• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

MD/DC/VA folks: 99.1 HFS is gone!!!

Status
Not open for further replies.
B

Baron Aloha

A Shining Example
WTFF?

It's a Spanish radio channel now..."El Zol 99.1 FM". Even their website is gone. There was absolutely no indication that this was coming whatsoever. It sucks. This was probably the only radio station that I could tolerate (other than Live 105.7 when Howard Stern is on).

They were a great radio station. Their shows (HFStival, Nutcracker, etc) were easily some of the best in area. This sucks!!

What am I supposed to listen to on my way home from work now? 98 Rock? Those jockies suck and I've never once heard them play groups like Franz Ferdinand, The Killers, etc on there. They do more talking than music playing. I need recommendations stat. Otherwise I may just cave in and get satellite radio.
 
W

Willco

Hollywood Square
It's been documented time and time again that CBS poured tons of money into WHFS and the station did nothing but accumulate debt. It was a ratings disaster.

It used to be a great station too and the HFStival was a local cultural event, but that too has gone the way of mediocrity in recent years.

I can't say it will be missed.

... Where do you live in the area, JC10001?
 
W

Willco

Hollywood Square
This just in!

WHFS Abruptly Changes Format
Pioneering Alternative Rock Station Now Spanish-Language

By Teresa Wiltz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 12, 2005; 4:48 PM

The Washington-area FM radio station WHFS, long a pioneering purveyor of alternative rock, did a programming U-turn at noon today by ditching the genre for a Spanish-language, Latin music format featuring middle-of-the-road superstars such as Marc Anthony and Juan Luis Guerra.

WHFS-FM 99.1, the radio station behind the popular alt rock music festival called "HFStival," is now "El Zol," featuring Caribbean and Central American music, according to a prepared statement released by Infinity Broadcasting, the station's owner.

Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc., the nation's largest Latino-controlled radio broadcasting company, served as a consultant on the reformatting of the station. Infinity and SBS have formed an alliance, with Infinity owning an equity interest in the Florida-based company.

The abrupt switch came as a shock. Since 1969, WHFS has served as the arbiter of cutting-edge rock in the Washington area, introducing listeners to acts such the Cure and the Violent Femmes.

The HFStival has grown from an offbeat spring festival to a nationally-recognized Bacchanalia that last year offered 36 musical acts spread out over three stages and a techno hideaway called the Buzz Tent.

"Certainly this will have major ramifications for new music in Washington, D.C., said Seth Hurwitz, the owner of the city's 9:30 Club and producer of last year's HFStival, which drew 65,000 fans to RFK Stadium in May.

"They were always the forerunner for presenting new music," he said of WHFS. "They were a vital fabric of Washington's culture."
Click to expand...

... I wonder if the Sports Junkies will go back to WJFK.

EDIT: Also rumored, DC101 will accomodate new listeners and will launch a digital broadcast signal, so those with digital radios will be able to listen to "sub-stations" with different genres of rock such as alternative.
 
L

LakeEarth

Member
Reminds me of when "Detroit's Wheels" 98.7FM turned into "Smooth Jazz". Then a year later a cool new station came out.... they got the Stern show, and a year later, nothing but talk radio! A few years ago another pretty cool (by cool I mean rock) station comes along... now it's nothing but Mo-Town. Yet commercial-palooza-fest WRIF just keeps surviving. I'll never get it.
 
S

SteveMeister

Hang out with Steve.
HFS has sucked for about the past 6 years. Before then it was excellent. No great loss, as far as I'm concerned. Lately there wasn't much difference between it and DC101 anyway.

Nowadays I'm either listening to 94.7 (classic rock), 107.7 (WTOP news radio), or my iPod.

Satellite radio is looking better & better.
 
N

Nerevar

they call me "Man Gravy".
Holy crap. I grew up in the area and went to every one of their HFStivals when they were being held in RFK - I've got some great memories from those things. They were great shows, and always drew lots of good alt-rock bands when it was big. But judging by the demographic of the area when I left, this really doesn't surprise me at all.
 
V

Vark

Member
Yea, about when Papa Roach became popular is when it all went downhill fast.

But still, HFStivals where a fairly large portion of my High School experience so I can give them credit for that.

On the other hand I've had Satallite radio for 3 years now and refuse to look back.
 
V

Vark

Member
man, I remember the 'good old days' when DC 101 was totally pathetic and would do shit like fly planes with DC 101 banners over HFS hosted concerts.

I don't think I ever listened to 98 rock
 
V

Vark

Member
Wow, i tuned to 98 rock to catch the 'party' you were talking about willco...

and all i've heard for the last 5 minutes is advertisements. FM is dead to me.
 
W

Willco

Hollywood Square
Vark said:
Wow, i tuned to 98 rock to catch the 'party' you were talking about willco...

and all i've heard for the last 5 minutes is advertisements. FM is dead to me.
Click to expand...

:lol

Before the break, they were talking about how great it was that HFS was gone and everything. They had like, the entire staff drinking on-air. Funny.

And for anyone who is interested...

THE LAST MINUTE OF WHFS
 
T

Teddman

Member
Bob White said:
Zuh?

You don't listen to Don & Mike or Ron & Fez?
Click to expand...
Isn't Don & Mike afternoon drivetime? Stern is arguably more old school DC than they are anyhow. :D They're alright though.

I can't believe HFS is off the air. I remember back when they were a truly alternative station back in the early 90's, then as Seattle Grunge and Nirvana got big they slowly became mainstream, and all of a sudden the HFStivals became like a local Woodstock. Pretty soon there was nothing "alternative" about the station and the playlists were nearly indistinguishable from DC 101 or 98 ROCK.
 
S

Shadax

Banned
This really fucking sucks. XM is probably pouring the Dom Perignon right now, cause they know people like me will be buying satellite radio receivers for their car now. DC has the shittiest selection of radio stations in the world, I swear. DC101 is crap. I don't understand how you guys in the Metro area can say 99.1 was just the same as DC101 in the past few years. Yes, the would play some of the same songs, but overall HFS played more new bands and different playlists. I swear to god if I hear DC101 play AC~DC one more time I'm shooting myself. Where am I going to get my electronic music fix on the weekends? After midnight, Zoltar, the Brotha From Anotha Planet would come on and play some great drum n' bass, breakbeat, trance, etc. This is a crying fucking shame. FUCK YOU CBS, FUCK YOU DC. Just when I thought this shithole of a city couldn't get any worse. :(
 
W

Willco

Hollywood Square
Dude, 99.1 and DC101 had the same playlist forever. Just because 99.1 played Franz Ferdinand a week earlier didn't make it that much different.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom