WFXF
Encyclopedia
WFXF, also known as "The Fox", is a classic rock FM radio station in the Rochester
region of upstate New York.
chain of FM stations broadcasting to farmers across upstate New York. WVBT changed call letters to WRRE and changed frequency to 95.1 in the early 1950s. When the Rural Radio Network became the Ivy Network under new owners in 1960, WRRE became WMIV. It would retain those calls under the network's next identity, the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), broadcasting religious programming from studios in Ithaca between 1968 and 1981.
syndicated format. On March 4, 1982, WMIV changed calls to WYLF, "Life 95.1," operating from studios in a converted house on Route 332 in Farmington, New York
and later adding a sales office at 213 E. Commercial Street in East Rochester
.
In 1985, Empire sold WYLF to Boston broadcasters Ron Frizzell and Arnold Lerner, operating as the "Finger Lakes Wireless Talking Machine Company." On July 28, 1986, WYLF became WZSH, "Wish 95," moving from adult standards to soft adult contemporary with a format that mimicked Lerner's successful WSSH
in the Boston market. WZSH moved its studios from Farmington to the Piano Works office complex in East Rochester and placed a translator, W288AR at 105.5 MHz, on the air from the East Rochester water tower.
During the WRQI era, the 105.5 translator in East Rochester was replaced with a more powerful 250-watt translator, W238AB at 95.5, operating from the centrally-located Pinnacle Hill transmitter site overlooking downtown Rochester. WRQI made several attempts to improve its main signal on 95.1 as well, briefly moving from its historic Bristol Mountain site to a tower in Farmington owned by Rochester Telephone, but was forced to return to Bristol after interference complaints from the tower's neighbors.
, where Gary expresses confusion at the dual-frequencies. "95.1/95.5...? Wait, that's two different stations!"). There was also a bump identifying the repeater station ID W238AB that was played occasionally, spoken as quickly as possible. The Nerve's format was originally Modern Rock/Alternative, featuring music being played by well-known bands such as Nirvana
, Pearl Jam
, Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden
, Live
, Stone Temple Pilots
, as well as alternative music from lesser-remembered artists such as Poe
, Veruca Salt
, The Refreshments
, The Toadies, and many others.
Howard Stern
was broadcast on weekday mornings. Weekday evenings at 5 PM consisted of "The Drive at Five" which was an all-request, call-in hour. This segment was usually introduced by DJ 'E-Man' with The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion's "Right Place Wrong Time" playing. There would also be a segment called "The Five at Nine", where the five most requested songs of the day would be played. Early mainstays at number one on this list were Poe
's "Angry Johnny," The Toadies' "Possum Kingdom," Tracy Bonham
's "Mother Mother," and others. In the fall of 1996, a shortly-lived segment was introduced where the DJ would play two very new songs, usually by relatively unknown artists, back to back. The listeners would then call in and vote on which of the two would be allowed to remain in rotation. The winner would then move on to the next night, although it would already be allowed to remain in rotation even if it lost a later round. An early streak winner on this segment was The Bloodhound Gang
's "Fire Water Burn," long before it worked its way into the Five at Nine.
The Nerve would also frequently give out tickets to local concerts featuring artists that were played on the station. Listeners would have to listen for Rage Against the Machine
's "Take the Power Back" accompanied by a strange voice instructing them to call in to win.
This format lasted until New Year's Day 1999, when The Nerve made their "Resolution to Rock." This essentially meant that Classic Rock songs were now entered into rotation. This was a very controversial move because the station used to play station ID's that would make fun of 'Dinosaur Rock.' Listeners that grew up listening to their favorite radio station tell them that 'in the Dinosaur age people used to listen to suck rock like Loverboy and Styx' were disenfranchised to hear these and similar bands now being played. It was at this point that WNVE lost a large portion of its listener base.
Meanwhile, WNVE had moved studios and changed owners. In 1996, it was sold to Jacor Communications (later absorbed by Clear Channel Communications), which relocated the studios from East Rochester to the Euclid Building in Midtown Plaza in downtown Rochester, home to its cluster of stations that also included WHAM (AM)
and WVOR
.
