WFCX
Encyclopedia
WFCX 94.3 Leland, Michigan
, and WFDX 92.5 Atlanta, Michigan
, are Northern Radio-owned stations that simulcast a classic hits
format branded as Music Radio, The Fox FM. WFDX's 100,000-watt signal serves most of northern Michigan
including Alpena
, Gaylord
and Petoskey
, while WFCX, the flagship, serves the Traverse City
area with 20,500 watts.
WFDX signed on in 1989 as WAIR, owned by Rick Stone
(who now owns WJML
Radio in Petoskey). At first, they aired an adult contemporary format with WNIC
/Detroit's Johnny Williams doing a voicetracked version of his "Pillow Talk" show for nights. In the early 1990s, WAIR flipped to oldies
, and shortly thereafter, WIAR 94.3 signed on, simulcasting WAIR's signal. Around that time, Northern Radio took over WAIR.
On Thanksgiving
1997, WIAR flipped to Country
as B94.3 and their call letters changed to WBYB. WAIR remained oldies for more than a year until they started simulcasting with WBYB again under the new name B92.5/B94.3 with their call set being WBYC.
On February 24, 2003, The Bee flipped to classic hits as The Fox. Since revising its format, The Fox FM's ratings have increased noticeably, as the station has drawn listeners from competing stations WCCW-FM
and WGFN
.
92.5 WFDX has a slight delay from 94.3 WFCX, and thus the two signals have different liners that indicate the frequency. WFCX is identified in liners as "94-3 The Fox FM," and WFDX as "92-5 The Fox FM." However, the DJs refer to the station only as "The Fox FM."
The Fox also operated W237DA 95.3, a translator station licensed to Boyne City
and serving the Petoskey
area. The translator originally operated at 95.5 as W238AO and was granted its license in February 2005 after several months on the air. Listeners in the northern and eastern portions of the listening area of modern-rock station WJZJ
95.5 "The Zone" in the Traverse City
area were unhappy, since W238AO interfered with WJZJ's signal as far away as Gaylord
and made WJZJ completely unlistenable in areas north and west of Gaylord. However, in December 2006, W238AO was granted a construction permit to move down the dial to 95.3 with new call sign W237DA to alleviate some of the interference to WJZJ. W237DA was noted on the air at the new frequency in February 2007. W237DA was a direct rebroadcast of WFDX 92.5 until late September 2007, when the station switched to a rebroadcast of sister station WSRT.
Under the WBYC calls, 92.5 also operated WBYC-1, a 1,000-watt booster transmitter in Petoskey; at Northern Radio's request, the FCC cancelled the license for WBYC-1 in September 2002, and the translator at 95.3 later took its place. WFDX 92.5's over-the-air signal is good in the Petoskey area, though perhaps somewhat difficult to pick up in offices.
In the fall of 2009, The Fox began identifying as "Music Radio, The Fox FM," added a jingle package similar to those of legendary Top 40 stations WABC
and WLS
in the 1970s, and revised the classic hits format by moving back in an oldies direction. Most post-1990 titles have been dropped from regular rotation and The Fox now airs a pop classic hits mix focusing on the years 1965-1990, including Motown, soul and disco music alongside the classic rock fare featured on typical classic hits stations.
Leland, Michigan
Leland is an unincorporated community in the U.S. state of Michigan. It was the county seat of Leelanau County from 1883 to 2008, when a new government center was completed in Suttons Bay Township, closer to the county's geographic center....
, and WFDX 92.5 Atlanta, Michigan
Atlanta, Michigan
Atlanta is an unincorporated community in the U.S. state of Michigan, along the 45th parallel. It is a census-designated place for statistical purposes and does not have any legal status as an incorporated municipality. The population was 757 at the 2000 census...
, are Northern Radio-owned stations that simulcast 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 branded as Music Radio, The Fox FM. WFDX's 100,000-watt signal serves most of northern Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
including Alpena
Alpena, Michigan
Alpena is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Alpena County. It is considered to be part of Northern Michigan. The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary is located in the city. The population was 10,483 at the 2010 census...
, Gaylord
Gaylord, Michigan
Gaylord is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 3,681. It is the county seat of Otsego County. The city is also the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gaylord; it is by far the smallest settlement serving as the location of an active Roman...
and Petoskey
Petoskey, Michigan
Petoskey is a city and coastal resort community in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 6,080. It is the county seat of Emmet County....
, while WFCX, the flagship, serves the Traverse City
Traverse City, Michigan
Traverse City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Grand Traverse County, although a small portion extends into Leelanau County. It is the largest city in the 21-county Northern Michigan region. The population was 14,674 at the 2010 census, with 143,372 in the Traverse...
area with 20,500 watts.
WFDX signed on in 1989 as WAIR, owned by Rick Stone
Rick Stone
Rick Stone is a professional rugby league football coach and former player. He is currently an assistant coach to Wayne Bennett at the Newcastle Knights of the National Rugby League....
