WOXY (internet radio) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

WOXY.com was an alternative, independent, and freeform

Freeform (radio format)

Freeform, or freeform radio, is a radio station programming format in which the disc jockey is given total control over what music to play, regardless of music genre or commercial interests. Freeform radio stands in contrast to most commercial radio stations, in which DJs have little or no...

rock and roll

Rock and roll

Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...

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...

based in Austin, Texas

Austin, Texas

Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...

. WOXY.com relied mainly on its own website to reach its listeners. WOXY.com programming at one time was also available at lala.com and WVXU

WVXU

WVXU is a public radio station located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is owned by Cincinnati Public Radio, which also operates station WGUC and WMUB. It broadcasts at 91.7 FM and airs public radio news/talk syndicated programming from National Public Radio, American Public Media and Public Radio...

HD Radio

HD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...

.

Originally transmitted solely from WOXY-FM at 97.7 FM in Oxford, Ohio

Oxford, Ohio

Oxford is a city in northwestern Butler County, Ohio, United States, in the southwestern portion of the state. It lies in Oxford Township, originally called the College Township. The population was 21,943 at the 2000 census. This college town was founded as a home for Miami University. Oxford...

, the station went by the 97X moniker as well as the tag line "The Future of Rock & Roll". Years later, "The Future of Rock & Roll" became one of the first commercial

Commercial broadcasting

Commercial broadcasting is the broadcasting of television programs and radio programming by privately owned corporate media, as opposed to state sponsorship...

radio stations in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

to completely transition from terrestrial FM radio to broadcasting solely as an Internet radio

Internet radio

Internet radio is an audio service transmitted via the Internet...

station at WOXY.com. The station moved its studios from Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...

, to Austin in 2009. In 2010, due to financial challenges, the station ended its online feed. On November 23, 2011, the station's remaining WOXY.com website and discussion forums were taken offline by owner Future Sounds.

The birth of 97X

Setting up shop at an Oxford, Ohio

Oxford, Ohio

radio station broadcasting at 97.7 FM, this newly formed "Modern Rock" station (quickly dubbed "The Future of Rock & Roll") immediately benefited from a large youthful audience at adjacent Miami University

Miami University

Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...

as well as listeners in urban and suburban areas of Cincinnati and Dayton

Dayton, Ohio

Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...

, but a majority of its broadcast area was rural. The first song played when WOXY-FM made their transition to a modern rock format in September 1983 was U2

U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...

's "Sunday Bloody Sunday

Sunday Bloody Sunday (song)

"Sunday Bloody Sunday" is the opening track from U2's 1983 album, War. The song was released as the album's third single on 11 March 1983 in Germany and the Netherlands. "Sunday Bloody Sunday" is noted for its militaristic drumbeat, harsh guitar, and melodic harmonies...

" from their live album Under A Blood Red Sky

Under a Blood Red Sky

During the performance of "The Electric Co.", Bono included a 27 second snippet of Stephen Sondheim's "Send in the Clowns". When Under a Blood Red Sky was released, U2 failed to get permission and pay the appropriate licensing and royalty fees to include that piece of Sondheim's tune on the album...

. This was also the very last song played by the station to close their terrestrial transmission.

Publicity

Since it began broadcasting, the station was a highly-regarded radio station, winning accolades from many prominent newspaper

Newspaper

A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...

s and magazine

Magazine

Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...

s such as Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...

, Spin, and USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...

.

WOXY's tagline, "97X, BAM! The future of rock and roll," was quoted by Dustin Hoffman

Dustin Hoffman

Dustin Lee Hoffman is an American actor with a career in film, television, and theatre since 1960. He has been known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and vulnerable characters....

's character Raymond Babbitt in the movie Rain Man
Rain Man
Rain Man is a 1988 drama film written by Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass and directed by Barry Levinson. It tells the story of an abrasive and selfish yuppie, Charlie Babbitt, who discovers that his estranged father has died and bequeathed all of his multimillion-dollar estate to his other son,...

. One of the current anchors on Fox News Channel

Fox News Channel

Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...

