WFXN-FM
Encyclopedia
WFXN-FM and WXXF (107.7 FM
) — together branded 102.3 The Fox — are two separate commercial radio station
s, simulcast
ing a classic rock
format, and serving the Mid-Ohio communities of Ashland
, Mansfield
and Mount Vernon
. WFXN-FM is currently licensed to the city of Galion
, while WXXF is licensed to Loudonville
.
format of My 100.1 (WSWR/100.1 FM) — simulcast
ed WFXN-FM at 98.3 FM. The three area stations — WFXN-FM, WXXF and WXXR — formed the area multicast
known as The Fox Radio Network.
WXXF and WXXR previously operated as a CHR
duo under the KISS-FM
banner and the WWBK/WBZW call signs. Prior to the CHR format, WWBK/WBZW had a "new country" format almost entirely from the ABC Radio Network country channel (as then-and-current sister station WNCO-FM has an all-local country format). Prior to that, WBZW was operated as a smooth jazz outlet ("The Breeze") targeting nearby Wooster, Ohio
. WFXN-FM was previously WGLN, and simulcast WNCO-AM
's adult standards
format. For the current WBZW AM station, please see WBZW
in Altamonte Springs, Florida
The "flagship" station of the trimulcast, WFXN-FM, originated as WGLN. WGLN-FM was paired with "Z-Rock" WYXZ in Crestline, and operated that way until being acquired by Ohio Radio Group in 1996. Headed by W. Marten and K. Schoolbrook, Ohio Radio Group already owned WQIO and WMVO in Mount Vernon and WNCO AM/FM in Ashland.
Later that fall, the group purchased the duopoly of WWBK in Fredericktown and WBZW in Loudonville, which they turned Country. In 1997 the purchase of WMRN-A/WMRN-F was completed making Ohio Radio Group the largest owner and operator of radio stations in the entire state. Then after three months, the company purchased WMAN-A/WSWR-F/WYHT-F from Regent Broadcasting who only owned the properties for 6 months. Making their ownership include in 1997:
In 2001 Ohio Radio Group was purchased by Clear Channel in the sole purpose to move WMRN-FM to Columbus and trade WBZW Loudonville for Dix Broadcasting's WQKT-FM Wooster which they would move to Barberton to replace WKDD.
Clear Channel couldn't take all the stations, so they had to sell off WBCO-AM/WQEL-FM to Scantland Communications of Columbus. Also that year WYXZ put the cluster over the limit and it was sold to Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting Co.
(WYXZ was sold off by Elyria-Lorain in 2005 to EMF Broadcasting, which operates it today as K-Love
outlet WYKL.) The swap for WQKT/WBZW also never took place.
Clear Channel's newly realigned cluster in 2001 looked like:
A series of transactions in 2005 culminated in the creation of the "Fox Radio Network." Clear Channel sold off WQIO and WMVO to BAS Broadcasting, and decided to pair up WWBK and WBZW - which were originally in the WQIO/WMVO cluster - with WFXN-FM. The Top 40 format on WWBK/WBZW was dropped, with WYHT picking up the CHR format. Likewise, WWBK/WBZW received the WXXR/WXXF calls at the same time.
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
) — together branded 102.3 The Fox — are two separate commercial radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
s, simulcast
Simulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
ing a classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
format, and serving the Mid-Ohio communities of Ashland
Ashland, Ohio
Ashland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Ashland County. The population was 21,249 at the 2000 census. It is the center of the Ashland Micropolitan Statistical Area...
, Mansfield
Mansfield, Ohio
Mansfield is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Richland County. The municipality is located in north-central Ohio in the western foothills of the Allegheny Plateau, approximately southwest of Cleveland and northeast of Columbus....
and Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon, Ohio
Mount Vernon is a city in Knox County, Ohio, United States. The population was 16,990 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Knox County. The city is named after Mount Vernon, the plantation owned by George Washington.-History:...
. WFXN-FM is currently licensed to the city of Galion
Galion, Ohio
Settlers arrived in the area as early as 1817. The location was at the crossroads of a north-south road from Columbus to Portland , and the east-west route that later became the Lincoln Highway and subsequently the Harding Highway....
, while WXXF is licensed to Loudonville
Loudonville, Ohio
Loudonville is a village in Ashland and Holmes counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 2,906 at the 2000 census. Loudonville is nicknamed the "Canoe Capital of Ohio" for the many canoe liveries along the Mohican River...
.
History
Prior to January 2010, WXXR — which now repeats the Classic HitsClassic hits
Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes rock and pop music from 1964 to 1989. The term is sometimes erroneously used as a synonym for the adult hits format, but is more accurately characterized as a contemporary style of the oldies format...
format of My 100.1 (WSWR/100.1 FM) — simulcast
Simulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
ed WFXN-FM at 98.3 FM. The three area stations — WFXN-FM, WXXF and WXXR — formed the area multicast
Multicast
In computer networking, multicast is the delivery of a message or information to a group of destination computers simultaneously in a single transmission from the source creating copies automatically in other network elements, such as routers, only when the topology of the network requires...
known as The Fox Radio Network.
WXXF and WXXR previously operated as a CHR
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
duo under the KISS-FM
KISS-FM
KISS-FM is a radio station broadcasting an active rock format serving the San Antonio, Texas area. The Cox Radio outlet broadcasts at 99.5MHz.- History :...
banner and the WWBK/WBZW call signs. Prior to the CHR format, WWBK/WBZW had a "new country" format almost entirely from the ABC Radio Network country channel (as then-and-current sister station WNCO-FM has an all-local country format). Prior to that, WBZW was operated as a smooth jazz outlet ("The Breeze") targeting nearby Wooster, Ohio
Wooster, Ohio
Wooster is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Wayne County. The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio approximately SSW of Cleveland and SW of Akron. Wooster is noted as the location of The College of Wooster...
