WRKZ

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the Pittsburgh radio station which carried the WRKZ callsign from 2004 to 2007, see KDKA-FM.
WRKZ
WRKZ logo (lower res).jpg
CityColumbus, Ohio
Broadcast areaColumbus metro area
Frequency99.7 MHz
Branding99.7 The Blitz
Programming
FormatActive Rock
Ownership
OwnerNorth American Broadcasting Company, Inc.
WMNI, WJKR
History
First air date
April 26, 1962 (1962-04-26)
Former call signs
WBZX (1992–2008)
WMGG (1986–92)
WRMZ (1980–86)
WMNI-FM (1962–80)
Call sign meaning
W "The RocK" Z
(former branding)
Technical information
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID49107
ClassB
ERP20,000 watts
HAAT239 meters
Transmitter coordinates
39°58′16.00″N 83°1′40.00″W / 39.9711111°N 83.0277778°W / 39.9711111; -83.0277778
Links
Public license information
Profile
LMS
Webcast[1]
Websitetheblitz.com

WRKZ (99.7 FM), branded 99.7 The Blitz, is a commercial active rock radio station licensed to Columbus, Ohio serving the Columbus metro area. Both the WRKZ studios and transmitter are located in Columbus, and the station itself is owned by North American Broadcasting Company, Inc.

As of 2020, WRKZ features an all local lineup of on-air personalities; with Loper and Randi in the Morning, a talk show that airs during weekday mornings, and music hosted by Nuber, Ronni Hunter, Handsome Joe, and other personalities throughout the rest of the day.

History[]

99.7FM went on the air in 1962.[citation needed] At that time, FM radio had not been widely adopted (FM radio had begun broadcasting in stereo beginning June 1, 1961) and WMNI-FM (as it was then known) mostly rebroadcast its sister AM station's easy listening music format. Like most stations, it has changed formats over the years. By 1978 the station's call letters were WRMZ and, in the early '80s, it started to broadcast a country music format. Joe Hill, now of Tucson, Arizona, was the weekend overnight announcer from March to August 1983.[citation needed] From 1987 to 1992, the station was known as WMGG, Magic 99-7, and played predominantly classic rock.[citation needed]

The Blitz: 1992–2008[]

The Blitz began at 4 p.m. on July 2, 1992, and aired an active rock format. The call letters when the station went by this name was WBZX. It was also formerly the home of the syndicated The Howard Stern Show from 1997 to 2005 before that show went to Sirius Satellite Radio.[citation needed]

The Rock: 2008–10[]

On April 3, 2008, The Blitz began stunting with radio static and a voice mentioning that the "station is rebooting". The last song played on The Blitz was Breaking Benjamin's "Until the End".[citation needed] The next day, at 5:00 P.M., WBZX relaunched as The Rock, along with the call letters changing to WRKZ. The new station premiered with Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit". The Rock still had the active rock format, but it focused less on new music and played popular rock music from the 1980s.

The station added the syndicated The Bob & Tom Show during the Morning Drive in December 2008.

During the last few months as The Rock, the station added rock songs from the '60s and '70s into its playlist, shifting it into a Mainstream Rock direction. Only a few months later, the station hosted its first-ever "Town Hall Meeting", with Program Director Hal Fish and on-air personalities Ronni Hunter and Blazor taking calls, emails and texts as to what Columbus area listeners wanted more and less of on 99.7. A week later, on April 1, 2010,[citation needed] they once again went to the airwaves and detailed an "Action Plan" as to what would happen on the station in the following weeks, including the return of such Blitz-era staples as "Choose It Or Lose It" as well as a showcase for local musical talent. In addition, a website was launched at blitzorrock.com to determine whether or not listeners wanted to keep the station named The Rock or for The Blitz to make a return.[1][dead link]

The Blitz: 2010–present[]

WRKZ on a SPARC HD Radio with RDS

On April 22, 2010, at a "Blitz or Rock Reveal Party" it was announced that the station would be once again called The Blitz. It premiered with Mudvayne's "Happy?", followed by Disturbed's "Down with the Sickness".[citation needed] Along with the changes, it was also announced that The Bob & Tom Show would be dropped in a few weeks and be replaced by a local morning show. The show that replaced it was Blazor and Mo in the morning, which ironically was the same show that Bob & Tom replaced in December 2008.[citation needed]

In early December 2011, Mo (Maurice Jovan) was no longer on the air. On February 6, 2012, Mark Blazor resigned.[citation needed]

References[]

  1. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on May 16, 2014. Retrieved April 5, 2010.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

External links[]

Retrieved from ""