WMJX

WMJX
City Boston, Massachusetts
Broadcast area Greater Boston
Branding Magic 106.7
Slogan Today's Hits, Yesterday's Favorites
Boston's Christmas Station (Nov.-Dec.)
Frequency 106.7 MHz (also on HD Radio)
First air date December 15, 1957 (as WBZ-FM)
Format FM/HD1:
Adult contemporary
Christmas music (Nov.-Dec.)
HD2: Christmas music
(switches to Adult contemporary when main station is playing Christmas music)
ERP

21,500 watts (main station)

1,900 watts (backup #1)

1,000 watts (backup #2)
HAAT

235 meters (771 ft) (main station)

351 meters (1,152 ft) (backup #1)

224 meters (735 ft) (backup #2)
Class B
Facility ID 25052
Transmitter coordinates 42°20′50.0″N 71°4′59.0″W / 42.347222°N 71.083056°W / 42.347222; -71.083056Coordinates: 42°20′50.0″N 71°4′59.0″W / 42.347222°N 71.083056°W / 42.347222; -71.083056
Callsign meaning MJ = Magic
Former callsigns WBZ-FM (1957–1981)
Owner Entercom
(CBS Radio Stations, Inc.)
Sister stations WAAF, WEEI, WEEI-FM, WODS, WWBX
Webcast Listen Live or
Listen via Streema
Listen Live (HD2)
Website magic1067.com

WMJX (106.7 MHz; "Magic 106.7") is a commercial adult contemporary radio station licensed to Boston, Massachusetts. The station's transmitter is located atop the Prudential Tower in Downtown Boston, and its studios and offices are located in the Allston-Brighton section of Boston. WMJX is one of Boston's most successful radio stations. WMJX broadcasts Christmas music between mid-November and December 25, with holiday songs also heard year-round on an HD2 subchannel.

History

WBZ-FM

The 106.7 frequency in Boston was first signed on the air on December 15, 1957.[1] It was WBZ-FM, the FM sister station to 1030 WBZ, under the ownership of Westinghouse Broadcasting (but is not related to today's 98.5 WBZ-FM). The station aired a classical music format, and later evolved into a simulcast of the AM station during the morning, with the classical music at other times.

On December 31, 1971, WBZ-FM became a rock music station as "Rockin' Stereo 106.7", programming mostly Top 40 hits and mixing in album-oriented rock songs. Although automated, it featured voice-tracked announcing from Clark Smidt (who also programmed the station) and Ken Shelton. For a time in the mid-1970s, WBZ-FM was Boston's second most popular top 40 station, trailing only 680 WRKO. In 1975, both Smidt and Shelton left to join 94.5 WCOZ, which was changing formats from beautiful music to album-oriented rock. By 1979, WBZ-FM had drifted into an automated album-oriented rock format itself, which remained in place through 1981.

During the years as a rock station, WBZ-FM simulcast the hourly newscasts from WBZ, with the advertisements in the newscasts as the only commercials heard on the FM side.

Switch to Magic

In 1981, WBZ-FM was sold to Greater Media, becoming that company's first Boston station. Under the new ownership, the station signed off at the end of 1981. During this silent period, Greater Media installed a new transmitter and increased the height of the antenna on the WBZ-TV tower. A few years later, the transmission equipment was relocated to the Prudential Tower, improving the station's signal in Downtown Boston.

The new 106.7 signed on at 6 p.m. on January 6, 1982 as WMJX "Magic 106", with program director Jack Casey delivering the legal ID: "This is WMJX, Boston" followed by a short welcome message from General Manager Bill Campbell. The station debuted a soft adult contemporary format pioneered by Greater Media at WMGK in Philadelphia, and also heard on WMGQ in New Brunswick, New Jersey and WMJC in Detroit. The first song on "Magic" was "Do You Believe in Magic" by The Lovin' Spoonful. The initial air staff consisted of (Bob) Cohen and (Lori) Kelman in the Morning from 5-9AM; Doug Collins from 9AM-1PM; Ed Brand from 1-5PM; David Allan Boucher from 5-9 PM and Nancy Quill from 9PM-1AM. Due in part to the "get-acquainted-free offer" of commercial-free programming which Magic aired during its first six months of operation, the station quickly became the highest-rated adult contemporary station in Boston, reaching a 5.3 share of 12+ (according to Arbitron) listeners within its first year.

Upon debuting, WMJX faced several competitors, including WROR (98.5 FM, now the current WBZ-FM), WVBF (105.7 FM, now the current WROR-FM), WSSH (99.5 FM, now WCRB), and, to some extent, easy listening station WJIB (96.9 FM, now WBQT). However, during the 1990s, all four stations changed formats.

Two of the personalities on Magic, Nancy Quill and David Allan Boucher, have been on the station since its inception. For many years, Quill has been the midday DJ, while Boucher hosts the popular nighttime show Bedtime Magic, and is also voice-tracked on various stations around the country.

