WXCI History (from the xci website)
How in the hell did this happen? Just how did a radio station in the middle of a sleepy New England town like Danbury, Connecticut opt for a totally radical format like New Music? The answer is: How could they not? The State of connecticut was already suffering from an excess of REO Speedwagon, Bon Jovi and Whitney Houston. America Needed help. Enter Radio History.
The Beginning
Back in 1981, the Danbury area was quite different than it is today. There was no mall, there were no compact discs (wow!), and there were only a few alternative music lovers meeting at secret locations and using complex systems of passwords and hand signals to protect themselves from the taint of top 40. There were a handful of "punks" in every high school, college, and believe it or not, local corporations. Unfortunately, there was no outlet for this audience. No clubs. No stores. No hang-outs. Most dreadfully, there was not a single radio station that would dare play anything more adventurous than the Cars. But despite it all, the audience grew.
The Transformation
Wxci was the first to recognize this growing phenomenon. In 1982, the station launched it's first alternative music show, "The Adventure Jukebox." The response was overwhelming. Aired late on Sunday nights, local Danburians had never heard such noise. The phone lines were jammed. Local fans taped the show and mailed them to friends accross the country. Local officials and law enforcement were worried. It became obvious that what was developing was much larger than could be handled in a few hours on Sunday night. Later that year, WXCI took a bold step and became Connecticut's first (and to this day) only new music station. [Editor's note: this was written in the spring of 1995, before all those other "new music stations" started popping up all over the place like weeds.] No Carly Simon. No ZZ Top. Nothing but new music, all the time. Wxci played a pivitol role in breaking new acts like U2, Culture Club, Duran Duran, and Black Flag, because at this time, only a handful of stations in America were playing new music. (In the early days, all these bands were alternative!
As new music continued to develop across the country, WXCI continued to amaze radio listeners by playing artists well before any other stations would consider them. Despite what many area radio stations would like you to think, WXCI was the first to play bands like U2, REM, the Ramones, the Talking Heads, the Beastie Boys, Ministry, Depeche Mode, Nirvana, the Smashing Pumpkins, Green Day, and of course, the Sex Pistols...(oh, wait a minuite, those stations still won't play the Pistols.) WXCI has always played artists well before other stations have even heard of them.
WXCI has a press portfolio which includes two write ups in Rolling Stone magazine, and the station's management is called upon on a regular basis to speak at the music industry's professional confabs, including the New Music Seminar, and CMJ's Music Marathon. WXCI is regarded in the entertainment industry as one of the nations top 5 non-comercial radio stations.
WXCI Today
The WXCI recipe is simple. Play good alternative music. Play requests. Don't play the same songs over and over again.
How Do They Do That?
As part of Western Connecticut State University, WXCI operates on a non-profit basis, providing intelligent programming not available elsewhere in the community, while educating university students in broadcast operations. Huh? What does this mean to you?
WXCI Does Not Play Commercials
This is not hype. Not 95 minutes free, not 98 minutes free, not even 100 minutes comercial free, but an entire lifetime without comercials. How is this possible? WXCI DJ's recieve no pay. The entire station is student and volunteer run. WXCI air staff is comprised of students who love radio, or are otherwise eccentric and insane.
The WXCI philosophy is simple. New Music, no commercials and better than you ever imagined radio could be.
The Beginning
Back in 1981, the Danbury area was quite different than it is today. There was no mall, there were no compact discs (wow!), and there were only a few alternative music lovers meeting at secret locations and using complex systems of passwords and hand signals to protect themselves from the taint of top 40. There were a handful of "punks" in every high school, college, and believe it or not, local corporations. Unfortunately, there was no outlet for this audience. No clubs. No stores. No hang-outs. Most dreadfully, there was not a single radio station that would dare play anything more adventurous than the Cars. But despite it all, the audience grew.
The Transformation
Wxci was the first to recognize this growing phenomenon. In 1982, the station launched it's first alternative music show, "The Adventure Jukebox." The response was overwhelming. Aired late on Sunday nights, local Danburians had never heard such noise. The phone lines were jammed. Local fans taped the show and mailed them to friends accross the country. Local officials and law enforcement were worried. It became obvious that what was developing was much larger than could be handled in a few hours on Sunday night. Later that year, WXCI took a bold step and became Connecticut's first (and to this day) only new music station. [Editor's note: this was written in the spring of 1995, before all those other "new music stations" started popping up all over the place like weeds.] No Carly Simon. No ZZ Top. Nothing but new music, all the time. Wxci played a pivitol role in breaking new acts like U2, Culture Club, Duran Duran, and Black Flag, because at this time, only a handful of stations in America were playing new music. (In the early days, all these bands were alternative!
As new music continued to develop across the country, WXCI continued to amaze radio listeners by playing artists well before any other stations would consider them. Despite what many area radio stations would like you to think, WXCI was the first to play bands like U2, REM, the Ramones, the Talking Heads, the Beastie Boys, Ministry, Depeche Mode, Nirvana, the Smashing Pumpkins, Green Day, and of course, the Sex Pistols...(oh, wait a minuite, those stations still won't play the Pistols.) WXCI has always played artists well before other stations have even heard of them.
WXCI has a press portfolio which includes two write ups in Rolling Stone magazine, and the station's management is called upon on a regular basis to speak at the music industry's professional confabs, including the New Music Seminar, and CMJ's Music Marathon. WXCI is regarded in the entertainment industry as one of the nations top 5 non-comercial radio stations.
WXCI Today
The WXCI recipe is simple. Play good alternative music. Play requests. Don't play the same songs over and over again.
How Do They Do That?
As part of Western Connecticut State University, WXCI operates on a non-profit basis, providing intelligent programming not available elsewhere in the community, while educating university students in broadcast operations. Huh? What does this mean to you?
WXCI Does Not Play Commercials
This is not hype. Not 95 minutes free, not 98 minutes free, not even 100 minutes comercial free, but an entire lifetime without comercials. How is this possible? WXCI DJ's recieve no pay. The entire station is student and volunteer run. WXCI air staff is comprised of students who love radio, or are otherwise eccentric and insane.
The WXCI philosophy is simple. New Music, no commercials and better than you ever imagined radio could be.
posted by Rich at 6:54 PM
2 Comments:
Rich, did you know Pete Bosco, who was a DJ at wxci in the 80s?
Do you know if old programs are available anywhere? Pete died in 1991. I wish I could hear his voice again. I miss him so much.
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