WEZZ

Last updated
WEZZ
Simulcasting WISE Asheville
Broadcast area Waynesville and Asheville, North Carolina
Frequency 970 kHz
BrandingWISE Sports Radio 102.9-1310
Programming
Format Sports
Affiliations Fox Sports Radio
Ownership
Owner
  • Lester Elton and Julie Ziegler
  • (EZ Radio LLC)
History
First air date
 1954 (as WWIT)
Former call signs
  • WWIT (1954–2001)
  • WBCG (2001)
  • WWIT (2001–2003)
  • WOXL (2003–2005)
  • WLZR (2005–2006)
  • WYSE (2006–2024)
Technical information [1]
Licensing authority
 FCC
Facility ID 51155
Class D
Power
  • 5,000 watts (day)
  • 30 watts (night)
Translator(s) 97.5 W248CM (Waynesville)
102.9 W275CP (Canton)
Links
Public license information
Webcast Listen Live

WEZZ (970 AM) is a radio station located in Canton, North Carolina, that simulcast WISE's sports format from Asheville, North Carolina from 2007 to early 2024. As of March 29, 2024, the station is owned by Lester Elton and Julie Ziegler, through licensee EZ Radio LLC. WEZZ is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to broadcast with 5,000 watts of power during the day and 30 watts at night.

Contents

The station was formerly an affiliate of the Atlanta Braves radio network, the largest radio affiliate network in Major League Baseball. [2]

History

The station signed on in 1954 as WWIT (the call sign stood for "Where Wheels of Industry Turn"). WWIT was daytime-only and broadcast with only 1,000 watts. It featured a big band format that gave way to a Top 40 format by the late 1950s[ citation needed ]. Teenagers at that time considered Nathaniel Lowery )"Nat the Cat"), an afternoon host, a favorite disc jockey. [3] "Nat the Cat" introduced the region to jazz, rock 'n' rock, and gospel music produced by Black and white musicians at a time when schools and churches were segregated in Western North Carolina. [4] Bob Caldwell of WLOS worked at WWIT in the early 1960s. [5] The station was known on the air as "Big-IT" and "97-IT" by the late 1970s.

The station was purchased by Dan Greene from Sid Watts in 1974. Greene switched back and forth with longtime legend Jimmy Haney working the popular morning drivetime slot. He worked for a power increase for several years and in 1979, WWIT increased its signal to 5,000 watts, but was still daytime only. The Top 40 format, now known as CHR, continued until the mid-1980s when it gradually switched over to adult contemporary.[ citation needed ] Greene sold the station in 1984. Prior to 1992, WWIT aired Pisgah High School football. [6] The station was sold in 1994, to a new company that took the station classic rock as "970 WWIT". It eventually went into bankruptcy by 2000 and was sold, becoming WBCG with a country music format.

In September 2001, the station was sold to another company that switched the station to oldies and reclaimed the WWIT call sign. It was sold to Saga Communications in 2003 and became a full-time simulcast of the WOXL-FM oldies format. The station again dropped the WWIT call sign for WOXL. It became WLZR in 2005 and WYSE in 2006.

Effective March 29, 2024, Saga Communications sold WYSE and its two translators to Lester Elton and Julie Ziegler's EZ Radio LLC for $10,000. The station changed its call sign to WEZZ on March 31 it now broadcasts predominantly religious programming.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WWRI (AM)</span> Radio station in West Warwick, Rhode Island

WWRI is a radio station licensed to West Warwick, Rhode Island, and serving the Providence metropolitan area. The station is owned by Chris DiPaola, through licensee DiPonti Communications, LLC, and broadcasts a classic rock radio format.

WBOB is a commercial AM radio station in Jacksonville, Florida. The station airs a talk radio format and is owned by Chesapeake-Portsmouth Broadcasting Corporation. Weekdays begin with a local news and information show, followed by mostly syndicated programming, including shows from Mark Levin, Mike Gallagher, Dennis Prager, Jay Sekulow and Red Eye Radio. Most hours begin with Townhall News. Some hours are paid brokered programming. The station calls itself "Talkradio AM 600 & FM 101.1 WBOB".

KCMO-FM is a commercial radio station licensed to Shawnee, Kansas, and serving the Kansas City metropolitan area. The station is owned by Cumulus Broadcasting and airs a classic hits radio format, switching to all-Christmas music from mid-November to December 25. KCMO-FM's studios and offices are located in the Corporate Woods area in Overland Park, Kansas. The transmitter is off Menown Avenue in Independence, Missouri.

KXCB is a commercial AM radio station broadcasting a country music format. Licensed to Omaha, Nebraska, the station serves the Omaha–Council Bluffs metropolitan area. It is owned and operated by Steven Seline, through licensee Hickory Radio, LLC. The studios and offices are on Burt Street near North 120th Street and Dodge Road in West Omaha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WCBF (FM)</span> Radio station in Elmira, New York

WCBF is an FM radio station licensed to Elmira, New York. It is owned by Seven Mountains Media and airs a country music format.

