WFXC
Encyclopedia
WFXC and WFXK (104.3 FM) are a simulcasting urban adult contemporary
station in the Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina market. Owned by Radio One along with K97.5
and The Light 103.9
, Foxy 107/104 plays "Today's R&B and Classic Soul
" and airs the Tom Joyner
morning show and the Michael Baisden
afternoon show. The station was ranked first in the Roanoke Rapids market in the Fall of 2006, Spring 2007 and Fall of 2007.
). In 1971, Duke University Broadcasting Service bought the station and renamed it WDBS. The new station was free-form with lots of progressive rock
, folk
, jazz
and a daily classical music
program. On the business side, WDBS operated as a non-profit commercial station. With WDBS's commercial dial position increasing in value, Duke sold the station to the Village Companies in 1983 and applied for a non-commercial license. Classic Ventures, Ltd. later bought WDBS, changing the format to easy listening
. The call letters changed to WFXC in June 1984 with a format targeted at the black community. In 1986, WFXC became known as "Foxy 107-The Triangle's Strong Song Station", the first area FM to program urban contemporary music. In 1987, WQOK moved in from South Boston and went head-to-head with "Foxy" for the urban audience. Though WFXC had recently moved from Rose of Sharon Road in western Durham County to a more centrally located taller tower off NC 98, the station's signal, limited to a 3,000-watt facility, was still no match for the powerful 100,000-watt newcomer, prompting "Foxy" to switch to a rhythm and blues/urban adult contemporary format targeting an older, upscale audience in 1990. In the spring of 1992, WFXC found a fix for their coverage shortcomings in WCAS 104.3, a faltering 100,000-watt move-in from Tarboro programming adult contemporary. They quickly entered into a local marketing agreement with WCAS' owners and began airing at two dial positions as "Foxy 107-104". WCAS later became WFXK and both stations are now owned by Radio One.
WFXC plans a power increase with a change to class C3. The station will share its tower with WQOK.
, the sister station of WCPS
760 AM. Both stations later became the property of Curtis Media and the 104.3 dial position became home to a country music
format as WKTC "Katie Country". In 1990, 104.3 FM was upgraded to serve the Raleigh market by new owner Osborne Communications, while the WKTC intellectual property moved to 96.9
FM in Goldsboro. Osborne debuted in Raleigh as WAZO, but later became WCAS "Class 104", an adult contemporary station. The "Class" format attracted some notable personalities from other area stations such as WRAL morning man "Famous" Bob Inskeep, but never really took off ratings wise. The death knell for "Class 104" came in April 1992 when Osborne entered into a Local Marketing Agreement with Pinnacle Broadcasting's urban adult contemporary-formatted WFXC "Foxy 107" in Durham, a station with a promising format that was locked in to a small class "A" signal. The two became simulcast partners as "Foxy 107-104". Both stations came under common ownership in the mid-1990s and were owned by Clear Channel Worldwide until 2000 when the two, along with WNNL and WQOK, were spun off to Radio One for Clear Channel to meet ownership caps following their acquisition of AMFM.
Urban Adult Contemporary
Urban adult contemporary is the name for a format of radio music, similar to an urban contemporary format. Radio stations using this format usually would not have rap music on their playlists. The format was designed by Barry Mayo when he, Lee S. Simonson and Bill Pearson organized Broadcast...
station in the Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina market. Owned by Radio One along with K97.5
WQOK
WQOK is a Mainstream Urban formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Carrboro, North Carolina, serving the Raleigh/Durham area. WQOK is owned and operated by Radio One.-History:...
and The Light 103.9
WNNL
WNNL is an Urban Gospel formatted station. Owned by Radio One with WQOK and WFXC/WFXK, The Light 103.9 is The Triangle's #1 Station for Inspiration and home to the Yolanda Adams morning show.-History:...
