WBTZ
Encyclopedia
WBTZ is a commercial radio station
in Plattsburgh, New York, broadcasting to the Burlington, Vermont
/ Plattsburgh, New York / Montreal, Quebec area on 99.9 FM
.
WBTZ airs a modern rock
format branded as "The Buzz" since July 1996. Its previous call sign was WGFB, which stood for its then owner, George F. Bissell.
From the late 80's until early 1990
, WGFB was known on air as B-100 and played a great deal of Top 40 music. When Montreal hit station CHTX (980 HITS, now CKGM
again) started a similar format in 1989, ratings (largely from listeners in Canada
) began to slip forcing another format change.
WGFB then aired a hot adult contemporary music format. This was partially via the "Bright AC" satellite format by Westwood One.
Bissell sold the station along with its then sister station, WEAV
, in July 1996
and The Buzz was launched with current call sign WBTZ. Stephanie Hindley hosted middays, Steve Picard was on afternoon drive and Jason Steeves took control at night. "Frenchy Karl" from Montreal was also a DJ for a short while. Matt Grasso replaced Steeves in late 1997, then in 1998 Kyle Smith joined for Morning Drive. Grasso then replaced Smith in morning drive during the middle of 1998. Ben Wiggins took the night shift in 1999. In 2001 Grasso and Hindley swapped shifts until Hindley left the station in late 2002 and Picard disappeared in early 2003. Wiggins left to pursue an acting career and was replaced by Johnny Utah. Hindley was initially replaced by Brit import Ian Kelly and Kim Napolitano, then shortly after, Pete Powers. Picard was replaced by Christine "Electra" Pawlak, until mid 2004 when she left for a job in Philadelphia and was replaced by Mays from WFNX in Boston. Picard eventually resurfaced on Montreal sports talk station The Team 990, where he now hosts a nightly radio program called "P on Sports."
The station was a finalist for Radio and Records magazine's 2006 and 2007 Industry Achievement Awards for best Alternative Station for markets 100 and up. Other finalists include WKZQ-FM
, WJSE, KQXR
, KXNA
, and WSFM.
DJ List:
Pete Powers, Matt Grasso, Mays, Devon, DJ LLU, Even Stevens, Johnny Utah.
WBTZ was owned by Plattsburgh Broadcasting and operated by Burlington Broadcasters until November 1, 2005
when it was purchased by Hall Communications. While its main competitor is adult album alternative
station WNCS, it was the only Burlington/Plattsburgh station to play the most newer hard rock until 2008
, when WLFE-FM (now WIER
) changed from country music
to active rock
. In 2008, WCPV
shifted formats from classic rock
to mainstream rock
, giving WBTZ another new competitor but WCPV adopted sports format on January 1, 2011, citing heavy competition in the rock format.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
in Plattsburgh, New York, broadcasting to the Burlington, Vermont
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
/ Plattsburgh, New York / Montreal, Quebec area on 99.9 FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
.
WBTZ airs a modern rock
Modern rock
Modern rock is a rock format commonly found on commercial radio; the format consists primarily of the alternative rock genre...
format branded as "The Buzz" since July 1996. Its previous call sign was WGFB, which stood for its then owner, George F. Bissell.
From the late 80's until early 1990
1990 in radio
The year 1990 in radio involved some significant events.-Events:*KJJO in Minneapolis, Minnesota transitions from active rock to alternative rock.*KBLN in Dallas, Texas becomes KXEB.*Daytimer KKDA in Dallas, Texas begins nighttime broadcasting....
, WGFB was known on air as B-100 and played a great deal of Top 40 music. When Montreal hit station CHTX (980 HITS, now CKGM
CKGM (AM)
CKGM branded on-air as TSN Radio 990 is an English language Canadian radio station located in Westmount, Quebec but licensed in Montreal...
again) started a similar format in 1989, ratings (largely from listeners in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
) began to slip forcing another format change.
WGFB then aired a hot adult contemporary music format. This was partially via the "Bright AC" satellite format by Westwood One.
Bissell sold the station along with its then sister station, WEAV
WEAV
WEAV is an English-language American radio station in Plattsburgh, New York, with studios in Colchester, Vermont. The station broadcasts a talk format....