, Bill Hemmer

Bill Hemmer

Bill Hemmer is an American television-news anchor. He is a co-host of America's Newsroom on the Fox News Channel.-Early life and education:...

, was once a DJ for WOXY-FM during the 97X years.

The station also sponsored 97Xposure, a Tri-State area

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky metropolitan area

The Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky metropolitan area is a metropolitan area that includes counties in the U.S. states of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, centered around the city of Cincinnati, Ohio. The United States Census defines the metropolitan area as the Cincinnati-Middletown Metropolitan...

-based "Battle of the Bands" for local talent. It served as the "jumping-off point" for local bands such as the Ass Ponys

Ass Ponys

Ass Ponys are an indie rock band based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The band combines rock and country into an off-kilter blend of Americana music. They have gone on national tours with bands such as Pavement, Throwing Muses, and Possum Dixon. Among other periodicals, they have been featured in Rolling...

to make their way to the national stage.

Programming

"The Future of Rock & Roll" 97.7 FM years featured several different programs and shows, ranging from format specific blocks of music programming, to handmade advertising spots for sponsors local to the 97.7 FM broadcasting area, to syndicated radio programs that catered to niche listeners. This incomplete list details a few of these programs.

Modern Rock 500: One enduring staple of WOXY's broadcast was the Modern Rock 500 countdown, which takes place every Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...

Weekend. The station plays back what it felt were the 500 best songs in its history over the course of three days. The Modern Rock 500 has continued through the station's transition to Internet-only play.

AirChexx: A daily spotlight on two different up-and-coming bands not yet featured on the regular playlist.
97X-trabeats: Music showcase featuring dance and electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...

music.

What's Happening Weekend Report: Another highlight was the What's Happening Weekend Report, a prerecorded message that played throughout the week and highlighted local events, incoming concerts, and the occasional event on a broader scene (national and international events outside of the region).

Free Music Break: Named for its sponsor at the time (for example, Papa John's Free Music Break) was a nightly call-in contest in which the 5th caller could win a CD and prize donated by the sponsor. A two week moratorium was asked of the winner before competing again to give others a chance to win.

Handmade Advertising: The station ran a number of unique advertisements. Local advertisers had the typical low-budget but yet targeted audio advertisements. One memorable ad that ran on WOXY was the "Rock 'n' Roll Grocer", which featured the chorus of The Ramones song "Rock 'n' Roll High School
Rock 'n' Roll High School
Rock 'n' Roll High School is a 1979 musical comedy film produced by Roger Corman, directed by Allan Arkush, and featuring the Ramones.The film starred P. J. Soles, Vince Van Patten, and Clint Howard...

", with the comically flat voice of local grocery store owner Frank Eavey saying the word "grocer" dubbed over "high school." Similar ads for Jungle Jim's were common.

Putting the 'Gee' in Ecology PSAs: WOXY also featured "Putting the 'Gee' in Ecology," a series of public service announcements that provided helpful instruction on how to conserve energy and preserve resources for the individual listener. Such suggestions as putting a lid on a pot of water to quicken boil time and sundrying laundry provided common sense alternatives to wasteful consumption that was unique from the "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" refrain.

Webcast (1998–present)

In 1998, WOXY began to experiment with webcast

Webcast

A webcast is a media presentation distributed over the Internet using streaming media technology to distribute a single content source to many simultaneous listeners/viewers. A webcast may either be distributed live or on demand...

s, and listeners tuned in from around the world; the Internet listenership continued to grow. The station continued to broadcast online while building a website with message boards and information to create a community of modern rock

Modern rock

Modern rock is a rock format commonly found on commercial radio; the format consists primarily of the alternative rock genre...

. The station was also one of a number of stations offered in the Internet radio

Internet radio

Internet radio is an audio service transmitted via the Internet...

section of iTunes

ITunes

iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....

