Talk:WFNX (101.7 FM)

Current DJs
Seems odd that there is a fairly long list of former jocks, but not one of current ones. 70.88.213.74 (talk) 22:25, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

Added the regular, weekday line up. Capt3 (talk) 23:30, 24 December 2009 (UTC)

Move from alternative to Mainstream rock
It is misleading to suggest local bands or alternative music is aired during regular hours. WFNX no longer bills itself as "True Alternative". The daytime playlist is heavy on 90's mainstream rock. Newer music and music that could be considered alternative would be aired during the 6-10PM shift M-F. Local programming made way for "Love Lines" in 2007, a syndicated dating talk program based out of California. Local bands get airplay during the Sunday New England Product segments, but rarely outside of specialty shows. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.70.83.160 (talk) 03:04, 2 April 2008 (UTC)

While it may be true that WFNX moved closer to being a Rock station from 2000 till 2002, since March of 2003 WFNX by radio industry standards would be considered much more 'Alternative Music' oriented than most claiming to practice the format. Though WFNX plays acts that I personally consider to be Mainstream Rock as well (i.e. Stone Temple Pilots, Bush etc.) those acts are considered part of the 'format' as they were played on many Alternative Music stations in the 1990s. Local music is aired during regular hours in both the afternoon and evening as "New England Product Spotlight" with random local acts being played for a week or so on regular rotation. WFNX also plays acts MGMT. Tegan and Sarah, Death Cab For Cutie which would all be considered part of the Alternative format. WFNX, however, does not play Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Korn, Staind etc. which many stations that call themselves Alternative do.... and all Active Rock and Album Rock stations have as core artist. In short, even though WFNX does not always play music that fits under my personal definition for Alternative.... by radio 2000s standards WFNX in Boston and Indie 103 in Los Angeles are about as edgy as any commercial Alternative station will get in this decade. Just because they play music we wish they didn't, that doesn't mean they don't fit into what the music and radio industries label Alternative. At least it isn't filled with Lincoln Park and Godsmack songs as many stations labeled Alternative play in most markets. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Consultant100 (talk • contribs) 01:38, 3 April 2008 (UTC)


 * There was a specific point during 1997 or 1998 where FNX relaunched themselves as a more commercial format. The transformation was intentional and was kicked off with a long intro of "sound bytes".  I recall sitting in my car for 20 minutes waiting for the "sound bytes" to end to see what the new station sounded like, but it hadn't ended yet so I did not get to hear how long it went.  At that point forward I could not tell the difference between what music was played on WBCN and WFNX.  It was a drastic change and I found at that point that WFNX no longer played anything other than commercially viable music.  There was a change to mainstream, but I don't know where you'll find it documented. Uniquenamessuck (talk) 13:57, 9 March 2009 (UTC)

I believe the relaunch of WFNX your thinking of was 'Radio Anarchy Boston' in the late summer of 1996. That relaunch, however, made WFNX a little less commercial and slightly more eclectic in sound.... temporarily purging them of acts like Stone Temple Pilots and Bush and replacing them with such acts Land Of The Loops and more electronic music.... Ani DiFranco getting airplay, but no airplay for Alanis Morissette. WFNX slowly moved back more toward adding commercial sounding music again by the summer of 1997 and in promoting the Lilith Fair. WFNXs switch to more of a Rock format was in the spring of 2000 when they had entered their 'FNX Radio Network' period. From late spring of 2000 till early 2003 WFNX sounded very much like a new music intensive WAAF with some more 'young male oriented' Rap artist, such as DMX, played for variety. In March 2003 WFNX separated their Boston area and Providence signals, leaving the Providence 103.7FM signal Rock leaning and returning the 101.7FM and 92.1FM signals to more of a varied 'Alternative Music' format. As of early 2009 WFNX has returned to more of a Rock leaning sound, though not as hard as their mid-2000 through early 2003 era. This has most likely been done to please the new Arbitron PPM Personal People Meters which in other markets have lead programmers to believe that listeners will instantly change a station when they hear a song they are unfamiliar with. So now you hear less music by contemporary Alternative Music acts be they all the various bands currently coming out of Brooklyn to such acts as LCD Soundsystem, Tegan and Sarah, Interpol  being played. Older Alternative songs by artist like Bauhaus and Sham 69 that they used to play hear and there in regular rotation a couple of years ago are now regulated to 'Left Over Lunch' and theme weekends. You hear more of artist that are played on Rock stations such as WAAF, WBCN, WGIR, WHJY,WHEB etc. Pearly Jam, Bush, Sound Garden, Stone Temple Pilots are familiar acts that someone who has an Arbitron PPM will be less likely to turn off. New acts that are more Rock sounding, for example Kings Of Leon, mix best with these older acts. Though WFNX still plays a few songs by such Alternative acts as MGMT, M.I.A., Ting Tings etc. they do sound like their trying to be more familiar to the vast majority of young males in their advertising demo, rather then playing towards fans who are very particular as to what is and what is no longer considered 'Alternative Music'. With trying to please PPM, the male in his late teens through 30s taking his girlfriend out to Applebee's in the suburbs means more then the young single adult demographic going to the Middle East for a show or to apartment shows in Allston. Not that WFNX wants to completely abandon the later, but it's not their main concern or bread and butter in the current advertising challenged radio world. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Consultant100 (talk • contribs) 20:55, 10 March 2009 (UTC)

