WXB 102 (formerly under the call sign and frequency DWXB-FM 102.7) is a former Metro Manila FM station and current Internet radio station that plays New Wave, punk rock, dancepunk, synth pop and classic alternative from the UK, Philippines, and the rest of the World, available through Live365. Re-opened in 2005, WXB 102 is now owned and operated by a U.S. independent record label Sutton Music Group.Nicknamed as "The Station That Dares To Be Different," WXB 102 was the first all-New Wave music radio station in the Philippines. Originally broadcasting from inside a house in Pasay City, Philippines, WXB-102 acquired legendary status since it vanished from the airwaves on June 9, 1987. DWXB-FM captured the imaginations of Manila youth in the '80s, bringing New Wave music to the Philippine mainstream and inspiring regional rock artists such as The Dawn, The Identity Crisis, and Violent Playground, all of whom were championed by the station at a time when guitar-based OPM was ignored by the other local outlets with the exception of a weekly show on DZRJ-AM in the early '80s. Prior to switching to New Wave, the DWXB-FM management flirted with disco in the late '70s and then adopted the American Top Forty format in 1982, dubbing itself Cute 102. By 1983, WXB 102 started including New Wave bands from the UK such as Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Devo, and Culture Club into the Top Forty mix, due to the influence of DJ Mark Fournier, known over his broadcasts as Magic. In 1984, New Wave began erupting in Manila's dance clubs thanks to the city's mobile discos, who often spun records imported from Europe, and the proliferation of New Wave music videos on Philippine TV. WXB 102 gradually evolved into a New Wave/disco. In 1986 the station went full-blown "new music" in format with the now-immortal line-up of The Morning Man or Inggo & his Request Round-Up at sign-on; Cool Carla; Julius Caesar; George Frederick, who was also the Program Director; Fat Albert & his program "Rock Wave"; and The Ghost. A pair of blocktime shows that caught the youth market by the neck back then were Radio Manila and Capital Radio, specializing in local underground punk like The Dead Ends and Urban Bandits and U.K. and U.S. imports that characterized a harsher or more avant-garde side to alternative music such as records from Hüsker Dü, Bad Brains, and Half-Man Half-Biscuit. At this point, "The Station That Dares to be Different" became officially known as WXB 102. Despite its relatively low power of less than 1 kilowatt, WXB 102 developed a huge following in places where its signal could be picked up, creating mainstream hits such as "State of the Nation" by Industry, "The Ghost in You" by The Psychedelic Furs, "(Feels Like) Heaven" by Fiction Factory, and "People Are People" by Depeche Mode. In 1986, WXB 102 was the Philippines' most influential music station, its popularity putting pressure on regional labels to belatedly release the entire discographies of The Cure, Depeche Mode, Aztec Camera, and U2 and hard-to-find LPs from The Lotus Eaters, China Crisis, Blue Zoo, Orange Juice, and The Church. While the New Wave era was already pronounced dead in America in 1987, the genre had not even yet peaked in Manila. Albums once unavailable were continuing to be licensed to Philippine labels, thanks to the tastemaking punch of WXB 102. However, 1987 would be its final year. The new Cory Aquino-led government began sequestering properties owned by her predecessor Ferdinand Marcos and his cronies, including the home studio that WXB FM beamed from. At this point, the DJs - including The Morning Man, George Frederick, Fat Albert, Julius Caesar, The Ghost, and Cool Carla - were working for free, spinning New Wave records from 6 a.m. to midnight. On June 9, 1987, despite attempts to keep it on the air, WXB 102, with DJ Allan K. on board, signed off after The Alarm's "Walk Forever By My Side." On September 10, 2005, lifelong fan and New Wave historian Robert Sutton, CEO of the independent label Sutton Music Group, revived WXB 102 in cyberspace, fulfilling a decades-old fantasy that had its online roots in the no-budget taped broadcasts he and Magic recorded for the original WXB 102 tribute site (maintained with Luis Reyes, Jr.) in 1998. With Seattle-based DJ Brent Sanders as engineer and Los Angeles-based DJ Klyde using his WXB102 Forever website for as the station's HQ, Sutton brought WXB 102 back on the air. Sutton proceeded to recruit some of WXB's original staff, including Mick Flame, The Morning Man, and Cool Carla, to record their first WXB shows in 18 years. On January 15, 2007, WXB 102 began broadcasting live for the first time since going off the air nearly 20 years before. WXB 102's legendary Program Director/DJ George Frederick returned to the airwaves along with The Ghost, Mick Flame, and Naughty Natty, one of the station's original volunteers. Two days later, Julius Caesar came back to the station, also broadcasting live from Manila. WXB 102 is the only Internet-based New Wave radio station with live DJs broadcasting daily, Mon-Fri. In early 2008, Fat Albert resurrected his "Rock Wave" program on WXB 102 as the entire regular air staff on '86-'87 has been reunited. For requests, e-mail WXB 102 at
[email protected]; for business inquiries or to promote your band, e-mail Assistant PD/owner Robert Sutton at
[email protected].
