It used to be odd and new and different, but for a while now it's been rehashed alterna-crap although wildly popular in these parts. The strange thing is that it just up and changed to an all Spanish format today without any warning that I saw.

I haven't listened to HFS in years, but it did throw a couple new bands out that I wouldn't have necessarily heard over the years. In it's heyday it built a fanbase by following a more open or "free-form" format. I'm a little young for that heyday, but even in the late 80s or early 90s I remember some songs popping up that were foreign to radio at that time.

Purists would say that HFS long before today, and I'm not eulogizing them either. Just sharin'.

Most of us on this board are old enough to remember, but there are a few kids out there [you know who you are] who don't realize how easy the Internets have made finding new music and bands.

I bet there's a person or two out in Obnerstan who attended an HFStival and don't remember much of the show.

Que lastima.

I've been listening to that station since they were 102.3 (not 99.1). I am now officially 'old'.

Wow. That sucks. I loved them in high school. Attended the HFStival in 1995 (probably the last really good one) and 1997.

Stern was talking about it this morning, and played the exact moment when the change happened. They played Jeff Buckley's "Last Goodbye," went into some kind of promo and basically switched languages within that spot. Weird.

You grew up around here? Whereabouts?

Potomac/Rockville

full story

http://www.billboardradiomonitor.com/ra ... 1000751157

Household Finance Radio?

Yeah, I heard about it this morning on Howard Stern's show of all places. That really sucks.

edit: derr, what Gordo said.

i went to the first couple of HFStival's...the first one i have no idea where it was (pre-RFK), but featured the charlatans, soup dragons, violent femmes and more. i still have my charlatans shirt from that show.

although it did go completely down the shitter, that radio station introduced me to a ton of new bands back in the late 80's, early 90's...mostly via their "ten o'clock news". sad news indeed.

Good goddamn riddance. The passing of WHFS is not sad. What WHFS became was sad. There was a time, in fact an extended period of time, when WHFS was the best radio station in the country. It was so very, very good. What Infinity did to that station was criminal. They became the absolute worst kind of radio - morning zoo-type DJs bludgeoning listeners with an unbelievably heavy rotation of Korn, Linkin Park, Good Charlotte, and Stain'd. The last time I put on WHFS, some ass named Roach or Stash or Crib or some other ridiculous one-word moniker was making sexually suggestive remarks to a group of girls who identified themselves on the phone as sixth-graders. And then he played Hoobastank. And you can be damn sure that on the day the station died, it played "Closer," and "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Jeremy" three time a piece like they have every other damn day for the past 12 years. The idea that it will be missed is preposterous. DC101 plays the exact same songs, often simultaneously. Fuck WHFS.

Yeah, HFS died sometime in 1997 or 98. I was glad to see them go. To me it made it worse that they started off such a supporter of independent music only to become an enemy. You could be sure that every Nirvana or Modest Mouse song would be sandwiched with a heavy dose of carbon copy pop/emo bands, Godsmack, and Lincoln Park. The best was their slogan: WHFS, The True Alternative.

Now they are. Imagine that !

Oh, I'm not sad, just sharing the news. The last 20 times my seek button hit it, they were playing something off License to Ill or something that was "alternative" when I was in high school. I graduated in 95, too.

Yo Gary! Nice to see another Marylander 'round these parts. Must've missed your intro, but I found it with a search. Welcome aboard.

yeah, i haven't listened in years, but they were ok when i first got here (95), then just progressively worse after that. WRNR or the new towson station are the only things worth listening to for about 150 miles in any direction.

WRNR might be re-launching in the DC area, I've heard. RNR was founded by the same guy who founded HFS.

RNR is not bad, but a little pussified. I usually listen until I hear Dave Matthews or John Mayer. I was pissed I missed their Top of 2004 show until I saw that Jet had two fucking songs in the top ten.

No they don't. That's Jem.

I suffer from intermittent literacy, apparently. Oh well.

I'm not sure I'd call that a "full story" so much as a "partially-explained Infinity press release." Not to slag your mag, it's just that that didn't really tell me anything, especially that ridiculous corporate-speak quote.

RNR had Jason Mraz in their countdown. Enough said.

yikes. i guess i'm glad i got out of there in '96 before it got really out of hand. i have very good memories of that station and HFStivals.