WBFX
Encyclopedia
WBFX is a radio station broadcasting a mainstream rock
format, serving the Grand Rapids, Michigan
market. Its signal is heard as far east as Owosso, Michigan
, as far north as Reed City, Michigan
, and as far south as Portage, Michigan
.
around 1965. In the late 1970s, the station was purchased by the owners of WCUZ-AM
1230 and became WMLW "Mellow 101," a soft rock/adult contemporary station. WMLW switched to album oriented rock as WFFX "The Fox" in 1978
, and then to country music
in 1980
as WCUZ ('CUZ-FM 101.3...more of the music you like... on CUZ-FM." For most of the 1980s, country WCUZ was a market leader in Grand Rapids, but the station saw its market share erode after the 1992
debut of "B93," WBCT, on 93.7.
By 1998
, WCUZ was co-owned with its rival station, WBCT, under the Clear Channel umbrella, and had moved to a classic country
format, identifying as "Country Gold WCUZ." Clear Channel dropped the "Country Gold" format on September 24, 2000, and debuted Classic Rock
"101.3 The Fox" that afternoon.
In late June 2009
, the station adjusted its format towards mainstream rock
, with a mix of harder classic rock songs as well as recent rock music from the 1990s and 2000s. This adjustment seems to have been made in response to the local active rock
station WKLQ changing formats to sports talk
. Townsquare Media's WGRD-FM
answered to the demise of WKLQ, and flipped its format to active rock
from alternative rock
most recently after Mediabase
& Nielsen BDS moved the station to the active rock
panel.
operations and features a classic hits
format called "Big Classic Hits" from Clear Channel's iHeartRadio
on its HD-2 side channel. The HD-2 formerly featured an adult alternative
format.
Mainstream rock
Mainstream rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada.-Format background:...
format, serving the Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
market. Its signal is heard as far east as Owosso, Michigan
Owosso, Michigan
Owosso is a city in Shiawassee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 15,713 at the 2000 census. The city is located on the eastern side of Owosso Township, but is politically independent...
, as far north as Reed City, Michigan
Reed City, Michigan
Reed City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 2,430. It is the county seat of Osceola County.It is the home town of author Timothy James Bazzett.-Geography:...
, and as far south as Portage, Michigan
Portage, Michigan
Portage is a city in Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 46,292 at the 2010 census. It is the smaller of the two main cities included in the Kalamazoo-Portage Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 326,589 as of 2010.Portage is adjacent to the...
.
History
The station first began broadcasting in the early 1960s as WMAX-FM, then later became WYON as a sister station to WION-AM in Ionia, MichiganIonia, Michigan
Ionia is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Ionia County, Michigan, United States. The population was 11,394 at the 2010 census. Every late July it hosts what may be the world's largest free-admission fair...
around 1965. In the late 1970s, the station was purchased by the owners of WCUZ-AM
WTKG
WTKG is a radio station broadcasting a talk radio format. Licensed to Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States, and now owned by Clear Channel Communications, it first began broadcasting under the WION call sign...
1230 and became WMLW "Mellow 101," a soft rock/adult contemporary station. WMLW switched to album oriented rock as WFFX "The Fox" in 1978
1978 in radio
The year 1978 saw a number of significant events in radio broadcasting.-Events:* May 6 – Bob Kingsley, producer of the syndicated "American Country Countdown," takes over as host. He replaces Don Bowman, who had hosted for the first 4½ years...
, and then to country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
in 1980
1980 in radio
The year 1980 in radio involved some significant events.-Events:* 20 March - The pirate radio station Radio Caroline sinks.* 29 October - President Carter on a visit to Pittsburgh gives a nationally broadcast campaign interview to KDKA-AM of that city....
as WCUZ ('CUZ-FM 101.3...more of the music you like... on CUZ-FM." For most of the 1980s, country WCUZ was a market leader in Grand Rapids, but the station saw its market share erode after the 1992
1992 in radio
The year 1992 in radio involved some significant events.-Events:* January 22 - Rebel forces occupy Zaire's national radio station in Kinshasa and broadcast a demand for the government's resignation.* February 12 - Washington, D.C...
debut of "B93," WBCT, on 93.7.
By 1998
1998 in radio
The year 1998 in radio involved some significant events.-Events:*January 2 — A gunman shoots Antario Teodoro Filho, Brazilian politician and radio presenter, during a broadcast.*January 21 - Big 105 debuts playing its AC format...
, WCUZ was co-owned with its rival station, WBCT, under the Clear Channel umbrella, and had moved to a classic country
Classic country
Classic country is a music radio format that specializes in playing mainstream country hits from past decades.This genre generally follows one of two formats: those specializing in hits from the 1920s through the early 1970s, and focus primarily on innovators and artists from country music's Golden...
format, identifying as "Country Gold WCUZ." Clear Channel dropped the "Country Gold" format on September 24, 2000, and debuted Classic Rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
"101.3 The Fox" that afternoon.
In late June 2009
2009 in radio
The following events occurred in radio in 2009.- Events :* January 1: Kurdish TV starts broadcasting in Turkey.* January: Michael Smerconish, morning host at talk radio WPHT Philadelphia, begins syndication of his morning show to WHFS in Washington and WOR in New York City.* January 17: Two well...
, the station adjusted its format towards mainstream rock
Mainstream rock
Mainstream rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada.-Format background:...
, with a mix of harder classic rock songs as well as recent rock music from the 1990s and 2000s. This adjustment seems to have been made in response to the local active rock
Active rock
Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across the United States and Canada. Active rock plays contemporary rock artists with a mix of songs common in the classic rock radio format.-Format background:...
station WKLQ changing formats to sports talk
Sports radio
Sports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...
. Townsquare Media's WGRD-FM
WGRD-FM
WGRD-FM is an active rock radio station in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The station is owned by Townsquare Media.WGRD-FM is the flagship station of The Free Beer and Hot Wings Show, a comedy/talk program, on weekday mornings...
answered to the demise of WKLQ, and flipped its format to active rock
Active rock
Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across the United States and Canada. Active rock plays contemporary rock artists with a mix of songs common in the classic rock radio format.-Format background:...
from alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
most recently after Mediabase
Mediabase
Mediabase is a music industry service that monitors radio station airplay in 180 US and Canadian markets. Mediabase publishes music charts and data based on the most played songs on terrestrial and satellite radio, and provides in-depth analytical tools for radio and record industry professionals...
& Nielsen BDS moved the station to the active rock
Active rock
Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across the United States and Canada. Active rock plays contemporary rock artists with a mix of songs common in the classic rock radio format.-Format background:...
panel.
HD Radio
WBFX is licensed for HD RadioHD Radio
HD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...
operations and features a classic hits
Classic hits
Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes rock and pop music from 1964 to 1989. The term is sometimes erroneously used as a synonym for the adult hits format, but is more accurately characterized as a contemporary style of the oldies format...
format called "Big Classic Hits" from Clear Channel's iHeartRadio
Iheartradio
iHeartRadio is a Clear Channel Radio network to aggregate local radio brands, personalities and on-demand content. It is best known as a mobile application...
on its HD-2 side channel. The HD-2 formerly featured an adult alternative
Adult alternative
Adult alternative may refer to:*Adult album alternative, a radio format*Modern adult contemporary, a radio format*Smooth jazz, a radio format...
format.