WLVZ

Last updated

WLVZ
Broadcast area Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Frequency 103.7 MHz
Branding K-Love
Programming
Network K-Love
Ownership
Owner Educational Media Foundation
History
First air date
August 15, 1978;46 years ago (1978-08-15)
Former call signs
WKNZ (1978–2007) [1]
Former frequencies
101.7 MHz (1978–1994)
107.1 MHz (1994-2024)
Technical information [2]
Licensing authority
 FCC
Facility ID 63847
Class C2
ERP 10,500 watts
HAAT 323 meters (1,060 feet)
Transmitter coordinates
 31°31′36.10″N89°08′10.20″W / 31.5266944°N 89.1361667°W / 31.5266944; -89.1361667
Links
Public license information

WLVZ (103.7 FM) is a radio station licensed to Collins, Mississippi, serving the Hattiesburg, Mississippi area. The station serves as the Hattiesburg-area transmitter for the K-Love Christian radio network. [3]

History

On January 10, 1977, Covington County Broadcasters, Inc., filed for a new FM radio station on 101.7 MHz in Collins. The Federal Communications Commission granted the construction permit on February 13, 1978. [4] The station went on air that August 15 [5] and immediately adopted a format including country music during the day and adult contemporary in the afternoon and at night. [5] Covington County Broadcasters was owned by Ottis Wolverton and operated by the Blakeney brothers. [5] By 1984, however, WKNZ had gone all-country. [6] Wolverton acquired WBKH in Hattiesburg in 1988. [7] Both stations were sold the next year to Southern Air Communications, Inc., owned by Bruce Easterling, in a $648,000 transaction; [8] the new owners flipped WKNZ to oldies as "Z-101" in the summer of 1990. [9] [10] [11] In early 1993, the format was changed to free-form classic rock. [12]

Financial problems grounded Southern Air in 1993. The Associated Press sued Southern Air that year for unpaid wire service bills in 1990. [13] By that time, however, WKNZ's ownership was already in the process of changing, as Wolverton repurchased the FM outlet. [14] Southern Air owed Covington County Broadcasters, the former licensee, $423,000. [15] WKNZ's format was changed back to country that June. [16]

As part of a reassignment of FM allotments in several Mississippi communities approved in 1991, WKNZ had been relocated to 107.1 MHz; [17] the frequency change came into effect on August 26, 1994. [18] This move allowed WKNZ to more than double its ERP, resulting in a greatly improved signal.

After the station was purchased by Thomas F. McDaniels under the name Sunbelt Broadcasting Corporation, [19] WKNZ's format was changed to classic rock as "Zoo 107" on December 29, 1994. [20] [21] The station became a partner of the Hattiesburg Zoo, which was its new namesake; [20] it sponsored the zoo's name-a-zebra contest in 1996. [22]

Radio Broadcasters, L.L.C., controlled by Ken Rainey and owners of WMXI, acquired WKNZ and WXHB in 2000 for $690,000. [23] The station's format remained unchanged until the station was sold in 2005 to the Educational Media Foundation and converted into a K-Love transmitter. The station immediately dropped its programming, including sports programming, on April 1, 2005. [24] The station's call sign was changed to WLVZ in 2007.

WLVZ moved from 107.1 MHz to 103.7 MHz in November 2024 with no change in ERP or HAAT. [25] 103.7 MHz became available when Hattiesburg station WFFX was relocated to New Orleans in October 2024. In July 2025, WLVZ improved its signal and became a maximized Class C2 station by changing the location of its transmitter and increasing its ERP and HAAT. [26]


References

  1. ↑ "Call Sign History". Licensing and Management System. United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for WLVZ". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  3. ↑ "WLVZ Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
  4. ↑ "History Cards for WLVZ". Federal Communications Commission. (Guide to reading History Cards)
  5. 1 2 3 Hilliard, Laurence (June 20, 1982). "Brothers' love for radio shows in work". Hattiesburg American. p. 4A. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  6. ↑ "South Mississippi's 24 Hour Country FM 101.7". Magee Courier. October 18, 1984. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  7. ↑ "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. February 15, 1988. p. 146. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Changing Hands" (PDF). Broadcasting. October 30, 1989. p. 56. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  9. ↑ "WHER-FM going country in November". Hattiesburg American. October 21, 1990. p. 6B. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  10. ↑ "Inside Country" (PDF). The Gavin Report. September 7, 1990. p. 36. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  11. ↑ "Radio" (PDF). Billboard. December 1, 1990. p. 11. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  12. ↑ "Format Changes" (PDF). The M Street Journal. April 14, 1993. p. 1. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
  13. ↑ "AP sues Southern Air over contract dispute". Hattiesburg American. June 18, 1993. p. 7A. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  14. ↑ "Changing Hands" (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. May 31, 1993. pp. 51–52. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  15. ↑ "Transactions" (PDF). Radio & Records. May 28, 1993. p. 6. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  16. ↑ "Format Changes" (PDF). The M Street Journal. June 23, 1993. p. 1. Retrieved August 2, 2025.
  17. ↑ "Allocations" (PDF). Broadcasting. October 21, 1991. p. 66. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  18. ↑ "Country radio station to change frequency". Hattiesburg American. August 25, 1994. p. 2B. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  19. ↑ "Proposed Station Transfers" (PDF). The M Street Journal. January 4, 1995. p. 6. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  20. 1 2 Travis, Scott (January 5, 1995). "Radio station retunes country format to classic rock". Hattiesburg American. p. 3B. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  21. ↑ "Format Changes and Updates" (PDF). The M Street Journal. January 18, 1995. p. 1. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  22. ↑ Brooks, Courtney (July 11, 1996). "A name for true beauty". Hattiesburg American. p. 5A. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
  23. ↑ "Changing Hands" (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. October 16, 2000. p. 35. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  24. ↑ "Eagles return to C-USA play". Hattiesburg American. April 1, 2005. p. 1B. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  25. ↑ "License To Cover for FM Application". Licensing and Management System. United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved July 19, 2025.
  26. ↑ "License To Cover for FM Application". Licensing and Management System. United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved July 19, 2025.
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