Article was written by Dannon Eubanks.
Before WYXR launched in October of 2020, radio didn’t add much to my life.
It was in the background, like it was supposed to be. It repeated the top charts, reaffirmed my “basic-ness,” and reminded me why most people pay for Spotify premium. I was both disappointed and impressed when I got in the car and the same song was playing as the last time.
However, WYXR, otherwise known as 91.7FM, was something different.
At first, I added it to my radio presets, and would occasionally find myself on the channel—treating it like just another stop as I scanned through stations. But, over the past year, it’s slowly grown from the pastime I would lean on after every other station was on commercial, to the station that I would start my day off with, to—now—the station that I stay on.
I love that I don’t know any of the songs. I love that it get me tuned into topics I didn’t know I was interested in. Its focus on community (on local artists, businesses, and growth), on diversity (of genres, shows, and ideas), and specifically on Memphis is what draws me in and makes me want to stay.
The coolest part of WYXR (as if we can pick just one) is how Memphis it is.
It is largely volunteer-based with mostly Memphians making the magic happen, from DJing to selling merch to listening in & sharing the sound. That aspect of the station is what makes it Memphis; passionate people getting involved and giving back simply because they want to OR arguably because they can’t help but want to fill all the airwaves with the kind of buzz only the Bluff City can bring.
WYXR makes you feel that way. You want to listen, you want to know more, and you want to get involved.
That’s how I feel and I’m not ashamed that it took some time to get there. Sometimes, the best things take some warming up to. But once you see it, you can’t unsee it. Once you listen, you’re hooked. Once you realize that you, too, are raised by sound, there’s no going back.
Want to join the rank of folks who keep Memphis coming through the radio waves?
Click here to join the WYXR page on Volunteer Odyssey to stay up-to-date on their volunteer needs & happenings.
Tune into WYXR here.
You can even wear your love for WYXR on your sleeve! Check out their online store here.
