Breaking news coming in just now. Boston alternative radio station WFNX is being sold to Clear Channel Communications in a shocking move seen by no one. Here is the memo that was sent to the staff of the station:
Dear Members of the PM/CG Family:
Because this is an emotional announcement to make, let me cut right to the chase.
This morning I met with the staff of WFNX to announce the pending sale of the station to Clear Channel Communications.
Over
the years, WFNX has done spectacular things. Since 1983 the station has
played an historic role in bringing new music to audiences in and
around Boston. We introduced Nirvana and Pearl Jam to wider audiences in
1991. Together with the Boston Phoenix we staged the notorious Green
Day concert at the Hatch Shell in 1994. Three years later, FNX and the
Phoenix organized a group reading and broadcast of Allen Ginsberg’s
controversial poem Howl, featuring talents as varied as rocker Peter
Wolf and Poet Lauriat Robert Pinsky, along with civil liberties attorney
Harvey Silverglate and me. We’ve formed creative partnerships with
local museums and many other important not-for-profit organizations such
as the AIDS Action Committee. In addition, for years we broadcast One
In Ten, the only program on a commercial radio station in the nation
dedicated to the issues and lifestyles of the GLBT community. And
throughout it all, FNX has continued to break new music, most recently
the work of Foster the People, Fun, and Gotye -- to name just three.
Here comes the catch....
Despite
its celebrated history, its cutting edge programming , its tradition of
breaking new music, its ardent fans among listeners and advertisers,
for some time it has been difficult to sustain the station --
especially since the start of the Great Recession.
And that is why the station is being sold.
The mechanics of the situation are this:
WFNX
will the file the paperwork necessary to trigger the license transfer
with the Federal Communication Commission later today.
WFNX will remain on the air during the time it takes to complete the FCC process.
Events and concerts -- such as the Best Music Poll (June 13th) and the Seaport Six (June 14th) -- will take place as scheduled.
The best place to get news about the last round of FNX happenings will be to stay tuned to the station itself.
In
closing, let me salute the scores of immensely talented and dedicated
staff who sold the ads, promoted the events, programmed and played the
music, and did so many other things that made WFNX a national force in
modern rock and -- most important of all -- a force, an outlet, and a
sponsor for the music that defined Boston for nearly 30 years. It was a
great run and I will miss the station.
Thank you all,
Stephen M. Mindich
WFNX has been on the air since 1983, with the very first song played on air being The Cure's "Let's Go To Bed". Since then, it has been a haven
for alternative music fans to get their fix on the latest bands, and
helped break some of the genre's mainstays including Nirvana, The
Killers, Florence + The Machine, Foster the People, and countless
others. This station has been solely responsible for all the music that I
listen to on a daily basis and this is a incredibly sad day for the
local Boston music scene. Leave all your comments on this story here on
the blog and on Facebook and Twitter as well.
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