The Nerve later would add brief local news reports during station breaks, usually as bumpers around breaks in the morning broadcast of Howard Stern. These news reports were often delivered by Bill Lowe from WHAM (AM)
, the prominent news and talk AM station. Some degree of humor was derived by hearing the serious barritone voice of Bill Lowe give the station's sign off, "95.1/95.5 The Nerve, 'It Just Rocks.'" Of note, radio personality "JoLo" would host the Saturday Morning Show with e-Man. This was, of course, Joe Lomonaco, host of WHAM's popular "WHAM 5:00 News Hour." For an April Fool's Day joke in the late 1990s, WHAM and WNVE swapped DJ's for a few shifts. Mid-day WHAM talkshow host Bob Lonsberry
came over to The Nerve and swapped shifts with e-Man, who went over to the newstalk station, much to the amused chagrin of local listeners.
In 2001, WNVE left its Bristol Mountain transmitter site for the last time, changing city of license from South Bristol to Honeoye Falls, New York
in a swap with sister station WLCL (107.3), which took the South Bristol city of license and the Bristol Mountain transmitter site. WNVE changed its city of license to Honeoye Falls and relocated its transmitter site to Baker Hill in Perinton, New York
, sharing a tower and antenna with WVOR (100.5). For the first time in more than half a century, 95.1 enjoyed a full-market Rochester signal. (The 95.5 translator, no longer needed, was discontinued when the main signal moved to Baker Hill.)
On February 6, 2004, Clear Channel made a corporate decision to drop the Howard Stern show from its radio stations, including WNVE.
While most airshifts were initially automated, "95.1 the Fox" gradually added air personalities, including a voicetracked afternoon shift from Clear Channel Boston DJ Ed McMann
.
In 2006, WFXF began broadcasting in HD Radio
, adding a subchannel of "Deep Rock" classic rock from the Format Lab.
On November 17, 2008, WFXF began airing the popular radio program hosted by Brother Wease
, one of the city's most popular veteran radio personalities who had previously hosted the morning show at crosstown competitor WCMF
. Also in 2008, WFXF became a Rochester affiliate (along with sister station WHAM
) of the Buffalo Bills
regional radio network.
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
region of upstate New York.
History
- This article describes the history of the 95.1 frequency in the Rochester area. For the history of stations broadcasting from the Honeoye Falls site prior to 2004, see WCRR.
Rural Radio Network/Ivy Network/CBN (1948-1981)
The station now known as WFXF signed on June 6, 1948 as WVBT, licensed to Bristol Center, New York and transmitting from Bristol Mountain on 101.9 MHz. It was the next-to-last link in the Rural Radio NetworkRural Radio Network
The Rural Radio Network was an interconnected group of six commercial FM radio stations spread across upstate New York and operated from Ithaca, NY -- the first all-radio, no-wireline network in the world...
chain of FM stations broadcasting to farmers across upstate New York. WVBT changed call letters to WRRE and changed frequency to 95.1 in the early 1950s. When the Rural Radio Network became the Ivy Network under new owners in 1960, WRRE became WMIV. It would retain those calls under the network's next identity, the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), broadcasting religious programming from studios in Ithaca between 1968 and 1981.
WYLF/WZSH (1981-1991)
With the breakup of the CBN radio operation, each of the former Rural Radio Network stations was sold to separate owners. WMIV was sold to Empire Broadcasting. In early 1982, it changed format to adult standards, becoming one of the first FM affiliates of Al Ham's Music of Your LifeMusic of Your Life
Music of Your Life is a satellite-delivered radio network featuring the Adult Standards music format. Created by record executive and jingle writer Al Ham, and now under the direction of Marc Angell, Music of Your Life has more than 50 AM, FM and HD-2 radio station affiliates, and has been in...
syndicated format. On March 4, 1982, WMIV changed calls to WYLF, "Life 95.1," operating from studios in a converted house on Route 332 in Farmington, New York
Farmington, New York
Farmington is a town located in the northern part of Ontario County, New York, United States. The population was 10,585 at the 2000 census. Farmington is about twenty-five miles southeast of Rochester, New York...
and later adding a sales office at 213 E. Commercial Street in East Rochester
East Rochester, New York
East Rochester is a coterminous town and village located southeast of the City of Rochester in Monroe County, New York. The village, home to about 6,587 people, is bounded by Pittsford to the west and south and Perinton to the north and east. The southern boundary is delimited by New York State...