End of FM broadcast

In January 2004, the decision was made by owners Doug and Linda Balogh, who had run the station for decades, to sell the 97.7-FM broadcast facilities. Doug and Linda felt they were ready to retire and used the proceeds in order to fund their retirement. What they refused to sell was "The Future of Rock & Roll" music library, the "WOXY.com" Internet domain name, and the usage rights of "97X". To local FM listeners, the name "97X" had become so closely tied to "The Future of Rock & Roll" over the previous 21 years, that to let any new owner of the 97.7-FM use "97X" in association to their programming would be misleading to the local FM radio listeners. The announced last day of FM broadcast was May 13.

The future of "The Future of Rock & Roll" was to be on the Internet, broadcasting exclusively from the WOXY.com website. The staff committed to staying with the WOXY.com venture worked feverishly over the following five months to secure funding and advertisers for what was at the time an unheard of business venture; an Internet-only commercial radio station. However, appropriate funding for the transition did not initially appear, so the station was forced to shut down operations on Thursday, May 13, 2004 and terminate its broadcast, not only via its 97.7 FM transmission, but also via WOXY.com.

Background

One day after "The Future of Rock & Roll" left the FM airwaves, on Friday, May 14, 2004, representatives of anonymous angel investor

Angel investor

An angel investor or angel is an affluent individual who provides capital for a business start-up, usually in exchange for convertible debt or ownership equity...

s contacted the station staff, intent on funding the WOXY.com venture. After two months of legalities, on July 12, 2004, "The Future of Rock & Roll" resumed its WOXY.com broadcast. As a subtle nod to its 1983 FM debut ("Sunday Bloody Sunday

Sunday Bloody Sunday

"Sunday Bloody Sunday" is a song by U2.It may also refer to:*Sunday Bloody Sunday , a 1971 film*"Sunday, Bloody Sunday"...

" by the Irish band U2

), the first song played on the resumed WOXY.com broadcast was "Orpheus" by the Irish alternative rock

Alternative rock

Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...

band Ash

Ash (band)

Ash are an alternative rock band that formed in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland in 1992. The band has sold 8 million albums worldwide.-Band beginning, Trailer and 1977 :...

.

Because of the nature of the 97.7 FM sale to First Broadcasting out of Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

, "The Future of Rock & Roll" was able to continue broadcasting from the Oxford, Ohio building until a more touring musician friendly location could be found. In September 2004, WOXY.com operations were relocated to Cincinnati's Longworth Hall, a building at the intersection of three interstate highways and close to multiple concert venues.

Publicity

To herald its return to broadcasting, "The Future of Rock & Roll" relied on a viral campaign to be carried out by its loyal listeners. WOXY provided via its website, avatars, banners, buttons, PDF files, etc., all with the intention of getting the word out; "The Future of Rock & Roll" is back! The station also purchased some well placed ads in music oriented magazines.

Programming

The internet definitely allowed for more programming avenues and outlets than standard FM radio ever did. "The Future of Rock & Roll" continued to find innovative ways to program the station.

BAM! Modern Rock: Even with a new engine driving the music, "The Future of Rock & Roll" remained true to its roots; real DJs programming the music they choose from the Modern Rock library they have been building upon since the beginning.

WOXY Lounge Acts
WOXY Vintage: In 2005, "The Future of Rock & Roll" also looked fondly towards their past and launched a secondary stream of audio, WOXY Vintage. This additional channel features a 30-year mix of music that spotlights the history of modern rock and alternative music.

Unsigned@WOXY.com
X-trabeats: Revisiting the popularity of "97X-trabeats", "The Future of Rock & Roll" revived the dance/electronica showcase. The only minor changes being the dropping of the '97' and making the program available on demand in addition to the scheduled airings.

Local Lixx
Artrocker Radio
Friends Of The Futurist: A interview and music showcase, in which a member of the music community (music blogger, podcast host, etc.) spends time speaking with host Joe Long discussing the artist, venues and anything else on the topic of music as it represents the guest's locale. "Friends Of The Futurist" airs bi-weekly on Tuesday evenings. Early "Friends Of The Futurist" episodes were broadcast under the original name, "The Blogger Hour".

The Waiting Room: An eclectic mix of folk & acoustic tunes from around the globe, hosted by "one half of Drunk Country & The Woman of The House".