KIID is a radio station licensed to Sacramento, California, United States. The station is owned by Punjabi American Media LLC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WGTK (AM)</span> Radio station in Louisville, Kentucky

WGTK is a commercial AM radio station in Louisville, Kentucky. It is owned by the Word Media Group with the license held by the Word Broadcasting Network, Inc. It airs a conservative talk radio format, calling itself "970 The Answer", similar to many talk stations carrying the Salem Radio Network. Its studios and offices are on Corporate Campus Drive in Louisville.

WIXY is a commercial radio station broadcasting a country music radio format. Licensed to Champaign, Illinois, United States, the station serves the Champaign-Urbana area. The station is owned by Saga Communications under licensee Saga Communications of Illinois, LLC, and operates as part of its Illini Radio Group. The radio studios and offices are on West Bradley Avenue in Champaign.

WGAN is an commercial radio station licensed to Portland, Maine. The station is owned by Saga Communications and it airs a news/talk radio format. The station calls itself "Newsradio WGAN AM 560 and FM 98.5" The studios and offices are on Western Avenue in South Portland, Maine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WXUS</span> Radio station in Dunnellon, Florida

WXUS is a commercial radio station licensed to Dunnellon, Florida, and broadcasting to the Ocala media market. It is owned by JVC Broadcasting and airs a radio format combining country music and Southern-influenced classic rock. WXUS's transmitter is off West Highway 328 in Dunnellon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WOXL-FM</span> Radio station in Biltmore Forest, North Carolina

WOXL-FM is a radio station licensed to Biltmore Forest, North Carolina, United States, the station serves the Asheville area and broadcasts a hot adult contemporary music format. The station is owned by Saga Communications, and operates as part of its Asheville Radio Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WISE (AM)</span> Radio station in Asheville, North Carolina

WISE is a radio station broadcasting a sports format. Licensed to Asheville, North Carolina, United States, it serves the Asheville area. The station is owned by Saga Communications, and operates as part of its Asheville Radio Group.

WTMT is an American classic rock radio station located in Asheville, North Carolina. The station is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to the nearby community of Weaverville and transmits with an effective radiated power (ERP) of 9.5 kW.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WEEX</span> Radio station in Easton, Pennsylvania

WEEX is a radio station in Easton, Pennsylvania, owned by Cumulus Media through licensee Radio License Holding CBC, LLC. The station airs a sports radio format branded as "Fox Sports Lehigh Valley", carrying the Fox Sports Radio network. It is also the flagship radio station for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs minor league baseball team and Lehigh University Athletics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WZAN</span> Radio station in Portland, Maine

WZAN is a commercial AM radio station broadcasting a classic country radio format. Licensed to Portland, it is owned by Saga Communications. The studios and offices are on Western Avenue in South Portland, Maine.

WHHW is a radio station broadcasting a Regional Mexican radio format. It is licensed to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. The station is currently owned by Dick Broadcasting, through licensee Dick Broadcasting Company, Inc. of Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WSKP (AM)</span> Radio station in Rhode Island, United States

WSKP is an AM radio station licensed to Hope Valley, Rhode Island. The station is owned by John Fuller's Red Wolf Broadcasting Corporation and airs an oldies radio format. WSKP operates as part of the "Kool Radio" simulcast, along with 990 WNTY in Southington, Connecticut, and formerly with 1270 WACM in Springfield, Massachusetts.

WRSA is a commercial AM radio station licensed to the City of St. Albans, Vermont. It is owned by Steven Silberberg's Northeast Broadcasting Company, through licensee Radio Broadcasting Services, Incorporated. It airs a hot adult contemporary format, simulcasting sister station WIXM. There is an unrelated WRSA-FM/96.9 in Huntsville, Alabama.

WBAN is a radio station broadcasting an adult contemporary format. Licensed to Veazie, Maine, United States, the station serves the Bangor area. The station is owned by Port Broadcasting, LLC, and features programming from ABC News Radio, Compass Media Networks, and Premiere Networks.

KTIB is a commercial radio station in Thibodaux, Louisiana. It airs a Spanish-language Contemporary Hits radio format and is owned by Gap Broadcasting. With a good radio, the AM station can be heard as far as east as New Orleans, far as north as Baton Rouge, far as west as New Iberia, and as far south as the Gulf of Mexico.

References

  1. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for WEZZ". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ↑ "Affiliate Radio Stations". The Official Site of the Atlanta Braves.
  3. ↑ Edie Burnette, "Once Upon a Time, Tuning in to a Radio Program Was Popular Entertainment," Asheville Citizen-Times, January 17, 2008.
  4. ↑ "Black pioneers in Haywood left their mark". The Mountaineer . Retrieved 2021-11-17.
  5. ↑ Tony Kiss, "Caldwell to Sign Off from WLOS," Asheville Citizen-Times, May 3, 2007.
  6. ↑ Jeff Bryson, "Bears Fans Tune in for Action," Asheville Citizen-Times, October 19, 2003.

35°31′58″N82°51′58″W / 35.53278°N 82.86611°W / 35.53278; -82.86611


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.