It’s hard to explain how and why 94.3 FM is one of the last and greatest treasures on our radio dial. Turn it on and you might hear some great 60’s New Orleans R&B like Lee Dorsey, but you’re just as likely to hear some awful 70’s pop garbage like Anne Murray or Paul Anka. What’s more, they’ll play these artists back to back as if it’s just being randomly selected from a GIANT playlist that spans over four decades. The format is “oldies,” but this is a very loose definition. Anything between 1957 and maybe 1983 seems to fit the bill. And not just anything between those years, but nearly everything that graced the charts. It’s easy to see why this might be a turn off for some people, but we need to savor this station and here’s why.

Thanks to the Telecommunications Act of 1996, most of the stations on the FM dial are owned by companies like Clear Channel Communications, who program the most generic possible songs, play them over and over and over again, interrupt them with 20 minutes of commercials per hour, and fill in the rest of the gaps with inane banter between the most idiotic “on-air personalities” they can find. In short, these stations have been fine tuned and streamlined into super efficient revenue generators that pander in every way to the lowest common denominator. One of our last great radio stations, WODT Blues 1280 was bought by Clear Channel radio and turned into a sports talk station last year. This was a criminal act and I’m still reeling from the loss of those ultra suggestive 70’s slow jams.

WTIX, operated by “Fleur De Lis Broadcasting,” is now one of the last locally owned commercial radio stations on the dial. Listen and you’ll notice the difference. There’s a certain homey, amateur feel to TIX. Their little pre-recorded jingles are so campy and ridiculous. Sometimes it sounds like they’re playing actual vinyl records. I don’t know if they really are, but you get the feeling there’s just a giant library of dusty old LPs and 45s at the station, and they certainly do manage to dig up some obscure stuff. Yeah, they play some really atrocious songs at times, but they have plenty of gems. It’s probably the only place where you can hear certifiable “AM Gold” on heavy rotation, and they aren’t afraid of novelty songs and silly TV themes either. I’ve heard the great “Curly Shuffle” on many, many occasions.

If you’re a fan of rock ‘n roll, pop culture, absurdity, and nostalgia, you’ve gotta tune in.

Nothing against WWOZ and WTUL, but those low-power non commercial stations aren’t going anywhere soon.. WTIX, on the other hand, could become another smooth jazz or “80’s” station at the drop of a hat.. That’s why it’s time to enjoy a dying phenomenon and embrace this station while we still have it.

Related posts:

1. Brian Denzer: Community Gumbo
2. Stupidity, like love, is blind
3. Food Radio
4. Sissy Bounce: It’s Official
5. Content is King