAQX, which canceled the show in December of that year. Citadel merged with Cumulus Media on September 16, 2011.

External links

• Official website
• Facility details for Facility ID WAQX ({{{2}}}) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• {{{2}}} in Nielsen Audio's FM station database