Earlier this year, the Boston radio landscape was turned on its ear when Modern Rock mainstay WFNX was sold to Clear Channel. As the clock wound down on the legendary station, the station’s air staff found a surprising new home at Boston.com, the web portal of legendary newspaper The Boston Globe. This summer, Boston.com launched RadioBDC, its own online Modern Rock station. Led by former ‘FNX PD Paul Driscoll, RadioBDC is at the cutting edge of blending online radio with news content. Driscoll recently spoke to FMQB about the opportunities presented by launching his new station and the immediate, positive reaction from around Boston.
Earlier this year, the Boston radio landscape was turned on its ear when Modern Rock mainstay WFNX was sold to Clear Channel. As the clock wound down on the legendary station (which CCM+E flipped to Adult Hits 101.7 The Harbor in late July), the station’s air staff found a surprising new home at Boston.com, the web portal of The Boston Globe. In August, Boston.com launched RadioBDC, its own online Modern Rock station. (‘FNX owner Phoenix Media/Communications Group retained the intellectual property rights and will launch a new online version of WFNX.com on Halloween.) Led by former ‘FNX PD Paul Driscoll, RadioBDC is at the cutting edge of blending online radio with news content. Driscoll recently spoke to FMQB about the opportunities presented by launching his new station and the immediate, positive reaction from around Boston.
How did it feel to be the one to end a Boston radio institution? Or actually an institution of the entire format!
I actually left a month before the station signed off to get things started with RadioBDC. However, I did program the station six weeks in advance, just so I did not leave them hanging.
Was there a possibility of staying with Phoenix to work with the new online ‘FNX or did Boston.com just feel like a better opportunity?
Yes, they made me a few offers, but after 10 years with the company I felt it was time to go. Over the last year I had a number of different opportunities and offers in the US and abroad, but the chance to launch something new with my team (Julie Kramer,Henry Santoro and Adam 12) at a Boston institution was something I could not pass up.
Boston.com gets between 6-7 million unique visitors a month. It has also been bookmarked as my homepage for about a decade now. It’s one of the best sources for news, entertainment and sports. It covers all things Boston, it is Boston! On top of tapping into the site’s massive audience, we also have access to many of the talented people at Boston.com. Henry Santoro has had Dan Shaughnessy, one of the best sportswriters in America, on with him to talk about the Red Sox. Adam 12 has Chris Gasper on with him weekly to talk Patriots football. I can go on and on. I feel Boston.com gives us the opportunity to do something on a much bigger scale.
What have you been able to do at RadioBDC that you were unable to in the past? For example, have you expanded your playlist?
We’re playing a wider range with less repetition and more currents, and not programming for the People Meter. When you can actually see your listening numbers in real time, that really gives you an opportunity to program in a different way when you’re not programming for a random sample size and trying to get numbers through a flawed system.
There are a number of people that didn’t follow what we were doing at WFNX, but are finding us through Boston.com. The listener interaction has been a big part of this. From our first song on, we’ve reached out to the listeners and did crowd-sourcing through Boston.com for listeners to pick our first song (The Mighty Mighty Bosstones’ “I Want My City Back”). In prime-time, we have an all request show Monday through Friday, where it is actually all-request.
What are your plans for highlighting local music on RadioBDC?
We’re going to be announcing that very soon, along with a number of other daily and weekly specialty programs. We are also bringing in a few weekend hosts as well.
How has the response been from the Boston music community to RadioBDC?
It’s been great, we’ve done a number of events and free shows and the crowds have been really great for all of them. The local Boston music community has been very good and very supportive to us from day one! I can’t wait to launch our local program in the upcoming weeks.
Tell me more about the relationship between RadioBDC and Boston.com.
It’s been amazing. Everybody from day one here really had our backs and they bought into the idea and have been supporting us. From the first day, when you come in with a group of people you’ve worked with in the past at another place, you would think it would feel like Us and Them. From the start, we were welcomed with open arms by Boston.com.
Everybody from the people that work in the cafeteria on up to Chris Mayer, the publisher of the Boston Globe…everybody’s been amazing and it’s been such a great experience to be here.
I have to ask you, what are some of your musical favorites of 2012 so far?
I know I’m going to miss half of them, but off the top of my head: The Vaccines…I loved the last album, I love the new album. I can not stop listening to Jake Bugg! Ian Camfield at XFM in London tipped me off to Jake last March. The 1975, they actually were just signed to Vagrant. They have an EP on iTunes that came out last month. Also Now, Now, Alt-J, Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Black Light Dinner Party, Bombay Bicycle Club and the latest Blur songs.
[eQB Content By Joey Odorisio]
