WZZO

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
WZZO
WZZO 95.1ZZO logo.jpg
CityBethlehem, Pennsylvania
Broadcast areaLehigh Valley
Frequency95.1 MHz (HD Radio)
Branding95.1 ZZO
Programming
Language(s)English
FormatClassic rock
SubchannelsHD2: Soft adult contemporary
AffiliationsiHeartRadio
Premiere Networks
Ownership
OwneriHeartMedia, Inc.
(iHM Licenses, LLC)
History
First air date
February 16, 1946 (1946-02-16) (as WGPA-FM)
Former call signs
WGPA-FM (1946–1973)
WEZV (1973–1978)
Technical information
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID14375
ClassB
ERP30,000 watts
HAAT192 meters (630 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
40°37′13″N 75°17′37″W / 40.62028°N 75.29361°W / 40.62028; -75.29361
Links
Public license information
Profile
LMS
WebcastListen live (via iHeartRadio)
Website951zzo.iheart.com

WZZO (95.1 MHz "95.1 ZZO") is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The station broadcasts a classic rock radio format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc., along with 790 WAEB, 104.1 WAEB-FM and 1470 WSAN. Studios and offices are in the iHeart Broadcasting Complex in Whitehall Township. WZZO carries Rover's Morning Glory syndicated from Cleveland in morning drive time. The station regularly sponsors live music and nightclub events in the Lehigh Valley area.[1]

WZZO has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 30,000 watts, covering the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania and part of Western New Jersey. The transmitter is off Severn Lane, near Interstate 78 in Lower Saucon Township.[2] In addition to a standard analog transmission, WZZO broadcasts using HD Radio technology and is available online via iHeartRadio.[3] The HD2 digital subchannel carries a soft adult contemporary format from iHeartRadio known as "The Breeze."

History[]

WZZO first signed on the air on February 16, 1946 as WGPA-FM, owned and operated by the Bethlehem Globe-Times.[4] The broadcast was simulcast during daylight hours with sister station WGPA. The AM 1100 station is authorized by the Federal Communications Commission to broadcast only from sunrise to sunset, so programming continued on FM station until 11 PM. At that time WGPA-FM used a sub-carrier to broadcast instrumental beautiful music from reel-to-reel tapes for playing over paging systems inside retail businesses. Eventually, that same beautiful music sound was airing on WGPA-FM.

In 1973, when WGPA-AM and FM were sold by the Globe-Times to Holt Broadcasting, the new owners changed the FM call sign to WEZV, to reflect the FM's easy listening radio format, with the EZ in the call letters standing for "Easy" and the V representing "Valley" as in Lehigh Valley. In 1978, WGPA and WEZV were sold to different owners, with WEZV's call letters changing to WZZO and the format switching to album-oriented rock. The rock format continues to this day.

The broadcast tower remains to this day off Applebutter Rd. in Lower Saucon Township and can be easily spotted from I-78 between the exits for Route 412 and Route 33. The original broadcast studios were at 428 Brodhead Ave. (now a Lehigh University building) in Bethlehem, just behind what was the Globe-Times Newspaper building. Before moving to Whitehall Township, the WZZO broadcast studios were located in the Westgate Mall in Bethlehem.

On February 24, 2019, WZZO's Facebook page announced that morning host "The Bearman" had passed away unexpectedly.

HD Radio[]

WZZO has an HD2 station, carrying "The Breeze," a soft adult contemporary music service from co-owned iHeartRadio. Previously it ran an alternative rock format called "The Alternative Project". Prior to that, a classic rock format was aired.

Programming[]

Rover's Morning Glory from WMMS/Cleveland airs in morning drive; in addition, Maria Milito, local host Keith Moyer and Ron "Big Rig" Michaels are heard in middays, afternoons and evenings, respectively.

Competition[]

WZZO's primary rock station competitors include Philadelphia's WMMR, WMGK, and WRFF, Reading's WRFY-FM, and the Lehigh Valley's WODE-FM.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ WZZO Events at WZZO.com.
  2. ^ "Radio Station Coverage Map".
  3. ^ "iBiquity Digital Corporation - HDRadio Find a Station". Archived from the original on 2013-12-02.
  4. ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1977

External links[]

Retrieved from ""