WMJX

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WMJX
City of license Boston, Massachusetts
Broadcast area Greater Boston
Branding Magic 106.7
Slogan "Continuous Soft Rock"
Frequency 106.7 (MHz) (Also on HD Radio)
First air date 1956
Format Adult Contemporary
ERP 21,500 watts
HAAT 235 meters
Class B
Facility ID 25052
Callsign meaning WMJX = Magic
Owner Greater Media
Webcast Listen Live
Website www.magic1067.com

WMJX-FM is a radio station licensed to Boston, Massachusetts. It broadcasts on 106.7 MHz. It has an Adult Contemporary format. It's transmitter is located atop the Prudential Tower in Downtown Boston. Magic 106.7 is Boston's most successful radio station.

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[edit] History

The 106.7 frequency in Boston, Massachusetts was first used as WBZ-FM, the FM compliment to WBZ (AM), and was owned by Westinghouse (later Group W. The station's earliest use was a classical music format, and later evolved into a combination simulcast of WBZ (AM) during the morning, with the classical music at other times.

On December 31, 1971, WBZ-FM became a rock music station as "Stereo 106.7", programming mostly Top-40 with some album cuts. Although automasted, it featured voice-tracked announcing from Clark Smidt (who also programmed the station) and Ken Shelton. For a time in the mid-1970s, WBZ-FM was Boston's second most popular Top-40 station, only trailing WRKO in popularity. In 1975, both Smidt and Shelton left to join WCOZ, which was changing formats from beautiful-music to album-oriented rock. After that, WBZ-FM's ratings stagnated.

During the years as a rock station, WBZ-FM also simulcast the hourly newscasts from sister station WBZ (AM), the commercial spots on which were the only commercials heard on the FM side.

In 1981, WBZ-FM was sold to Greater Media, becoming that company's first Boston station. Under the new ownership, the station cut the rock format and shut down the station for most of the fall of 1981. Before signing back on as "Magic" in January of 1982, the station installed a new transmitter and raised the height of the antenna on the WBZ tower. A few years later the transmission equipment was relocated to the Prudential Tower, giving 106.7 a great signal in Downtown Boston.

On January 6, 1982 at 6:00PM, the new 106.7 signed on as WMJX "Magic 106", using the adult contemporary format pioneered by Greater Media at WMGK "Magic 103" in Philadelphia, and also heard on WMGQ "Magic 98.3" in New Brunswick, New Jersey and WMGC "Magic 105.1" in Detroit, Michigan. The station's first song was "Magic" by Olivia Newton-John. By the mid-1980s, the station's name evolved to "Magic 106.7".

Magic 106.7 easily lead WVBF "Boston 105" and WSSH "Wish 99.5" out of their competing adult contemporary formats. (Ironically, the current successors of both stations - WROR and WKLB-FM - have since entered ownership by Greater Media and are therefore sister stations to WMJX.) Magic 106.7 also has a very popular and well-known nighttime host, David Allan Boucher, who hosts "Bedtime Magic" (he can also be heard on a few other stations around the country, and for a time on sister stations WMGC in Detroit, and WMJQ in East Brunswick, NJ.).

During the early 2000's, WMJX was one of the few AC stations not to broadcast wall-to-wall Christmas music during the weeks leading up to Christmas. However, in 2005, WMJX joined the bandwagon and broadcast an All-Christmas Format from the day after Thanksgiving through December 25th. However in 2007, sister station WROR is handling the All-Christmas format.

[edit] HD Radio

WMJX broadcasts on 106.7 HD2 as a smooth jazz station, a spinoff of the popular Sunday Morning Jazz program.

[edit] Awards

In 2007, the station was nominated for the top 25 markets adult contemporary station of the year award by Radio & Records magazine. Other nominees included KOST in Los Angeles, WALK-FM in Nassau, New York, WLTW in New York, WBEB, in Philadelphia, and KEZK-FM in St. Louis. [1]

[edit] References

  1. ^ "2007 Industry Achievement Awards", Radio and Records, Sept 28, 2008. 

[edit] External links