Jump to content

WFNX (101.7 FM)

Edit links
Coordinates: 42°21′07″N 71°03′22″W / 42.352°N 71.056°W / 42.352; -71.056
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 66.30.70.13 (talk) at 15:16, 23 April 2013. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

WFNX
Broadcast areaGreater Boston
BrandingWFNX.com
Programming
FormatAlternative rock
Ownership
OwnerPhoenix Media/Communications Group
History
First air date
April 11, 1983 (as terrestrial station)
October 31, 2012 (as internet-only station)
Call sign meaning
Phoenix, as in Boston Phoenix

WFNX was an alternative rock radio station in Boston, Massachusetts, that operated as a commercial broadcast radio station from 1983 until July 24, 2012, and as an internet-only stream from October 30, 2012, to March 19, 2013. WFNX is owned by the Phoenix Media/Communications Group and was long promoted as the broadcast cousin of the Boston Phoenix, the Boston area's former alternative media newspaper. The station ceased broadcast following the shutting down of the Boston Phoenix the previous week.

WFNX broadcasted on 101.7 MHz from atop One Financial Center in downtown Boston, and simulcast on WFEX in Peterborough, New Hampshire at 92.1 MHz. Phoenix Media sold the rights to the 101.7 frequency to Clear Channel Communications, which turned it into an "Adult Hits" format under the call letters WHBA; the frequency is now occupied by dance music station WEDX. Phoenix Media also sold the 92.1 frequency in Peterborough to Blount Communications Group, which uses it to simulcast WDER, a Christian music radio station.[1] Northeast Broadcasting has applied for the WFNX call letters to be put on what is now WXRG in Athol, MA. [2]

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.[3]

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. On April 11, 1983, WLYN-FM became WFNX, retaining for the most part the format that had been launched by the previous owners. The first song on WFNX was "Let's Go to Bed" by The Cure. It was one of the first American commercial stations to play alternative rock as a full-time format.

At 7 p.m. on August 29, 1991, WFNX DJ Kurt St. Thomas gave Nirvana's album Nevermind its world premiere by playing the album from start to finish.[4] 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.

The station sponsored a free Green Day concert at the Hatch Memorial Shell in Boston, MA on September 9, 1994. An estimated 70,000 to 100,000 showed up, which WFNX, the Metropolitan District Commission and the Massachusetts State Police were not prepared for. The concert ended 20 minutes into Green Day's set when the crowd became uncontrollable, leaving 100 people injured, 24 of whom were sent to local hospitals, and 31 were arrested.[5][6]

WFNX has a long history of breaking new bands,[4] 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. [citation needed]

Beginning in 1998, it had a translator, W267AI on 101.3, to broadcast to the downtown Boston area on account of WFNX's weak signal there prior to the 2006 upgrade. Following the transmitter move and signal upgrade, W267AI was taken off the air.

Simulcasting on another 92.1 MHz station, WPHX-FM in Sanford, Maine, ended in August 2011.

Sale of 101.7 and end of terrestrial broadcast

On May 16, 2012, it was announced that WFNX would be sold to Clear Channel Communications. The format ended on Friday, July 20 at 7 p.m. (with the last song being The Cure's "Let's Go to Bed", which was also the station's first song). Automated alternative rock aired until the new format launched.[7] The sale price was $14.5 million.[8]

On July 24, 2012, 101.7 became "The Harbor", an "Adult Hits" format featuring popular songs from the 70s, 80s and 90s, under the call letters WHBA.[9]

The studios and offices of WFNX were located on the second floor of 25 Exchange Street in Lynn, with the station's studio/transmitter link antenna mast on the roof.

Online station (2012-2013)

In the sale of the station to Clear Channel, Phoenix Media/Communications Group retained WFNX's intellectual property[10] and has continued to stream automated music on WFNX.com. The company has plans to eventually launch WFNX.com as a full-service internet radio station.[10] On August 17, 2012, WFNX hired former programming director Kurt St. Thomas as executive producer for the internet station.[11]

WFNX.com officially relaunched as an internet station at 12:00am on October 31, 2012.[12] The first song played on the revived station was "Comeback Kid" by Sleigh Bells.[13]

Shortly before the sale of the station, The Boston Globe announced plans for an online alternative rock station for its Boston.com website, and later hired former WFNX DJs Adam 12, Julie Kramer, Paul Driscoll, and Henry Santoro.[14] The station, RadioBDC, launched on August 13, 2012.[15]

On March 14, 2013, it was announced that WFNX.com would not continue in its current form after the announcement that the Boston Phoenix would be shutting down.[16]

At midnight on March 19, 2013, WFNX.com shut down. The final song played on the station was "Old Friend" by Sea Wolf.[17]

Former simulcast frequencies

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.

WFEX was sold to Blount Communications Group, which uses it to simulcast a Christian religious station out of Derry, New Hampshire as WDER-FM.[18]

WPHX

Main article: WXEX-FM

On July 21, 1999[19] 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, under the WXEX-FM calls. The station had a Sanford sister station on 1220 AM, also using the WPHX callsign. It was on the air until August 2010, when the transmitter failed, and remained off till June 2011. Prior to that, the station served as ESPN Radio affiliate. Following WPHX-FM's sale, WPHX-AM took on simulcasting WFNX until Port Broadcasting bought the AM station in 2012 and changed its call sign to WWSF.