(who now owns WJML
WJML
WJML consists of AM stations WJML 1110 in Petoskey, Michigan and WJNL 1210 in Kingsley, Michigan. Both stations are owned by Rick Stone, and both stations have simulcast the same programming, with a mixture of liberal talk format and conservative talk....
Radio in Petoskey). At first, they aired an adult contemporary format with WNIC
WNIC
WNIC is an American radio station based in Detroit, Michigan broadcasting at 100.3 MHz FM. WNIC's studios and offices are located in Farmington Hills, MI. WNIC's transmitter is located near Schoolcraft and Livernois Avenue in the City of Detroit on the near west side. WNIC broadcasts with an...
/Detroit's Johnny Williams doing a voicetracked version of his "Pillow Talk" show for nights. In the early 1990s, WAIR flipped to oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
, and shortly thereafter, WIAR 94.3 signed on, simulcasting WAIR's signal. Around that time, Northern Radio took over WAIR.
On Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
1997, WIAR flipped to Country
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...
as B94.3 and their call letters changed to WBYB. WAIR remained oldies for more than a year until they started simulcasting with WBYB again under the new name B92.5/B94.3 with their call set being WBYC.
On February 24, 2003, The Bee flipped to classic hits as The Fox. Since revising its format, The Fox FM's ratings have increased noticeably, as the station has drawn listeners from competing stations WCCW-FM
WCCW-FM
WCCW-FM is an FM combination in Traverse City, Michigan, United States, consisting of WCCW-FM in Traverse City and relaying station WCZW in Charlevoix...
and WGFN
WGFN
WGFN is one of four radio stations in the northern part of the lower peninsula of Michigan that simulcast a classic rock format, with The Bob & Tom Show & Nights with Alice Cooper, called "The Bear"...
.
92.5 WFDX has a slight delay from 94.3 WFCX, and thus the two signals have different liners that indicate the frequency. WFCX is identified in liners as "94-3 The Fox FM," and WFDX as "92-5 The Fox FM." However, the DJs refer to the station only as "The Fox FM."
The Fox also operated W237DA 95.3, a translator station licensed to Boyne City
Boyne City, Michigan
Boyne City is a city in Charlevoix County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,503 at the 2000 census.Boyne City is at the southeast end of the east arm of Lake Charlevoix, where the Boyne River enters the lake...
and serving the Petoskey
Petoskey, Michigan
Petoskey is a city and coastal resort community in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 6,080. It is the county seat of Emmet County....
area. The translator originally operated at 95.5 as W238AO and was granted its license in February 2005 after several months on the air. Listeners in the northern and eastern portions of the listening area of modern-rock station WJZJ
WJZJ
WJZJ in Glen Arbor, Michigan is an American radio station, which airs a mainstream rock format branded as Real Rock 105.1/95.5...
95.5 "The Zone" in the Traverse City
Traverse City, Michigan
Traverse City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Grand Traverse County, although a small portion extends into Leelanau County. It is the largest city in the 21-county Northern Michigan region. The population was 14,674 at the 2010 census, with 143,372 in the Traverse...
area were unhappy, since W238AO interfered with WJZJ's signal as far away as Gaylord
Gaylord, Michigan
Gaylord is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 3,681. It is the county seat of Otsego County. The city is also the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gaylord; it is by far the smallest settlement serving as the location of an active Roman...
and made WJZJ completely unlistenable in areas north and west of Gaylord. However, in December 2006, W238AO was granted a construction permit to move down the dial to 95.3 with new call sign W237DA to alleviate some of the interference to WJZJ. W237DA was noted on the air at the new frequency in February 2007. W237DA was a direct rebroadcast of WFDX 92.5 until late September 2007, when the station switched to a rebroadcast of sister station WSRT.
Under the WBYC calls, 92.5 also operated WBYC-1, a 1,000-watt booster transmitter in Petoskey; at Northern Radio's request, the FCC cancelled the license for WBYC-1 in September 2002, and the translator at 95.3 later took its place. WFDX 92.5's over-the-air signal is good in the Petoskey area, though perhaps somewhat difficult to pick up in offices.
In the fall of 2009, The Fox began identifying as "Music Radio, The Fox FM," added a jingle package similar to those of legendary Top 40 stations WABC
WABC (AM)
WABC , known as "NewsTalkRadio 77 WABC" is a radio station in New York City. Owned by the broadcasting division of Cumulus Media, the station broadcasts on a clear channel and is the flagship station of Cumulus Media Networks...
and WLS
WLS (AM)
WLS is a Chicago clear-channel AM station on 890 kHz. It uses C-QUAM AM stereo and transmits with 50,000 watts from transmitter and towers on the south edge of Tinley Park, Illinois....
in the 1970s, and revised the classic hits format by moving back in an oldies direction. Most post-1990 titles have been dropped from regular rotation and The Fox now airs a pop classic hits mix focusing on the years 1965-1990, including Motown, soul and disco music alongside the classic rock fare featured on typical classic hits stations.