.
In 1985, Empire sold WYLF to Boston broadcasters Ron Frizzell and Arnold Lerner, operating as the "Finger Lakes Wireless Talking Machine Company." On July 28, 1986, WYLF became WZSH, "Wish 95," moving from adult standards to soft adult contemporary with a format that mimicked Lerner's successful WSSH
WCRB
WCRB is a non-commercial radio station licensed to Lowell, Massachusetts and based in the Brighton area of Boston, which serves the Greater Boston area. It broadcasts a classical music format; it existed as a commercial station from the early 1950s until December 2009, and as a listener-supported...
in the Boston market. WZSH moved its studios from Farmington to the Piano Works office complex in East Rochester and placed a translator, W288AR at 105.5 MHz, on the air from the East Rochester water tower.
Rock-It 95 (1991-1995)
On December 26, 1991, WZSH became WRQI, "Rock-It 95," programming a rock format. In 1993, Rock-It 95 added the syndicated Howard Stern show to its lineup, bringing the station attention and ratings in the larger Rochester market.During the WRQI era, the 105.5 translator in East Rochester was replaced with a more powerful 250-watt translator, W238AB at 95.5, operating from the centrally-located Pinnacle Hill transmitter site overlooking downtown Rochester. WRQI made several attempts to improve its main signal on 95.1 as well, briefly moving from its historic Bristol Mountain site to a tower in Farmington owned by Rochester Telephone, but was forced to return to Bristol after interference complaints from the tower's neighbors.
The Nerve: Beginning Years (1995-1998)
On April 21, 1995, WRQI became WNVE, "The Nerve." Playing off the frequency similarity between the main 95.1 signal and the powerful 95.5 translator, the station frequently identified as "95.1, 95.5 the Nerve," usually spoken quickly by an announcer (an amusing promo bump was recorded featuring Howard Stern producer Gary Dell'AbateGary Dell'Abate
Gary Patrick Angelo Dell'Abate , also known as "Baba Booey", is an American radio producer, known for being the executive producer of The Howard Stern Show. His autobiography, They Call Me Baba Booey, was released on November 2, 2010.-Early life and career:Dell'Abate was born in Uniondale, New...
, where Gary expresses confusion at the dual-frequencies. "95.1/95.5...? Wait, that's two different stations!"). There was also a bump identifying the repeater station ID W238AB that was played occasionally, spoken as quickly as possible. The Nerve's format was originally Modern Rock/Alternative, featuring music being played by well-known bands such as Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
, Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
, Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden
Soundgarden
Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
, Live
Live (band)
Live is an American rock band from York, Pennsylvania, composed of Chad Taylor , Patrick Dahlheimer , and Chad Gracey . Lead singer and principal songwriter Ed Kowalczyk left the band in November 2009....
, Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots is an American rock band from San Diego, California that consists of Scott Weiland , brothers Robert DeLeo and Dean DeLeo , and Eric Kretz ....
, as well as alternative music from lesser-remembered artists such as Poe
Ann Danielewski
Anne "Annie" Decatur Danielewski , professionally known as Poe, is an American singer and songwriter. She first hit the modern rock charts in the mid-1990s. Poe is the daughter of Polish film director Tad Danielewski and his second wife, Priscilla Machold. She is the sister of author Mark Z....
, Veruca Salt
Veruca Salt (band)
Veruca Salt is an alternative rock band founded in 1993 in Chicago, Illinois. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included vocalist-guitarist Louise Post. Guitarist Stephen Fitzpatrick has been with the band since 1999 and drummer Kellii Scott has worked with the group on and off since 1999...
, The Refreshments
The Refreshments
The Refreshments were a band from Arizona. The band is best known for the single "Banditos" from their 1996 breakthrough album Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy, and also for "Yahoos and Triangles," the theme music to the long-running animated series King of the Hill...
