WXXJ

WXXJ
City Jacksonville, Florida
Broadcast area Jacksonville, Florida
Branding X102-9
Slogan Jacksonville's New Alternative
Frequency 102.9 MHz
First air date November 1965 (as WIVY-FM)
Format Alternative Rock
ERP 100,000 watts
HAAT 309 meters
Class C
Facility ID 53602
Transmitter coordinates 30°16′34.00″N 81°33′53.00″W / 30.2761111°N 81.5647222°W / 30.2761111; -81.5647222
Callsign meaning WX
X102-9 (branding)
Jacksonville
Former callsigns WIVY-FM (November 1965-1997)
WMXQ (1997-2009)
Owner Cox Radio, Inc.
Sister stations
Webcast Listen Live
Website X1029.com

WXXJ (102.9 FM, branded X-one-oh-two-nine) is an alternative rock radio station in the Jacksonville, Florida market (the No. 46 market in the Arbitron ratings), broadcasting at 102.9 FM. It is owned by Atlanta-based Cox Radio, Inc. The station's studios are located in Jacksonville's Southside section, and the transmitter is in the Arlington section.

History

102.9 in Jacksonville first went on air in 1965, and was a sister station to WIVY/1050, both owned by New York announcer Ed Oberle. In 1971, Oberle sold the pair to another New York announcer, Tom Kirby, who converted WIVY-FM to album-oriented rock (AOR). Kirby sold it in 1976 to Infinity Radio, who changed it to Top-40 "Y-103". Cox purchased the station in 1997 and changed its calls to WMXQ and flipped the format to hot adult contemporary as "Mix 103". Cox flipped the station to all-1980s music on November 1, 2000, as "102.9 The Point".[1]

102.9 flipped to its current alternative format on February 25, 2009, at 5:55 a.m. The last song heard on "102.9 The Point" was "Don't You (Forget About Me)" by Simple Minds (also the first song that launched "The Point"), while the first song on "X102.9" was "Chop Suey" by System of a Down. The station was launched to compete with heritage modern rock station WPLA.

The station quickly rose in the ratings, beating rival WPLA. WXXJ began a guerrilla assault on the competition. The station flew a banner over Metropolitan Park during the last Planetfest and interfered with WPLA's annual "Easter Keg Hunt" by bribing people with $300 for the kegs. WPLA management called police services to stop the activity. On August 4, 2010, WPLA dropped its longtime modern rock format in favor of a classic hits format, which would eventually change to adult hits. This left WXXJ as the only modern rock station in Jacksonville.

References

  1. "Call Sign History". FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database.
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