WWRX

Main article: WVEI-FM

From 2000–03 and again briefly in 2004, WFNX was simulcast on 103.7 in Westerly, RI, a facility that, as WVEI-FM, now simulcasts WEEI, Boston. For a short time in 2003, WWRX broadcast its own local programming of alternative rock, with local DJs.[20] Phoenix Media/Communications Group sold the station to Entercom in March 2004 and reverted to simulcasting WFNX until the transition took effect in April.

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 (Fall 06, Winter 07, Spring 07, Summer 07) 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.

Programming

Immediately prior to the pending sale to Clear Channel, the station's programming included:

  • WFNX Breakfast Show with D-Tension and Henry Santoro, weekdays 6-10am
  • Julie Kramer, Weekdays 10am-2pm (includes "Leftover Lunch," which featured 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, featured local, national, and international artists on the brink of stardom, weekday nights from 11pm-1am.
  • Boston Accents, hosted by Michael Marotta, featured 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 included Christine, D-Tension, Jason Layne, and Kaya.

From November 2011 until the online WFNX.com shut down, Paul Armstrong was Creative Services Director, overseeing the station's sound.

Notable former on-air staff

  • Max Tolkoff - Program director of 91x in San Diego, Indie 103 in LA and 2 stints at WFNX (89-93) (04-07)
  • Kurt St. Thomas - FNX music director during ratings heyday of early '90s. Current wfnx.com PD
  • Neal Robert - Longtime Boston disc jockey with stints at WBOS, WBZ, WBCN and long tenure at WFNX.
  • Dustin "Fletcher" Matthews - Part of successful FNX morning show team, The Sandbox. Current PD of WRXL in Richmond VA. Stints in TN, GA and VA.
  • Julie Kramer - On the air at 1017 for 15 years. Current middays at radiobdc.com
  • Henry Santoro - FNX's only newsman. Also worked at WBCN. Current morning show host at radiobdc.com
  • Big Jim Murray - Part of the station for 10 years including mornings and afternoons. Current night host at 929 The Game in Atlanta
  • Jaxon - Host of the short-lived FNX morning show Jaxon and the Pharmacist. Current afternoon drive at WMMR in Philadelphia
  • Keith Dakin - Part of the station for 7 years including 3 as Program Director. Current Operations Manager of 3 stations in CT.
  • Cruze - FNX program director during late '90s/early 2000s
  • Paul Driscoll - FNX music director for many years before leaving building as PD when station went under. Current pd at radiobdc.com
  • "Special" Ed - Part of the successful FNX morning show team, the Sandbox. Current Production Director at Cox Media Group CT.
  • Mike Tierney - Short-lived PD during the end of FNX's run. Made drastic last gasp changes to the station. Currently works for Elton John's management company
  • "Morning Guy" Tai - Morning show host during FNX's highest ratings period. A Boston radio fixture.
  • Nik Carter - FNX night show host that become an afternoon show host at WBCN. Continues to be in radio and do voicework. Also hosts a VH1 show.
  • Kat Corbett - Part-timer at FNX that found success in Los Angeles as midday host of KROQ.
  • Mike Snow - 10 years at WFNX in the marketing department. Currently founder of Boston Calling Music Festival
  • Duane Bruce- Full time air staff from 1987-1992 Host of "Radio Free Boston" and "X-Nite" at Axis. Also the voice of Santa in the animated web series and movie 'Infinite Santa 8000'. Also....not dead.

References

  1. ^ Blount Communications list of stations
  2. ^ http://radiodiscussions.com/smf/index.php?action=printpage;topic=232684.0 WFNX lives again
  3. ^ Boston Phoenix: WFNX 1983-2012
  4. ^ a b This Day In Music -29 August 1991 Guardian.co.uk
  5. ^ The 40 greatest concerts in Boston history: 6 The Boston Phoenix
  6. ^ Green Day Riot CelebrateBoston.com
  7. ^ http://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/58987/wfnx-moves-up-farewell/ \WFNX Moves Up Farewell
  8. ^ http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/106296/wfnx-price-14-5-million WFNX Sale Price $14.5 Million
  9. ^ Boston's new variety hits "Harbor 101.7" debuts
  10. ^ a b - WFNX brand to live on as internet radio station - FMQB
  11. ^ Legendary program director Kurt St. Thomas returns as executive producer of the new WFNX.com The Boston Phoenix
  12. ^ WFNX.com relaunches on Halloween The Boston Pheonix
  13. ^ WFNX official twitter
  14. ^ The Boston Globe is Getting into the radio business WBUR
  15. ^ RadioBDC launch party Boston.com
  16. ^ Boston Phoenix to close Boston.com
  17. ^ WFNX Facebook post
  18. ^ WFNX’s NH side, 92.1 FM, bought by Christian radio station WDER in Derry David Brooks, Nashua Telegraph, May 17, 2012
  19. ^ "North East RadioWatch July 30, 1999". Scott Fybush. Retrieved 2009-12-14.
  20. ^ "ALTERNATIVE RADIO: Ferrara joins 103.7 FNX crew". The Providence Phoenix. October 31 – November 6, 2003. Retrieved June 15, 2012.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: date format (link)
  • 1992 Broadcasting & Cable Marketplace, page A-165

Further reading

42°21′07″N 71°03′22″W / 42.352°N 71.056°W / 42.352; -71.056

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=WFNX_(101.7_FM)&oldid=551808057"