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What 97X/WOXY meant to me...

Posted at 7:54 PM on March 23, 2010 by Barb Abney (7 Comments)

In 1994 I was graduating from broadcasting school and a friend suggested that I send my demo to 97X. Being from a small town out of signal range for the station, I was completely unfamiliar with it. We turned it on and The Afghan Whigs' "Rebirth of The Cool" (a remix of "Miles Iz Ded" from the Uptown Avondale EP) was playing. Something struck a chord with me from the second I experienced the station. We both sent in our tapes. He got a form letter of rejection and I got hired. During my interview, the Program Director asked me to identify three artists, Trent Reznor, Perry Farrell and Paul Westerberg. I must hang my head and admit that of the three names on that list, there's only one I didn't know and he's a pretty well celebrated dude here in Minneapolis. Yet somehow, I still got the job!

I worked weekend overnights for four years before finally moving into the mid-day slot in 1998, where I remained until September, 2006.

When I started at the station I was familiar with the "alternative" crossovers like Jane's Addiction, Pearl Jam and older acts like U2 and R.E.M. But there were volumes of artists I had to learn. Hothouse Flowers, The Pixies, The Lime Spiders and The Replacements to name a few. I was a recovering metal-head and big-hair fan trying to settle in to a brand new world I didn't even know existed in my upbringing that was devoid of MTV.

It wasn't easy. I can't tell you the number of times I would get a phone call from a listener gently chiding me for mispronouncing a band's name or for calling Firehose "Firehouse." I learned the fine art of music snobbery from some of the master's in the field. "You can't fully appreciate the music of The Breeders until you listen to The Pixies," "You don't have to have a howling vocalist and screaming guitars for a song to be good, here take this GBV record."

In a time when shock jocks were becoming the new phenomenon in radio, 97X was cut from a different cloth. The core beliefs were that the listener was the most important thing and you never treated them poorly. Not on the air, not on the phone and certainly NEVER in a public setting. They also maintained an independence that simply was unheard of in commercial radio. You would never hear two competitors in the same commercial break. They didn't take their programming cues from CMJ or Billboard.

This independence was what made the station legendary. This independence is what also made the station an acquired taste. A friend at a successful commercial station in Cincinnati once said that his station was like McDonals, serving the masses exactly the same meal that they always wanted day after day and that 97X was the equivalent of The Masionette, a five-star restaurant that served a more selective palate.

97X was always ahead of it's time whether musically, through community building or technologically. We began streaming our programming in 1998. Almost immediately we were peppered with emails from people all over the country. Word spread, as did our audience. I remember the first time we heard from Canada, England and even Brazil. With the growth in audience came the message boards. The community there is still thriving and still growing even now. The camaraderie, debates, friendships and even a marriage or two that were born on the boards are nearly as legendary as the station itself.

No one ever got rich working at 97X. But the owners of the station continued to lose money year after year, just to keep the station around. Hoping that technology would finally catch up with their mission statement and vision.

In May, 2004 the FM signal was sold and the station left the airwaves. At that time, I had a breakdown. Who was I, if not the mid-day DJ at 97X? Thankfully, my breakdown was minor, as within just a few days, a pair of "angel investors" stepped forward and made it possible for us to return to the world of internet broadcasting as WOXY.com. Our staff was smaller, but we were a very dedicated little group doing everything we could to keep the music alive.

The roller coaster was just beginning. In September, 2006 the station signed off again. Shortly before that date, I was offered the job that I have now, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I have children to raise and was looking for a stable career. This job is perfect for me.

WOXY.com the proverbial Phoenix, rose from the ashes again and was back on air within a few short weeks. They continued to uphold their independence. Sponsoring countless festival appearances, pushing musical boundaries and breaking more and more independent artists. WOXY has since changed hands again and relocated to Austin, Texas.

As the world heard the news of their latest sign-off today it was with a heavy heart and concern for my former brothers that I was reminded of all of the things that 97X/WOXY.com meant to me. And in short, I guess it's just this simple...
Ethics, friendship, family, sacrifice and independence. Viva La WOXY!

I can only hope that you are as proud of me as I am of you!

This is my brief on-air homage...

Comments (7)

Eloquently written, Barb. It has once again been a strange day, those feelings rushing back again, but this time without even a bit of warning.

I'm a Minnesotan who happened to live in Ohio for a couple years. WOXY's signal didn't come in at my apartment, but as soon as I was in my car, it came in clear as a bell. Sometimes I'd sit in there with 97x on full blast, until the battery nearly died. Actual moments that I still remember: Manic Street Preachers on a rainy day in Beavercreek, on my way to the bank. Superdrag on my way home from the grocery store in Dayton. Pet Shop Boys in Covington after missing a flight at CVG. Morrissey in Vandalia. Heck, I remember you spinning Oasis' "(As Long As They've Got) Cigarettes In Hell" during a commute to Cincinnati down I-75. Those were just the terrestrial days. I was back here in MN when WOXY signed off for the first time, and have been around here ever since. It was always a thrill to see the station come back to life.