WMJX has had only four program directors during its entire run. Jack Casey was the original program director from 1981 to 1986, followed by Phil Redo. Don Kelley served as the Program Director from October 1989 to February 2012. Cadillac Jack was named program director in 2013.

WMJX frequently edited the songs they play to make them fit the "soft rock" format. The change in management in 2013, marked the end of the policy of "home grown" edits, and most (if not all) of these songs were replaced with the full versions that were supplied by the record companies.

Changes in ownership

On July 19, 2016, Beasley Media Group announced it would acquire Greater Media and its 21 stations (including WMJX) for $240 million.[2] The FCC approved the sale on October 6, and the sale closed on November 1.[3]

On November 1, 2017, Beasley announced that it would swap WMJX to Entercom, in exchange for WBZ-FM, making it a sister station to longtime competitor WBMX (now WWBX), which broadcasts a Hot AC format. The move comes due to the merger of CBS Radio and Entercom, with both companies needing to divest stations to different owners to meet ownership limits and revenue concentration limits set by the FCC and the Department of Justice. The swap was completed on December 20, 2017.[4][5]

The sale to Entercom brings WMJX under common ownership with former Group W stations KDKA and KYW for the first time since its time as WBZ-FM and sale to Greater Media in 1981.

Cool, Hot or Green

In 2008, WMJX ran a contest titled Cool, Hot or Green. The prize was advertised as a new car, a choice of a “cool” Mercedes-Benz C-series sedan, a “hot” Audi TT convertible or a “green” Toyota Prius. A complaint was filed when it was learned that the prize was a two-year lease on one of the three cars, and would only be awarded if the winner qualified for the lease. In response the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a $4,000 fine to Greater Media, the station's owners.[6][7]

Boston's Christmas Station

For much of the early 2000s (except for 2005), WMJX was one of the very few AC stations not to broadcast wall-to-wall Christmas music during the weeks leading up to Christmas. In 2005, WMJX joined the bandwagon and broadcast an all-Christmas format from the day after Thanksgiving through December 25. It did not do so again until 2012 (choosing to change to Christmas music on December 5),[8] although then-sister station WROR-FM broadcast an all-Christmas format during the holidays from 2007–11. However, during a 24-hour period from 6 p.m. Christmas Eve to 6 p.m. Christmas Day, WMJX presents a commercial free program called The Magic Of Christmas. Since 2013, WMJX flips to Christmas music on the Friday before Thanksgiving.

WMJX-HD2

In early 2006, WMJX launched its digital HD2 subchannel with a Smooth Jazz format, a mix of traditional and contemporary jazz, fusion and new adult contemporary music.[9]

In November 2014, WMJX-HD2 switched to all-Christmas music. The exception is when the main channel is playing Christmas music between mid-November and December 25, when the HD2 channel carries the primary adult contemporary format.

Awards

In 1998, WMJX received a "Radio Active" Grammy Award for programming excellence. In 2007 the station was nominated for the top 25 markets adult contemporary station of the year award by Radio & Records magazine. Other nominees included KOST in Los Angeles, WALK-FM in Patchogue, New York, WLTW in New York City, WBEB in Philadelphia, and KEZK-FM in St. Louis.[10] In 2010 the station received the Marconi award from the National Association of Broadcasters in the AC Station category.[11]

Ambient-drone artist Oneohtrix Point Never (AKA Daniel Lopatin) takes his name from a play on the station's frequency number, 106.7, as sort of a tribute.[12]

References

  1. ↑ "WBZ-FM Makes Bow on 106.7 Mc" (PDF). Broadcasting-Telecasting. December 23, 1957. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
  2. ↑ Beasley Acquires Greater Media
  3. ↑ Beasley Closes on Greater Media Purchase; Makes Multiple Staff Moves
  4. ↑ https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/entercom-cbs-radio-justice-department-1202604449/
  5. ↑ Entercom Swaps 98.5 the Sports Hub to Beasley for Magic 106.7
  6. ↑ http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/news/messenger/index.php/2009/04/10/fcc-fines-magic-1067-over-contest/
  7. ↑ http://www.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2009/db0408/DA-09-779A1.txt
  8. ↑ "WMJX/Boston Joins The All-Christmas Contingent". All Access. December 5, 2012. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  9. ↑ Tucker, Ken (January 19, 2006). "Greater Media, Emmis Unveil HD2 Strategies". Billboard. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
  10. ↑ "2007 Industry Achievement Awards". Radio and Records. September 28, 2008. Archived from the original on February 27, 2008.
  11. ↑ "2010 Marconi Awards". FMQB. Archived from the original on 2016-03-07. Retrieved 2016-12-09.
  12. ↑ "Oneohtrix Point Never's Post-Modern Make-Out Music".
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