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There’s a collective sadness floating around the Bay Area (and way beyond, frankly) today as rumors that circled the city and internet this week have proven true. Energy 92.7, San Francisco’s dance station and one of the city’s most popular radio outlets, has gone off the air after being bought out by what the SF Examiner is calling a “very homophobic” new owner.
While Energy was a dance station, it was also very much a gay dial. From the popular and beloved morning show hosts, Fernando and Greg (both openly gay), to the nearly weekly radio promo events at various gay clubs, bars and events to non-stop Pride weekend marathons playing gay artists, Energy was the epitome of a mainstream station that called and respected the GLBT community as one of their own.
I listened to Energy all the time when I lived up north, and still listened to it on a regular basis here in L.A. through their online stream. It was one of the very few radio outlets in the country to hear the Scissor Sisters, David Guetta, Mika, Sia—great indie, sometimes queer, artists who normally wouldn’t stand a chance on pop outlets.
Energy embraced the unique, the weird, the original, but more impressively, the city and listeners embraced Energy. Yes, Energy had an obvious gay bent (but it’s San Francisco, doesn’t everything?). But gay and straight listeners alike tuned in, called in to talk about relationships of any and all types and everyone was welcomed and respected. Gay jokes, straight jokes, drag jokes; everything was fair game. Hell, even Mayor Gavin Newsom would pop in from time to time to chat.
It’s sad when art outlets of any variety are taken out of commission, and I can only hope that the rumors for the end of Energy aren’t due to a conservative agenda. But for now, the station itself summed it up best with their last message to Energy listeners and fans: “Dear fans, we just got the word. 7pm is the end of Energy 92.7. Thank you all for your support. You have been the greatest listeners a radio station could ever have! We love you. Keep dancing.”
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