As someone who has also worked on the airwaves, I've dealt with this crap first-hand, losing a job due to the "state of biz." Radio is a rough climate these days. I can only imagine WOXY's situation, which is as independent as they come while still surpassing the professionalism and expertise of even the largest FM stations living on ad revenue.

In the meantime it is good to know I have The Current here at home. I sincerely hope everything works out for each and every one of the talented staff at WOXY. I feel as if this is the final nail in the coffin, but you never know. Strange things have happened before. What's one more?

Posted by Trevour | March 23, 2010 10:13 PM

Aww man. This is tragic. I believe your Club Jager gig was the same date the Twin Cities beloved Rev 105 went off the air in 1997. It's like a sad sequel.

I don't know what happened with WOXY/97X, but Rev was bought by Disney thanks to the FCC chair being super into media monopolies (thank goodness for the internet). Some folks started a movement, Americans for Radio Diversity, built on the truth that the airwaves were given to the public so as many voices as possible could be heard.

The movement failed to get the sale overturned of course, but it did produce a pretty good CD ("Teleconned").

At the University of Kansas in the first half of the 2000s, we had to fight against expensive equipment requirements for internet broadcasters that would have would have forced the student-run KJHK to end it's web-cast. The journalism school had already cut off funding -- though still justified utilizing the station for broadcast courses -- and the station couldn't afford the major expense. Ironically, KJHK was actually the first station in the country to stream a live, 24-hour broadcast on the web.

It's another time for mourning in the media business. Let's take solace in the fact that when American creativity and diversity are quashed, they wriggle their way into other, new pipelines to reach those who care to look... and listen.

The Current is one of these outlets and one with a seemingly stable future. KEXP in Seattle is another such creative source going strong. And, of course, KJHK's longevity in Lawrence, Kansas is special in my heart.

The best way to honor our friends pumping out creativity around the world is to spread diversity of music, art and opinions ourselves. Encourage DJs and stations to go deep, beyond the singles, and to believe in what they play. Those the listeners truly love and support are those who care most about their music and their listeners.

Peace, love, and Rock 'n' Roll,
Eric [Capn] Braem

Posted by Eric [Capn] | March 23, 2010 10:16 PM

Thank you Barb for this beautiful commentary. It is a sad day but I agree with Eric Capn that instead of throwing our arms up in the air and cry " oh well" we can go deeper and play eclectic mix of music that will honor what woxy had always done. You are one of the lucky few: working at two tremendously independent radio stations in your career. Not a lot of djs can say the same. What i wish to see is a world where stations like woxy are protected from extinction by federal money or any kind of cultural foundation. These stations r too precious to disappear from the map and I, for one, wish i had the money to set up such a fund. Come back WOXY. We're rooting for u.

Posted by Ray | March 23, 2010 11:19 PM

Beautiful tribute, Barb.

I can't believe WOXY is gone again.

Posted by becca aka postfem | March 24, 2010 8:59 AM

Once a princess, always a princess. Beautiful note, Babs..... and I, too remember hearing that Oasis B-side during a drive on 275 oh so many years ago and thinking "Damn! Lady's got killer tastes!!!" :]

Much love from the 513!

-Brian

Posted by Fourthisto | March 24, 2010 9:14 AM

Well put. Radio is fairly personal to the listeners who love it, and we talk about our own feelings and remembrances as though we owned the station. I'm no exception.

I was traveling through Cincinnati and someone turned me on to the station. It was 2003 and there was some awesome indie rock coming out at the time. I'm sure I heard you there, Barb.

I found the online stream a little later, but tuned in around the time they were signing off for the first time. Their return was a great thing, but I have found myself listening to the Vintage channel more often lately.

It's the same way I found The Current, and it is my favorite station (online or anywhere), and WOXY was kicked back to second place. Now, I have no second station. Or third, without their two channels of great music.

The system for broadcasting on the internet is set up to make it financially prohibitive. It's a poor state of things, and it doesn't serve the tastes of the listeners. The Current is doing a good job of it.

I liked something I heard from your pledge drive, how being a public radio station meant you weren't going to change formats or leave the airwaves, and the public made that possible. When a commercial station goes away, changes formats, or does everything commercial stations tend to do (shorten playlists, dedicate too much time to ads, cheapen out, take zero risks, become less local), this is something I want to shout from the mountain tops. A listener supported, "public" radio station doesn't mean it has to be an NPR content provider. I'm looking at KBCO in Boulder, and how they are moving their studios out of the city at the end of the month, and how many listeners are letting them go anyways, due to the programming changes and changes made for many years, again, doing what commercial stations do.

Keep doing the awesome job you guys are doing. Knowing the station will be here tomorrow is a big comfort, especially in light of how WOXY left the air. I'm listening to their archived Modern Rock 500 in honor of their existence.

My request for The Current, start a Vintage channel, much like WOXYs. With your talent for programming, you guys could make an amazing stream from that pile of music.

Thanks for the work you do.

Posted by Tapeleg | March 24, 2010 1:05 PM

I´m from Brazil and I used to listen to WOXY almost everyday. I´ve been listening to other radios but its nothing like it...
-gab-

Posted by gab_tie | March 29, 2010 8:59 AM

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