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In its July issue that hits newsstands today, Esquire magazine calls WFLS one of the top 12 radio stations in America.
The Fredericksburg country station is praised in an article titled, “American Music 2003—What’s Good, What Blows & What to Buy.”
A section of the article called “A Road Map to Musical America” advises readers as to what radio stations to tune into, what music venues to visit and what record stores to stop at on a drive across the country.
WFLS and Annapolis-based alternative rock station WHFS are the only radio stations cited in the region. The only other entity listed in the region is the 9:30 Club, a Washington live music venue.
Chris Berend, an associate editor at Esquire who worked on the story, explained in a telephone interview from New York that WFLS is “a pretty strong force in that region.”
He said part of the reason may be because the station, which is owned by The Free Lance–Star Publishing Co., is not part of a corporate chain.
“Certainly, that doesn’t hurt,” Berend said. “Certainly, they have a little bit more freedom. Maybe they’re not under the big eye-in-the-sky as much as other [corporate chain] radio stations are. For a big radio station, their play list is pretty eclectic. They do a good job with their play list and they reach a lot of people in a big, important market.”
The station is heard clearly in both Washington and Richmond.
“They prove you don’t have to play 100 percent big commercial music to get listeners,” he said.
Berend praised WFLS for recognizing the talent of new artists before other stations jump on the bandwagon and, at the same time, for continuing to play the music of some legends who are no longer Nashville industry darlings.
“We still play some classic country,” said Jon Reed, program director for WFLS.
Berend also commended WFLS for not bowing to pressure to ban the Dixie Chicks, as many other country stations did when lead singer Natalie Maines was critical of President Bush.
Reed said he finds the notice particularly meaningful because it was unsolicited.
“There wasn’t any questionnaire sent out saying ‘Tell us 12 reasons people listen to your station’ or anything like that,” he said.
WFLS morning personality Brian Strobel said, “It puts the station even more on the map nationally—which I think it deserves.”