LEAVE IT TO THE REPUBLICANS TO LET THE SPANIARDS BACK IN THE PANTRY


The D.C. area's groundbreaking alternative rock station, the Infinity-owned WHFS 99.1 FM, abruptly changed their format yesterday to "all Spanish, all the time." After playing their final English speaking song (appropriately, Jeff Buckley's "Last Goodbye"), suddenly and without explanation they went straight from the WHFS bumper, directly into the new station's Spanish bumper and their "nueva musica latina" format.

In an instant, the station abandoned the likes of the White Stripes, Green Day and Jet for middle-of-the-road superstars such as Marc Anthony, Juan Luis Guerra and Victor Manuelle.

At noon yesterday, the station behind the HFStival, a popular annual concert, broadcast the late Jeff Buckley's 1995 hit, "Last Goodbye." And then came something that WHFS listeners hadn't heard before in the station's 36-year history as the arbiter of cutting-edge rock:

"WHFS transmitiendo desde la ciudad capital de America:"
"Esta! Es! Tu! Nueva! Radio!"
"Transmitting from America's Capital City: This! Is! Your! New! Radio!"

Lanham-based WHFS is now "El Zol," where they're "siempre de fiesta" -- always partying.

Great. As if you needed one, here's another reason to avoid turning on the radio (I just have to check my presets in my car, just to make sure they're all okay). This already happened last year to one of my favorite stations, WLIR 92.7 from Long Island. That's what happens when you have three companies that own all the radio stations. Ugh.

The Motley Fool also weighs in on the Death Of Radio.