South Florida radio station celebrates 20 years of music, empowerment and unity

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — You’ve heard the phrase, ‘A voice for radio.’ One local radio station gives the phrase a very different meaning. Hubbard Radio’s WMBX X102.3 Today’s R&B and Throwbacks has been a voice for social issues and under-served communities.

This month the station turned 20. And on Thursday morning they celebrated their birthday with 102 listeners. It’s a radio station that is accustomed to making announcements and lines of people responding.

”They care, they give back to the community and people like me,” said Meka Robinson, X102.3 listener. “We trust them, because they empower us.”

”We say we support the community — but we put the emphasis on unity,” added Jasmine Lewis, X102.3 promotions director.

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In honor of the listeners who have made 20 years possible, the station gave 102 listeners free gas on Thursday morning. But disc jockey’s like DJ Reggie Dee have more important appearances planned during their week.

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”Tomorrow, I’m starting my day off by sitting and talking to the kids at the juvenile detention center,” Dee said. “We use our platform the proper way — therefore it’s important for us to give back to our community.”

In fact, DJ’s like Dee were actively out of the studio talking about issues like race relations and policing before the death of George Floyd.

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”We have a platform. It’s our job to magnify and amplify that message,” said DJ Don Chris, X102.3 disc jockey and content director. “That’s what we’re committed to.”

DJ Don Chris said after Floyd’s death, they broke format.

”We had the police chiefs on and the Urban League,” he said.

The topics don’t stop there. Domestic violence, homelessness and youth empowerment are just a few issues addressed on-air and outside the studio.

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“The people with this station have a serving heart for this community,” said Melissa Fiacco, 411 PAIN chief operating officer (COO). “What (people) need most right now is hope.”

”It’s 2021, things are happening and we kind of want to embrace the whole concept of unity,”

“I think it’s important that the public hears our passion on-air but I also think it’s important that they see us in the community as well,” added Chris. “Seen and heard.”