Great just what we need, all those people who signed the petition thinking they had anything to do with HFS coming back on the air. :roll:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/tv/bal-to.whfs25jan25,1,7758779.story Protests were heard, WHFS rocks online
It also can be heard on Live 105.7 FM
By Rob Hiaasen
Sun Staff
January 25, 2005
WHFS is back, in an alternative way.
The much-mourned and lowly rated rock station - which switched to Spanish pop only this month - has been revived and refitted for an online audience. On Friday, Infinity Broadcasting and America Online launched WHFS.com - a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week online radio station featuring new music, old music from WHFS, and performances from past HFStivals.
If listeners aren't interested in an audio stream of the former rock station, WHFS can also be heard weeknights and all day Saturdays and Sundays on Baltimore's Live 105.7, with host Tim Virgin, who had worked at the former station. The Baltimore FM radio talk station is also owned by Infinity, which brought back WHFS after listeners protested through online petitions and public rallies.
"We heard loud and clear how important WHFS and its programming are to the Washington, D.C./Baltimore community," Infinity spokesman David Goodman said in a released statement. "The legacy of WHFS as a pioneering music station will continue to live on for millions of listeners around the world."
There's also good news for festival fans. On "Live 105.7" yesterday, WHFS program director Lisa Worden announced there will be an HFStival probably in May. On Friday night, Dave Grohl - former Nirvana member and lead singer of The Foo Fighters - called in to congratulate the station and offered to play at any HFStival this year.
What a difference two weeks make in the radio business.
On Jan. 12, rock fans were stunned to turn on 99.1 FM and hear a Spanish-language station called El Zol. Salsa had replaced Slipknot. A revolt was born.
With no prior announcement, Infinity had dropped the "homegrown progressive" rock station that had introduced such bands as Good Charlotte and had produced the popular music festivals.
New York-based Infinity noted poor ratings and a burgeoning Hispanic listening audience as reasons for the format change. In the fall quarter, WHFS attracted an average of 1.3 percent of listeners - or 20th place among stations in the Washington metropolitan area. The station faired a bit better in the Baltimore metro area, with 2.5 percent of listeners or 13th place among stations, according to Arbitron figures released this month.
But diehard rock fans don't tend to flinch at low ratings; they tend to get angry, sign a WHFS online petition (more than 30,000 signatures) and stage rallies - such as the WHFS rally in Washington on Jan. 15, where listeners carried "Honk 4 HFS!" signs.
"We figure if we have enough of an outcry, we can cause some rumblings at Infinity," said Rusty Rowley, a protest organizer from Hyattsville. "At least we're being noticed," said the 26-year-old engineer.
He and other organizers had planned a Baltimore rally for next month - that is, until they heard WHFS on 105.7 FM over the weekend. Their online prayers had been answered. They can hear Korn, Slipknot and Crossfade again - just not on 99.1 FM. (The station El Zol expects to change its call letters to WZLL-FM.)
On WHFS.com yesterday, listeners could take heart in the Web site's message: "You demanded WHFS come back. And here it is. Rock on." As for Rowley and the legion of WHFS loyalists, "You asked if we thought we could make a difference," he said yesterday.