, Foxy 107/104 plays "Today's R&B and Classic Soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
" and airs the Tom Joyner
Tom Joyner
Thomas "Tom" Joyner is an American radio host, host of the nationally syndicated The Tom Joyner Morning Show, and also founder of REACH Media Inc., the Tom Joyner Foundation, and BlackAmericaWeb.com.-Early life:...
morning show and the Michael Baisden
Michael Baisden
Michael Baisden is an American author, motivational speaker, host of the TV One talk show Baisden After Dark, and host of his own nationally-syndicated radio show.-Career:...
afternoon show. The station was ranked first in the Roanoke Rapids market in the Fall of 2006, Spring 2007 and Fall of 2007.
107.1
WFXC signed on in 1965 as WSRC-FM, the sister station of Durham's WSRC, 1410 AM (now WRJDWRJD
WRJD is a heritage radio station based in Durham, North Carolina that broadcasts on 1410 AM.-History:The station signed on the air as WSRC on October 15, 1954, a day most locals remember as the day Hurricane Hazel roared through Central and Eastern North Carolina, causing a great deal of damage...
). In 1971, Duke University Broadcasting Service bought the station and renamed it WDBS. The new station was free-form with lots of progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
, folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and a daily classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
program. On the business side, WDBS operated as a non-profit commercial station. With WDBS's commercial dial position increasing in value, Duke sold the station to the Village Companies in 1983 and applied for a non-commercial license. Classic Ventures, Ltd. later bought WDBS, changing the format to easy listening
Easy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
. The call letters changed to WFXC in June 1984 with a format targeted at the black community. In 1986, WFXC became known as "Foxy 107-The Triangle's Strong Song Station", the first area FM to program urban contemporary music. In 1987, WQOK moved in from South Boston and went head-to-head with "Foxy" for the urban audience. Though WFXC had recently moved from Rose of Sharon Road in western Durham County to a more centrally located taller tower off NC 98, the station's signal, limited to a 3,000-watt facility, was still no match for the powerful 100,000-watt newcomer, prompting "Foxy" to switch to a rhythm and blues/urban adult contemporary format targeting an older, upscale audience in 1990. In the spring of 1992, WFXC found a fix for their coverage shortcomings in WCAS 104.3, a faltering 100,000-watt move-in from Tarboro programming adult contemporary. They quickly entered into a local marketing agreement with WCAS' owners and began airing at two dial positions as "Foxy 107-104". WCAS later became WFXK and both stations are now owned by Radio One.
WFXC plans a power increase with a change to class C3. The station will share its tower with WQOK.
104.3
WFXK began as WCPS-FM in Tarboro, North CarolinaTarboro, North Carolina
Tarboro is a city located in Edgecombe County, North Carolina. It is part of the Rocky Mount, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the town had a total population of 13,121. It is the county seat of Edgecombe County. Tarboro is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks region...
, the sister station of WCPS
WCPS
WCPS is a radio station broadcasting a Urban Gospel, Urban Oldies, Blues format. Licensed to Tarboro, North Carolina, USA, it serves the area...
760 AM. Both stations later became the property of Curtis Media and the 104.3 dial position became home to a country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
format as WKTC "Katie Country". In 1990, 104.3 FM was upgraded to serve the Raleigh market by new owner Osborne Communications, while the WKTC intellectual property moved to 96.9
WYMY
WYMY "96.9 La Ley" is a Spanish language radio station licensed to Goldsboro, North Carolina, which is east of the Raleigh-Durham Triangle. It plays a contemporary hit radio format...
FM in Goldsboro. Osborne debuted in Raleigh as WAZO, but later became WCAS "Class 104", an adult contemporary station. The "Class" format attracted some notable personalities from other area stations such as WRAL morning man "Famous" Bob Inskeep, but never really took off ratings wise. The death knell for "Class 104" came in April 1992 when Osborne entered into a Local Marketing Agreement with Pinnacle Broadcasting's urban adult contemporary-formatted WFXC "Foxy 107" in Durham, a station with a promising format that was locked in to a small class "A" signal. The two became simulcast partners as "Foxy 107-104". Both stations came under common ownership in the mid-1990s and were owned by Clear Channel Worldwide until 2000 when the two, along with WNNL and WQOK, were spun off to Radio One for Clear Channel to meet ownership caps following their acquisition of AMFM.