Business models

Relying solely on its owners for business plans, WOXY has had a bumpy ride over the past several years. Lala.com, which owned the station from 2006–2009, had many plans for WOXY initially but few saw the light of day. Lala's business model initially tied them into the CD trading business that was based at Lala.com. Many board members signed up for lala.com accounts believing they would help keep WOXY afloat. Probably not a big money maker, WOXY was sold in 2009. The new business plan would, in part, seem to be based on cross promotion with other radio spots by other stations. Banner adds have also returned to WOXY.

The continued expense of a full-time staff, song fees, as well as studio rent will be the biggest hurdle for the new owners.

Commercial

Most closely resembling the FM 'Future of Rock & Roll', WOXY.com, or WOXY (wox-IE) as it become to be known, sold banner ads on the pages of WOXY.com along with advertised sponsorship of some its mainstay programming to cover costs. Not only did this practice not yield a profit, it did not even cover operational costs. Accepting that their investor money was eroding faster than they hoped, "The Future of Rock & Roll" tried a new approach.

Subscription-based

On February 6, 2006, WOXY.com announced it would be moving to a subscriber-based model. In an effort to counteract a lack of advertising revenue, subscribers were to pay $9.95 per month for 128 kbit/s streams (both the main channel and the vintage channel) as well other perks including special content and contests.

Despite popularity with listeners, the station's capital was running out, and the costs to operate far exceeded any income from subscriptions, fund raising, or from Internet advertising. On August 31, 2006, WOXY.com released a statement announcing that they would cease broadcasting. The last broadcast was September 15, 2006, and transmission ended around 5:38 p.m. EDT.

Bryan Jay Miller, the station's general manager, stated in a written announcement on the station's website that "barring something exceptional happening in the next two weeks, we will silence our broadcasts." The last few songs the station played underscored what they believed to be the finality of the suspension of broadcasting, including the songs "Mourning Air" by Portishead, "Acquiesce

Acquiesce

"Acquiesce" is a song by the English rock band Oasis, written by Noel Gallagher. The song originally appeared as a B-side to Oasis' first UK #1 single, "Some Might Say", in April 1995...

" by Oasis

Oasis (band)

Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...

, "Fight the Power

Fight the Power

"Fight the Power" is a single by American hip hop group Public Enemy. First released on the soundtrack for the film 1989 Do the Right Thing, a different version was released on the group's third studio album, Fear of a Black Planet . The single reached number one on Hot Rap Singles and number 20 on...

", by Public Enemy, and the final track, MC5

MC5

The MC5 is an American rock band formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan and originally active from 1964 to 1972. The original band line-up consisted of vocalist Rob Tyner, guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith, bassist Michael Davis, and drummer Dennis Thompson...

's song "Kick Out the Jams

Kick Out the Jams

Kick Out the Jams is the first album by Detroit protopunkers MC5, released in 1969. It was recorded live at Detroit's Grande Ballroom over two nights, Devil's Night and Halloween, 1968. In 2003, the album was ranked number 294 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time...

Lala.com

On September 19, 2006, Silicon Valley entrepreneur Bill Nguyen expressed interest in purchasing the station and resuming online broadcasting. A fan of modern rock, Nguyen was contacted by a station listener through his music trading website Lala

Lala (website)

Lala was an online music store created by Silicon Valley entrepreneur Bill Nguyen. The service allowed members to legally create online shareable "playlists" of their own uploaded music which could play full length songs for other registered Lala members, purchase MP3s, stream music on a one-time...

. In an unusual approach, Nguyen not only met with staff members and the station's current anonymous owners/investors, but also used the station's message boards to get feedback from listeners before formally making an offer.

Nguyen's proposal was to invest between $5 million and $10 million into WOXY.com, and allow the station to remain in Cincinnati. The DJs would retain editorial control. He would also link lala.com to WOXY.com, to allow WOXY.com listeners to purchase music that they've heard on the station directly from his existing site. Among his many initial proposals, he also proposed coordinating live performances in San Francisco and other locations that would subsequently be broadcast on WOXY.com. A deal was reached, and the station resumed online broadcasting as of 10:10 am EST on October 10, 2006. It should note that Lala.com was quietly purchased by Apple in December 2009 and was shuttered by Apple on May 31, 2010.

