An Ode to FNX

This post goes out to all my local readers. WFNX, 101.7 in Boston, was bought by Clear Channel Radio recently, and that really sucks. Why does it suck? I’m glad you asked.

First, a little history. WFNX has been around for 29 years as an independent radio station playing the best in local and alternative music. Foster The People’s “Pumped Up Kicks”? They were the FIRST station to play it. It ended up being the song of summer 2011. A lot of other popular bands, like The Killers, got their start on WFNX. It has basically been the one radio station in Boston that gave a start to a lot of local and underground bands. Many bands owe their stardom to the station.

With the purchase of WFNX by Clear Channel, it’s another example of culture being stamped out by big business. The owner of WFNX, who owns the Phoenix Media group, said it wasn’t financially sustainable to keep the radio station going. Which, in my eyes, was a bunch of crap. They most likely weren’t making AS MUCH money as he would like. And so, our radio station, and a part of our culture, suffers. Which is really sad. Because there is no other radio station in existence that I know of that plays the same type of music that they do, and they happen to be my favorite station. I went to the Seaport Six concert on Thursday night, and I was reminded of how awesome they are. They featured bands that not a lot of people know (Stephie Copelan and the Pedestrians, Reptar) as well as bands a lot of people may know (Cake & Two Door Cinema Club). It was truly the most fun I have had at a show in a long, long time.

Not only that, put they’re putting all of the DJs and people who work at the station out of a job. Julie Kramer, Adam 12 (who inspired me to get involved more in social) and lot of our other favorite personalities are gone off the airwaves. They are all very talented, and while most (hopefully all) of them will find new jobs, it just isn’t going to be the same. They were family, and WFNX was their home.

And so I think I speak for all the fans out there when I say, thanks for everything, guys. You’re awesome. And we will never forget the awesome that you gave to us.

Visit them to show them some love: http://www.wfnx.com