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WMJX (106.7 FM broadcasting) – branded Magic 106.7 – is a commercial adult contemporary radio station licensed to Boston. Owned by Audacy, Inc., the station serves Greater Boston and much of surrounding New England. The WMJX studios are located in Boston's Allston–Brighton neighborhood, while the station transmitter resides on the Prudential Tower in Downtown Boston. Besides a standard analog transmission, WMJX broadcasts using HD Radio technology, and is available online via Audacy and IHeartRadio.
After the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) moved the FM band to 88–106 MHz (later expanded to 108), WBZ-FM began to operate on 100.7 MHz on January 1, 1946 (while still operating on 46.7 as well). The frequency again changed to 92.9 MHz on August 10, 1947 (the 100.7 frequency was reoccupied by WCOP-FM, now WZLX, in 1948). WBZ-FM's transmitter moved to the WBZ-TV (channel 4) tower at the stations' new studios in the Allston-Brighton portion of Boston in 1948, with 92.9 operations from Hull ceasing on July 23, 1948, and the 46.7 operation shutting down on November 21, 1948. After the WBZ-TV tower was destroyed by Hurricane Carol on August 31, 1954, WBZ-FM's operations were discontinued and the license surrendered to the FCC, which deleted it and a Springfield sister station, WBZA-FM (97.1), on November 22, 1954. (The 92.9 frequency has been occupied by WBOS since 1960.)
On December 31, 1971, WBZ-FM became a rock music station as "Rockin' Stereo 106.7", programming mostly top 40 with some album cuts. Although automated, it featured voice-tracked announcing from Clark Smidt (who also programmed the station) and Ken Shelton. For a time in the mid-1970s, WBZ-FM was Boston's second most popular top 40 station, only trailing WRKO. In 1975, both Smidt and Shelton left to join WJMN-FM, which was changing formats from beautiful music to album-oriented rock. By 1979, WBZ-FM had drifted into an automated album-oriented rock format itself, which remained in place through 1981. As a rock station, WBZ-FM also simulcast the hourly newscasts from the AM side, the commercial spots on which were the only commercials heard on the FM side.
As late as the week of WMJX's relaunch, Radio & Records reported that Greater Media was considering two formats for the station: country music, or bringing its "Magic" adult contemporary format to Boston. Ultimately, on January 6, 1982, "Magic 106.7" signed on at 6p.m., with program director Jack Casey delivering the legal ID: "This is WMJX, Boston" followed by a short welcome message from general manager Bill Campbell. The station debuted a soft adult contemporary format pioneered by Greater Media at WMGK in Philadelphia, and also heard on WMGQ in New Brunswick, New Jersey and WMJC in Detroit. The first song on "Magic" was "Do You Believe in Magic" by The Lovin' Spoonful. The initial air staff consisted of (Bob) Cohen and (Lori) Kelman in the Morning; Doug Collins; Ed Brand; David Allan Boucher; and Nancy Quill. Due in part to the "get-acquainted-free offer" of commercial-free programming which "Magic" aired during its first six months of operation, the station quickly became the highest-rated adult contemporary station in Boston, reaching a 5.3 share of 12+ (according to Arbitron) listeners within its first year.
Two of the personalities on "Magic", Nancy Quill and David Allan Boucher, had been on the station since its inception; for many years, Quill was heard on middays, while Boucher hosts the popular nighttime show Bedtime Magic, Voice-tracking on various stations around the country. (Nancy Quill's last show on WMJX was April 3, 2020; she was let go in light of the market downturn as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.) Boucher announced his retirement on June 8, 2022. WMJX has had only four program directors during its entire run; Jack Casey was the original program director from 1981 to 1986, followed by Phil Redo. Don Kelley served as the program director from October 1989 to February 2012. Cadillac Jack was named program director in 2013.
WMJX received a "Radio Active" Grammy Award in 1998 for programming excellence. In 2007, the station was nominated for the "Adult Contemporary Station of the Year" award for the top 25 media market by Radio & Records magazine; other nominees included KOST in Los Angeles, WALK-FM in Patchogue, New York, WLTW in New York City, WBEB in Philadelphia, and KEZK-FM in St. Louis. In 2010, the station received the Marconi Award from the National Association of Broadcasters in the AC Station category.
In 2008, WMJX ran a contest titled Cool, Hot or Green. The prize was advertised as a new car, a choice of a "cool" Mercedes-Benz C-series sedan, a "hot" Audi TT convertible or a "green" Toyota Prius. A complaint was filed when it was learned that the prize was a two-year lease on one of the three cars, and would only be awarded if the winner qualified for the lease. In response the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a $4,000 fine to Greater Media, the station's owners.
WMJX frequently edited the songs they play to make them fit the "soft rock" format. The change in management in 2013, marked the end of the policy of "home grown" edits, and most (if not all) of these songs were replaced with the full versions that were supplied by the record companies.
On November 1, 2017, Beasley announced that it would swap WMJX to Entercom, in exchange for WBZ-FM, making it a sister station to longtime competitor WBMX (now WWBX), which broadcasts a hot AC format. The move was related to the merger of CBS Radio and Entercom, with both companies needing to divest stations to different owners to meet ownership limits and revenue concentration limits set by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Department of Justice. The swap was completed on December 20, 2017. Entercom Swaps 98.5 the Sports Hub to Beasley for Magic 106.7
In 2025 they added a Christmas Music Bonus from the day after Christmas (the 26th) till the 28th.
In November 2014, WMJX-HD2 switched to all-Christmas music. During the period between mid-November and December 25 when the main channel is playing Christmas music, the HD2 channel carries the primary adult contemporary format.
The HD2 subchannel has since been turned off.
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