Future Sounds Inc.

On February 5, 2009, the station announced that it had been sold by Lala.com and will join Future Sounds, Inc. a company specializing in the discovery and exposure of new and unsigned bands and artists.

WVXU-HD2 simulcast

In August 2007, a deal was finalized between WOXY.com and Cincinnati public radio station WVXU

WVXU

where in, WVXU would partner with "The Future of Rock & Roll" and broadcast WOXY.com main channel programming on their second HD Radio

HD Radio

channel. The availability of WOXY.com on HD Radio marked The Future of Rock & Roll's return to the local terrestrial airwaves since the 97.7 FM transmission was terminated.

Austin, TX relocation

On July 16, 2009, the WOXY staff formally announced that the station's broadcast facilities would be relocated to Austin, Texas

Austin, Texas

. Reasons cited include increased access to artists for live Lounge Act sessions and proximity to the thriving Austin music scene, including the SXSW

South by Southwest

South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...

festival. The station move FAQ has indicated that the formatting and live DJ lineup will remain the same. The station will continue broadcasting on the air in Cincinnati via WVXU

WVXU

91.7 FM on the HD-2 sideband

Sideband

In radio communications, a sideband is a band of frequencies higher than or lower than the carrier frequency, containing power as a result of the modulation process. The sidebands consist of all the Fourier components of the modulated signal except the carrier...

channel.

Recent events

On January 25, 2008, in what could be interpreted as an effort to reacquaint itself with Cincinnati radio listeners, WOXY.com sponsored a "Rock 'n' Skate" event at Cincinnati's Fountain Square

Fountain Square, Cincinnati

Fountain Square is a city square in Cincinnati. Founded in 1871, it was renovated in 1971 and 2005 and currently features many shops, restaurants, hotels, and offices.- History :...

ice-skating facility. Similar ice-skating promotions were commonplace during the station's 97.7 FM days.

The year 2008 marks The Future of Rock & Roll's 25th anniversary, as well as the 10 year anniversary of The Future of Rock & Roll being available globally on the internet at WOXY.com.

At approximately 9:13 CDT on March 23, 2010 WOXY.com stopped streaming audio, and posted the following on their main page:

WOXY Listeners, Fans and Friends...

Due to current economic realities and the lack of ongoing funding for WOXY's operations, we've been forced to suspend our live broadcasts as of March 23. We're continuing to explore options to keep The Future of Rock and Roll alive. For business inquiries, please contact Bryan Jay or John at Future Sounds.

Thanks for your years of dedicated support.

- Mike, Shiv, Joe, Paige, Brian and Bryan Jay

The song playing when they halted streaming was "Answer to Yourself" by The Soft Pack

The Soft Pack

The Soft Pack is an indie rock band from San Diego.- History :The band was originally named The Muslims, but changed the name due to "ignorant and racist" comments. Matt Lamkin has stated Soft Pack can describe the band as being well mannered or it can refer to a device that when worn is intended...

DJs

The regular DJs were Mike Taylor (Program Director), Matt Shiv (Music Director) and Joe Long (editor of WOXY's The Futurist blog).

List of awards

The Internet-only incarnation of the station has won multiple times at the PLUG Independent Music Awards

PLUG Independent Music Awards

The PLUG Independent Music Awards, or just PLUG Awards, began in 2001 as a "cartel" of music lovers ranging from DJs and managers to indie retailers and fans.*This event is not in any way associated with the .-2008:...

2005 Internet radio station of the year
2007 Internet radio station of the year
2007 Podcast of the Year: WOXY.com Lounge Acts

The birth of 97X

Publicity

Programming

Webcast (1998–present)

End of FM broadcast

Background

Publicity

Programming

Business models

Commercial

Subscription-based

Lala.com

Future Sounds Inc.

WVXU-HD2 simulcast

Austin, TX relocation

Recent events

DJs

List of awards

See also