WZRR
| Simulcast with MHz | |
|---|---|
| Branding | Talk 99.5 |
| Programming | |
| Format | News/talk |
| Affiliations | ABC News Radio Westwood One Auburn Sports Network |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WAPI, WJOX, WJOX-FM, WJQX, WUHT | |
| History | |
First air date | December 1976 |
Former call signs |
|
Call sign meaning | W Z Rock and Roll (previous format) |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 16899 |
| Class | C0 |
| ERP | 100,000 watts |
| HAAT | 309 meters (1,014 feet) |
| Repeater(s) | 1070 WAPI (Birmingham) |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | www |
WZRR (99.5
WZRR and WAPI carry local talk shows during the day, but at night they run
WZRR's transmitter is west of Red Mountain, off Spaulding Ishkooda Road.[3] It has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 100,000 watts, from a tower more than 1,000 feet (300 meters) in height above average terrain (HAAT). It broadcasts using HD Radio technology.
History
Rock Station K-99
In December 1976, the station first
K-99 played an eclectic mix of rock songs from artists of the 1960s and 1970s, and was a ratings success. When the AM was sold to Mack Sanders in 1978, the call letters of the FM station were changed to WRKK, representing the word "Rock", but the "K-99" handle was retained. In 1981, WAPI-FM (now WJOX-FM) changed its format from easy listening to album rock, thus giving Birmingham two stations in the same format. This continued until the next year.
Country and Soft AC
In 1982, the new owners of WRKK changed the station's format to country music, and the station's branding was modified to "K-99 Country". Competing against market leader WZZK-FM, the new WRKK was not successful.
In an attempt to change K-99's fortunes, in 1984, the call letters were changed to WQUS, and the on-air name of the station was changed to "U.S. 99". Neither the new name nor the hiring of the popular Birmingham morning drive team of Tommy Charles and John Ed Willoughby improved the fortunes of the station.
In 1985, U.S. 99 dropped country music and flipped to
Classic rock
At 6:00 p.m. on
In April 2010, the station added the locally originated "Mojo Morning Show." The rest of the on-air line-up included Lori Ray, Blazeman and Jason Mack. WZRR had been owned by Citadel Broadcasting. Citadel merged with Cumulus Media on September 16, 2011.
Switch to Top 40
On
Nash Icon
On August 15, 2014, at Midnight, after playing
Talk Radio Simulcast
On May 20, 2016, at 5 p.m., WZRR flipped to a hybrid
WZRR and WAPI joined a crowded talk field in the Birmingham
Along with the simulcast came a revamped lineup. On weekdays, Matt Murphy and long-time Cumulus news personality Valerie Vining host "Matt & Val" from 6-10 a.m. "News & Views with Tim & Dale" featuring WZRR news director Tim Melton and Huntsville Cumulus morning host Dale Jackson from 10 a.m.- Noon, "The Richard Dixon Show" airs from Noon-3 p.m., and "Leland Live" starring Leland Whaley is the last live-and-local program of the programming day, airing from 3-7 p.m.. Syndicated hosts
Talk 99.5 also features an in-house local news team airing local newscasts weekdays at the top and bottom of each hour from 6:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. Morning news anchor Jason Lee hosts and reports from 6-10 a.m., news director Tim Melton takes over from noon-3 p.m., and David Sears rounds out evening drive time from 3-7 p.m.
See also
References
- ^ "Cumulus Debuts FM Talker in Birmingham". 25 May 2016.
- ^ Talk995.com/station-information
- ^ Radio-Locator.com/WZRR
- ^ Information from Broadcasting Yearbook 1979 page C-3
- ^ WZRR Birmingham Gets Vibed
- ^ WZRR Becomes 99.5 the Vibe
- ^ "Nash Icon Launches Across the Country". 15 August 2014.
- ^ "WZRR Becomes Nash Icon". 15 August 2014.
- ^ South Stunt To Lead To Talk 99.5 Birmingham
- ^ "Talk 99.5 Staff". Archived from the original on 2018-05-05. Retrieved 2023-09-10.
External links
- Thad Holt was a broadcaster who was instrumental in the expansion of FM radio in Alabama. His papers can be found at the University of Maryland Libraries
- Tribute page to K-99 FM, the original station on 99.5 in Birmingham
- WZRR in the FCC FM station database
- WZRR in Nielsen Audio's FM station database