. WFXN-FM was previously WGLN, and simulcast WNCO-AM
WNCO (AM)
WNCO is a commercial radio station located in Ashland, Ohio, broadcasting to the Ashland/Mansfield/Mount Vernon area. It broadcasts on AM frequency 1340 kHz and is under ownership of Clear Channel Communications...
's adult standards
Adult standards
Adult standards is a North American radio format heard primarily on AM or class A FM stations.Adult standards is aimed at "mature" adults, meaning mainly those persons over 50 years of age, but it is mostly targeted for senior citizens...
format. For the current WBZW AM station, please see WBZW
WBZW
For the Pittsburgh, PA station that formerly carried this callsign, please see KDKA-FM.WBZW is a radio station in Altamonte Springs, Florida. Owned by Pennsylvania Media Associates, Inc., the station operates at 1520 kHz with a daytime power of 5 kW & a nighttime power of 350 watts. Its...
in Altamonte Springs, Florida
Altamonte Springs, Florida
Altamonte Springs is a city in Seminole county in the U.S. state of Florida, which had a population of 41,496 at the 2010 census. Located primarily in Seminole County, the city is in the northern suburbs of the Orlando–Kissimmee-Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area, which the United States...
The "flagship" station of the trimulcast, WFXN-FM, originated as WGLN. WGLN-FM was paired with "Z-Rock" WYXZ in Crestline, and operated that way until being acquired by Ohio Radio Group in 1996. Headed by W. Marten and K. Schoolbrook, Ohio Radio Group already owned WQIO and WMVO in Mount Vernon and WNCO AM/FM in Ashland.
Later that fall, the group purchased the duopoly of WWBK in Fredericktown and WBZW in Loudonville, which they turned Country. In 1997 the purchase of WMRN-A/WMRN-F was completed making Ohio Radio Group the largest owner and operator of radio stations in the entire state. Then after three months, the company purchased WMAN-A/WSWR-F/WYHT-F from Regent Broadcasting who only owned the properties for 6 months. Making their ownership include in 1997:
- WNCO-AM Ashland - Nostalgia
- WMVO-AM Mount Vernon - Nostalgia
- WMRN-AM Marion - News/Talk
- WBCO-AM Bucyrus - Nostalgia
- WMAN-AM Mansfield - News/Talk
- WNCO-FM Ashland/Mansfield - Country
- WQIO-FM Mount Vernon - Top 40
- WWBK-FM Mount Vernon - New Country
- WBZW-FM Loudonville/Ashland - New Country
- WYNT-FM Upper Sandusky - Rock
- WDIF-FM Marion - Top 40
- WMRN-FM Marion - Country
- WGLN-FM Galion - Nostalgia
- WSWR-FM Shelby/Mansfield - Classic Rock
- WYXZ-FM Mansfield - Rock
- WYHT-FM Mansfield - Top 40
- WBCO-FM Bucyrus - Oldies
In 2001 Ohio Radio Group was purchased by Clear Channel in the sole purpose to move WMRN-FM to Columbus and trade WBZW Loudonville for Dix Broadcasting's WQKT-FM Wooster which they would move to Barberton to replace WKDD.
Clear Channel couldn't take all the stations, so they had to sell off WBCO-AM/WQEL-FM to Scantland Communications of Columbus. Also that year WYXZ put the cluster over the limit and it was sold to Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting Co.
Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting Co.
The Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting Co. is a privately held holding company of various assets in the broadcast media, based in Elyria, Ohio...
(WYXZ was sold off by Elyria-Lorain in 2005 to EMF Broadcasting, which operates it today as K-Love
K-LOVE
K-LOVE is a Contemporary Christian music radio programming service in the United States operated by the Educational Media Foundation. As of January 2011, K-LOVE's programming is carried on over 440 FM stations and translators in 45 states. K-LOVE claims an audience of 250,000 people each week via...
outlet WYKL.) The swap for WQKT/WBZW also never took place.
Clear Channel's newly realigned cluster in 2001 looked like:
- WNCO-AM Ashland - Nostalgia
- WMVO-AM Mount Vernon - Nostalgia
- WMRN-AM Marion - News/Talk
- WMAN-AM Mansfield - News/Talk
- WNCO-FM Ashland/Mansfield - Country
- WQIO-FM Mount Vernon - Adult Contemporary
- WWBK-FM Mount Vernon - Top 40
- WBZW-FM Loudonville/Ashland - Top 40
- WYNT-FM Upper Sandusky - Oldies
- WDIF-FM Marion - Top 40
- WMRN-FM Marion - Country
- WFXN-FM Galion - Classic Rock
- WSWR-FM Shelby/Mansfield - Oldies
- WYHT-FM Mansfield - Hot AC
A series of transactions in 2005 culminated in the creation of the "Fox Radio Network." Clear Channel sold off WQIO and WMVO to BAS Broadcasting, and decided to pair up WWBK and WBZW - which were originally in the WQIO/WMVO cluster - with WFXN-FM. The Top 40 format on WWBK/WBZW was dropped, with WYHT picking up the CHR format. Likewise, WWBK/WBZW received the WXXR/WXXF calls at the same time.