| City of license | Boston, Massachusetts |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Greater Boston |
| Branding | Magic 106.7 |
| Slogan | "Continuous Soft Rock" |
| Frequency |
106.7 HD-2 for smooth jazz |
| First air date | December 15, 1957 |
| Format | Adult contemporary |
| ERP | 21,500 watts |
| HAAT | 235 meters |
| Class | B |
| Facility ID | 25052 |
| Callsign meaning | MJ = Magic |
| Former callsigns | WBZ-FM (1957-1981) |
| Owner | Greater Media (Greater Boston Radio, Inc.) |
| Sister stations | WBOS, WKLB-FM, WROR-FM, WTKK |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | magic1067.com |
WMJX (106.7 FM; "Magic 106.7") is a radio station licensed to Boston, Massachusetts. It has an Adult Contemporary format. The station's transmitter is located atop the Prudential Tower in Downtown Boston. The station is one of Boston's most successful radio stations.
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The 106.7 frequency in Boston was first used on December 15, 1957[1] as WBZ-FM, the FM complement to WBZ, under the ownership of Westinghouse Broadcasting. The station's earliest format was a classical music format, and later evolved into a combination simulcast of the AM station during the morning, with the classical music at other times.
On December 31, 1971, WBZ-FM became a rock music station as "Rockin' Stereo 106.7", programming mostly top 40 with some album cuts. Although automated, 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, trailing only WRKO. In 1975, both Smidt and Shelton left to join WCOZ, which was changing formats from beautiful-music to album-oriented rock. By 1979, WBZ-FM had drifted into an automated album-oriented rock format itself, which remained in place through 1981.
During the years as a rock station, WBZ-FM also simulcast the hourly newscasts from WBZ, 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 signed off for a couple of weeks at the very end of 1981. During this silent period, Greater Media installed a new transmitter and increased the height of the antenna on the WBZ-TV tower. A few years later, the transmission equipment was relocated to the Prudential Tower, improving the station's signal in Downtown Boston.
The new 106.7 signed on at 6 p.m. on January 6, 1982 as WMJX with program director Jack Casey delivering the legal ID: "This is WMJX, Boston" followed by a short welcome message from General Manager Bill Campbell. The station debuted the adult contemporary format pioneered by Greater Media at WMGK in Philadelphia, and also heard on WMGQ in New Brunswick, New Jersey and WMJC in Detroit. The initial air staff consisted of (Bob) Cohen and (Lori) Kelman in the Morning; Ed Brand 9-noon; Doug Collins noon-3; David Allan Boucher 3-7 PM and Nancy Quill 7-midnight. The station's first song was "Do You Believe in Magic" by The Lovin' Spoonful. From the beginning of the Greater Media era, the station's name was "Magic 106.7". Due in part to the "get-acquainted-free offer" of commercial-free programming which Magic aired during its first two months of operation, the station quickly became the highest-rated adult contemporary station in Boston, reaching a 5.3 share of 12+ (according to Arbitron) listeners within its first year.
Upon debuting, WMJX faced several competitors, including WROR (98.5 FM, now the current WBZ-FM), WVBF (105.7 FM, now the current WROR-FM), WSSH (99.5 FM, now WCRB), and, to some extent, easy listening station WJIB (96.9 FM, now WTKK); however, during the 1990s, all four stations changed formats. (WROR-FM and WTKK are now also owned by Greater Media; the company at one time also operated the 99.5 frequency as WKLB-FM.)
Two of the personalities on Magic, Nancy Quill and David Allan Boucher, have been on the station since its inception. Boucher hosts the very popular nighttime show Bedtime Magic, and is also heard on CJMJ in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (his show there is titled "Nite Majic").
WMJX has had only three program directors during its entire run. Jack Casey was the original program director from 1981 to 1986, followed by Phil Redo. Don Kelley has served as Vice President/Director of Programming since October 1989.
During the early 2000s, WMJX was one of the few AC stations not to broadcast wall-to-wall Christmas music during the weeks leading up to Christmas. In 2005, WMJX joined the bandwagon and broadcast an all-Christmas format from the day after Thanksgiving through December 25. It has not done so in subsequent years, although sister station WROR-FM has broadcast an all-Christmas format during the holidays since 2007. However, during a 24 hour period from 6 p.m. Christmas Eve to 6 p.m. Christmas Day, WMJX presents a commercial free program called "The Magic Of Christmas." While it is billed as "traditional" Christmas music, most of the songs are new age or smooth jazz arrangements of holiday favorites.
WMJX frequently edits the songs they play to make them fit the "soft rock" format. Some examples include REO Speedwagon's "Keep On Loving You" (which has no guitar solo when played on WMJX), Rick Springfield's "Jessie's Girl" (the guitar solo has been removed), and Taio Cruz's "Dynamite" (entire lines of the song's verses have been cut, for reasons unspecified). The station's renditions of Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful" and Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling" contain so many poorly-timed edits that the time signatures of the songs are lost, making them difficult to dance to.
In 2008 WMJX ran a contest titled Cool, Hot or Green. The prize was advertised as a new car, a choice of a “cool” Mercedes-Benz C-series sedan, a “hot” Audi TT convertible or a “green” Toyota Prius. A complaint was filed when it was learned that the prize was a two year lease on one of the three cars, and would only be awarded if the winner qualified for the lease. In response the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a $4,000 fine to Greater Media, the station's owners.[2][3]
WMJX broadcasts a smooth jazz format on their HD2 subchannel, which is a spinoff of the popular Sunday Morning Jazz program.
In 1998, WMJX received a "Radio Active" Grammy Award for programming excellence. 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 Patchogue, New York, WLTW in New York City, WBEB in Philadelphia, and KEZK-FM in St. Louis.[4] In 2010 the station received the Marconi award from the National Association of Broadcasters in the AC Station category.[5]
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