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WBCN (defunct)

WBCN
WBCN 98 Point five FM.png
City Boston, Massachusetts
Broadcast area Greater Boston
Branding WBCN
Slogan The Rock of Boston
Frequency 98.5 MHz WBZ-FM-HD2
First air date March 15, 1968
off air August 12, 2009
Format Modern rock
ERP 9,000 watts
HAAT 349 meters
Class B
Facility ID 1901
Callsign meaning Boston Concert Network (original format)
Owner CBS Radio
Sister stations WBZ, WBZ-FM, WBMX, WODS, WZLX, WBZ-TV, WSBK-TV
Webcast Listen Live
Website wbcn.com

WBCN is a digital-only radio station airing on WBZ-FM HD-2 in Boston, Massachusetts and owned by CBS Radio. Before switching to 98.5 HD-2 on August 12, 2009, WBCN featured its rock format for 41 years as an analog radio station on 104.1 MHz (now WBMX). WBCN became a legend in the rock music industry for breaking many bands, most notably U2. WBCN was a modern rock/active rock station that mixed music that has been popular in the modern rock, alternative rock and classic rock genres. Known as "The Rock of Boston", its three main Boston-area competitors as of 2009 were Album Oriented Rock/active rock WAAF and alternative music stations WBOS and WFNX.

The station went off the FM airwaves on August 12, 2009, with two digital-only automated streams, one continuing the modern rock format, the other Free Form BCN, airing an eclectic mix of rock, related genres, and a lot of new music - essentially the WBCN of 1968 to 1988, brought into the 21st Century. The station's battle of the bands competition, the Rock 'n' Roll Rumble, survived the station's demise, having been continued by its sister station WZLX.

"Free Form BCN" began airing live freeform shows in September 2009 on WZLX HD-3 and at wbcn.com. While still digital and largely automated, the station was live 10am–4pm Monday through Thursday and till 6pm on Friday. WBCN's first rock program director, Sam Kopper was PD of WBCN Free Form Rock and did the 10-1 air-shift M-F. All but one of the live DJ shifts originated from the DJs' homes: Sam from East Greenwich, RI; David Wohlman from Hamilton, MA; Destiny Curtis from Exeter, NH; and Nancy Walton from Missoula, MT. The Friday 4-6 shift, usually DJed by Adam Luciano originated from CBS FM headquarters in Boston. "Free Form BCN" was discontinued on January 29, 2016, leaving WBZ-FM-HD2's format as the last remaining tie to WBCN.


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