, The Toadies, and many others.
Howard Stern
Howard Stern
Howard Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
was broadcast on weekday mornings. Weekday evenings at 5 PM consisted of "The Drive at Five" which was an all-request, call-in hour. This segment was usually introduced by DJ 'E-Man' with The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion's "Right Place Wrong Time" playing. There would also be a segment called "The Five at Nine", where the five most requested songs of the day would be played. Early mainstays at number one on this list were Poe
Ann Danielewski
Anne "Annie" Decatur Danielewski , professionally known as Poe, is an American singer and songwriter. She first hit the modern rock charts in the mid-1990s. Poe is the daughter of Polish film director Tad Danielewski and his second wife, Priscilla Machold. She is the sister of author Mark Z....
's "Angry Johnny," The Toadies' "Possum Kingdom," Tracy Bonham
Tracy Bonham
Tracy Bonham is an American alternative rock musician best known for her 1996 single "Mother Mother".Raised in Eugene, Oregon, Bonham is a classically-trained violinist and pianist...
's "Mother Mother," and others. In the fall of 1996, a shortly-lived segment was introduced where the DJ would play two very new songs, usually by relatively unknown artists, back to back. The listeners would then call in and vote on which of the two would be allowed to remain in rotation. The winner would then move on to the next night, although it would already be allowed to remain in rotation even if it lost a later round. An early streak winner on this segment was The Bloodhound Gang
The Bloodhound Gang
The Bloodhound Gang may be a reference to:*The Bloodhound Gang , a segment on the program 3-2-1 Contact*The Bloodhound Gang, a band that took its name from the TV show segment...
's "Fire Water Burn," long before it worked its way into the Five at Nine.
The Nerve would also frequently give out tickets to local concerts featuring artists that were played on the station. Listeners would have to listen for Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...
's "Take the Power Back" accompanied by a strange voice instructing them to call in to win.
This format lasted until New Year's Day 1999, when The Nerve made their "Resolution to Rock." This essentially meant that Classic Rock songs were now entered into rotation. This was a very controversial move because the station used to play station ID's that would make fun of 'Dinosaur Rock.' Listeners that grew up listening to their favorite radio station tell them that 'in the Dinosaur age people used to listen to suck rock like Loverboy and Styx' were disenfranchised to hear these and similar bands now being played. It was at this point that WNVE lost a large portion of its listener base.
Meanwhile, WNVE had moved studios and changed owners. In 1996, it was sold to Jacor Communications (later absorbed by Clear Channel Communications), which relocated the studios from East Rochester to the Euclid Building in Midtown Plaza in downtown Rochester, home to its cluster of stations that also included WHAM (AM)
WHAM (AM)
WHAM is a clear-channel talk radio station in Rochester, New York, owned by Clear Channel Communications. Its 50,000-watt transmitter is located in Chili, New York, and the station broadcasts on 1180 kHz.The station first went on the air in 1922...
and WVOR
WDVI
WDVI is a hot adult contemporary station in Rochester, New York, broadcasting on 100.5 FM. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications. 100.5 was previously known as WVOR, a hot adult contemporary music station for many years. The station was owned by the Lincoln Group before being sold to...
.
The Nerve later would add brief local news reports during station breaks, usually as bumpers around breaks in the morning broadcast of Howard Stern. These news reports were often delivered by Bill Lowe from WHAM (AM)
WHAM (AM)
WHAM is a clear-channel talk radio station in Rochester, New York, owned by Clear Channel Communications. Its 50,000-watt transmitter is located in Chili, New York, and the station broadcasts on 1180 kHz.The station first went on the air in 1922...
, the prominent news and talk AM station. Some degree of humor was derived by hearing the serious barritone voice of Bill Lowe give the station's sign off, "95.1/95.5 The Nerve, 'It Just Rocks.'" Of note, radio personality "JoLo" would host the Saturday Morning Show with e-Man. This was, of course, Joe Lomonaco, host of WHAM's popular "WHAM 5:00 News Hour." For an April Fool's Day joke in the late 1990s, WHAM and WNVE swapped DJ's for a few shifts. Mid-day WHAM talkshow host Bob Lonsberry
Bob Lonsberry
Bob Lonsberry is an American radio talk show host, columnist, author and conservative political commentator. A newsman for 25 years, Lonsberry claims to have won in excess of 80 journalism and broadcasting awards, including top Associated Press commentary awards in newspaper, radio and...
came over to The Nerve and swapped shifts with e-Man, who went over to the newstalk station, much to the amused chagrin of local listeners.
The Nerve: Classic Rock & The New Millennium (1999-2004)
The new format including Classic Rock only lasted a year or two before The Nerve switched back to Modern Rock. By this time, however, the landscape of Modern Rock had changed and the station now played harder rock. Most of the original listener base had by now left, and a new base was introduced to Modern Rock in the early 2000s.In 2001, WNVE left its Bristol Mountain transmitter site for the last time, changing city of license from South Bristol to Honeoye Falls, New York
Honeoye Falls, New York
Honeoye Falls is a village in Monroe County, New York, United States. The population was 2,595 at the 2000 census. The village includes a small waterfall on Honeoye Creek, which flows through the village and gives it its name....
in a swap with sister station WLCL (107.3), which took the South Bristol city of license and the Bristol Mountain transmitter site. WNVE changed its city of license to Honeoye Falls and relocated its transmitter site to Baker Hill in Perinton, New York
Perinton, New York
Perinton is a town in Monroe County, New York, United States. The population was 46,090 at the 2000 census.The Village of Fairport, New York is within the town on the Erie Canal. Perinton is adjacent to the village of East Rochester , and the towns of Victor , Macedon , Pittsford , and Penfield...
, sharing a tower and antenna with WVOR (100.5). For the first time in more than half a century, 95.1 enjoyed a full-market Rochester signal. (The 95.5 translator, no longer needed, was discontinued when the main signal moved to Baker Hill.)
On February 6, 2004, Clear Channel made a corporate decision to drop the Howard Stern show from its radio stations, including WNVE.
The Fox (2004-present)
Without its main ratings draw in the morning, WNVE's ratings fell precipitously. On July 4, 2004, Clear Channel moved WNVE from 95.1 to the lesser Bristol Mountain 107.3 signal. Replacing it on 95.1 was the former 107.3 classic rock format, "The Fox," with new calls WFXF.While most airshifts were initially automated, "95.1 the Fox" gradually added air personalities, including a voicetracked afternoon shift from Clear Channel Boston DJ Ed McMann
Ed McMann
Ed McMann is a disc jockey, voice-over talent and radio personality best known for his work for Clear Channel Communications.Based in Boston, Massachusetts, McMann's voice can be heard on many stations, including WXKS-FM in Boston , WXKS-AM in Boston , WHCN in Hartford, Connecticut, WWHT Ed...
.
In 2006, WFXF began broadcasting in HD Radio
HD 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...
, adding a subchannel of "Deep Rock" classic rock from the Format Lab.
On November 17, 2008, WFXF began airing the popular radio program hosted by Brother Wease
Brother Wease
Brother Wease is the on-air name of Alan Levin , a radio personality from Rochester, New York. He is currently heard on WFXF 95.1 FM "The Fox" in Brighton, as well as WHTK AM 1280 /FM 107.3 in Rochester and the Finger Lakes...
, one of the city's most popular veteran radio personalities who had previously hosted the morning show at crosstown competitor WCMF
WCMF
WCMF-FM is a radio station located in the Rochester, New York area and broadcasts at 96.5 FM. Its transmitter is located on Pinnacle Hill in Brighton, Monroe County, New York....
. Also in 2008, WFXF became a Rochester affiliate (along with sister station WHAM
WHAM (AM)
WHAM is a clear-channel talk radio station in Rochester, New York, owned by Clear Channel Communications. Its 50,000-watt transmitter is located in Chili, New York, and the station broadcasts on 1180 kHz.The station first went on the air in 1922...
) of the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
regional radio network.