A few FNX things
A few FNX things. They used to broadcast on 101.3 also. This was low power and could only be picked up in downtown Boston. They also used to have a Rhode Island frequency, similar to the ones they have in NH and ME. Capt3 (talk) 15:36, 12 August 2009 (UTC)
 * The RI frequency (now WEEI) can get its own article (it's currently a redirect to WEEI, but really should have it's own article at WEEI-FM. As for the 101.3 translator, if some history can be found, it should be included in the WFNX article. User:MrRadioGuy What's that?/What I Do/Feed My Box 15:51, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

I live in NH and all of a sudden in the past week, 92.1 isn't running WFNX format anymore- it's some sort of 70's classic soft rock now. I did a quick google search and couldnt find a reference to any format change. The WFNX website doesnt mention 92.1 anymore... anyone know anything about a change? Im typing this on a cell phone and doing that sort of research is difficult. 97.34.162.138 (talk) 14:53, 13 August 2011 (UTC)
 * I think this is the already-mentioned-in-the-article change of WPHX-FM in Sanford, Maine to a simulcast of existing oldies/classic hits station WXEX… WFNX actually had two 92.1s serving New Hampshire, but if WFEX in Peterborough has changed, I'm not aware of it. -- WC  Quidditch  &#9742;   &#9998;  15:01, 13 August 2011 (UTC)

Yeah, now that I'm not trying to read it on my cell phone, I see that you are correct, and it's actually mentioned here too. I live in Portsmouth, so I was hearing the Sanford one; I have no idea about Peterborough's, although like I said, the WFNX website doesn't mention 92.1 anymore, just 101.7. Cheers. --DarthBinky (talk) 17:48, 13 August 2011 (UTC)


 * Just found this- they confirm what we already know about WXEX now owning WPHX, and also confirms that WFEX is still simulcasting WFNX. That's a mouthful!  DarthBinky (talk) 18:11, 13 August 2011 (UTC)

"Notable" former on-air staff?
This section should either be referenced or all the non-linked individuals deleted (again) per Stand-alone lists.--ukexpat (talk) 12:41, 18 July 2013 (UTC)

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just added archive links to 1 one external link on WFNX. Please take a moment to review my edit. You may add after the link to keep me from modifying it, if I keep adding bad data, but formatting bugs should be reported instead. Alternatively, you can add to keep me off the page altogether, but should be used as a last resort. I made the following changes:
 * Attempted to fix sourcing for http://www.bostonphoenix.com/alt1/archive/news/97/07/17/

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Cheers.—cyberbot II  Talk to my owner :Online 03:42, 31 March 2016 (UTC)

Merging WFNX -> WBWL (FM)
WFNX and WBWL (FM) are the same station because they have operated under a continuous license. A mention about WFNX's long-since defunct online station as a successor entity can be had, but there is no justification whatsoever for these articles to be separate. Calling for a merger and asking for input. Nathan Obral (talk) 03:06, 9 January 2020 (UTC)


 * Support merger per nom. Its brief online successor is not enough to justify a separate article.--Tdl1060 (talk) 21:47, 20 January 2020 (UTC)
 * Support: I can see why there might have been a desire to keep WFNX separate at the time of the sale of the license, but at this juncture a merger back into WBWL (FM) may well be the best course. (Keep in mind, the online-only continuation — which, as a non-broadcast entity exempt from FCC licensing, would be regarded as being forced to clear a higher notability bar than the 101.7 incarnation — didn't even last a year…) -- WC  Quidditch  ☎   ✎  03:17, 21 January 2020 (UTC)
 * Support merger per nom. --DrChuck68 (talk) 16:18, 20 July 2020 (UTC)
 * ✅ Klbrain (talk) 12:11, 27 February 2021 (UTC)