WFCX

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WFCX 94.3 Leland, MI and WFDX 92.5 Atlanta, MI are Northern Radio-owned stations that simulcast a classic hits format called The Fox. WFDX's 100,000-watt signal serves most of northern Michigan while WFCX, the flagship, serves the Traverse City, MI area with 20,500 watts.

WFDX signed on in 1989 as WAIR, owned by Rick Stone (who now owns WJML Radio in Petoskey, MI). 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. The Fox features a broader and more varied playlist than most other classic hits-formatted stations, which are essentially a softer form of classic rock. "94-3 The Fox FM" (the 92.5 signal is mentioned only in liners or in the top of the hour IDs) mixes in more pop and R&B music than most other classic hits stations, playing artists like Tina Turner, Chic, Sister Sledge and Club Nouveau along with the standard classic rock fare, leading some to describe it as northern Michigan's version of the Jack FM format.

The Fox also operates W238AO 95.5, a translator station licensed to Boyne City and serving the Petoskey area. The translator was granted its license in February 2005 after several months on the air.

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, since the main 92.5 signal can already be heard clearly in Petoskey.

[edit] External links

• The Fox's website - new