, in July 1996
1996 in radio
The year 1996 in radio involved some significant events.-Events:*WBOB and KQQL, both in Minneapolis, Minnesota are sold to Chancellor Communications....
and The Buzz was launched with current call sign WBTZ. Stephanie Hindley hosted middays, Steve Picard was on afternoon drive and Jason Steeves took control at night. "Frenchy Karl" from Montreal was also a DJ for a short while. Matt Grasso replaced Steeves in late 1997, then in 1998 Kyle Smith joined for Morning Drive. Grasso then replaced Smith in morning drive during the middle of 1998. Ben Wiggins took the night shift in 1999. In 2001 Grasso and Hindley swapped shifts until Hindley left the station in late 2002 and Picard disappeared in early 2003. Wiggins left to pursue an acting career and was replaced by Johnny Utah. Hindley was initially replaced by Brit import Ian Kelly and Kim Napolitano, then shortly after, Pete Powers. Picard was replaced by Christine "Electra" Pawlak, until mid 2004 when she left for a job in Philadelphia and was replaced by Mays from WFNX in Boston. Picard eventually resurfaced on Montreal sports talk station The Team 990, where he now hosts a nightly radio program called "P on Sports."
The station was a finalist for Radio and Records magazine's 2006 and 2007 Industry Achievement Awards for best Alternative Station for markets 100 and up. Other finalists include WKZQ-FM
WKZQ-FM
WAVF is a commercial radio station located in Hanahan, South Carolina, broadcasting to the Charleston area on 101.7 FM. WAVF airs an adult hits music format branded as "Chuck FM." The WAVF call sign had been on the 96.1 FM frequency in Charleston since 1985.-WAVF history:WAVF signed on March 11,...
, WJSE, KQXR
KQXR
KQXR is a commercial radio station licensed in Payette, Idaho, broadcasting to the Boise, Idaho metro area on 100.3 FM. The station was acquired in March, 1998 by the Journal Broadcast Group with studios located at 5257 Fairview Avenue #260, Boise, Idaho 83706."The X" -- as the station is commonly...
, KXNA
KXNA
KXNA is a radio station broadcasting an alternative format. Licensed to Springdale, Arkansas, USA, it serves the Fayetteville area. The station is currently owned by Butler Broadcasting Company, LLC....
, and WSFM.
DJ List:
Pete Powers, Matt Grasso, Mays, Devon, DJ LLU, Even Stevens, Johnny Utah.
WBTZ was owned by Plattsburgh Broadcasting and operated by Burlington Broadcasters until November 1, 2005
2005 in radio
The year 2005 in radio involved some significant events.-Events:*April 29 - KFRC 610 AM in San Francisco, switches formats as a result of ownership change. KFRC becomes KEAR, the "Sound of the New Life", a listener-supported, gospel/religious only station. It had been previously KFRC from...
when it was purchased by Hall Communications. While its main competitor is adult album alternative
Adult album alternative
Adult album alternative is a radio format. A spinoff from the album-oriented rock format, its roots trace to the 1960s and 1970s from the earlier freeform and progressive formats....
station WNCS, it was the only Burlington/Plattsburgh station to play the most newer hard rock until 2008
2008 in radio
Several events occurred in radio in 2008.- Events :* January 2: WWFT finished Christmas music stunting, rolling out the red carpet for Adult contemporary music branded as "Warm."...
, when WLFE-FM (now WIER
Wier
Wier is a fairly uncommon surname in the United States. It traces ancestry from the Weir clan in Scotland. There are several variants of the name, but all supposedly go back to de Vere, a British noble family originally of Norman ancestry, from the eponymous town of Ver.As a surname, Wier can...
) changed from country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
to active rock
Active rock
Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across the United States and Canada. Active rock plays contemporary rock artists with a mix of songs common in the classic rock radio format.-Format background:...
. In 2008, WCPV
WCPV
WCPV is an English-language American radio station broadcasting a sports radio format. Licensed to Essex, New York, USA, the station serves the Champlain Valley of New York and Vermont...
shifted formats from classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
to mainstream rock
Mainstream rock
Mainstream rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada.-Format background:...
, giving WBTZ another new competitor but WCPV adopted sports format on January 1, 2011, citing heavy competition in the rock format.