WZRR
Encyclopedia
WZRR is a classic rock
FM
radio station
licensed to Birmingham
in the U.S. state
of Alabama
. Its on-air name is "Rock 99". The station is owned by Cumulus Media
. Other stations in the market that Cumulus owns include WJOX-FM (94.5), WAPI-FM (100.5), WUHT
-FM (107.7), WJOX-AM (690) and WAPI-AM (1070). Cumulus also owns WTUG-FM
(92.9) from Tuscaloosa
, whose signal covers much of the Birmingham market.
) dabbled in that format on a part-time basis. K-99 played an eclectic mix of rock songs from artists of the 1960’s and 1970’s, and was a ratings success. When its AM sister station WVOK (now WJOX) was sold in 1978, the call letters of the FM station were changed to WRKK, 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, when the new owners of WRKK changed the station’s format to country music
. The on-air name of the station was modified to “K-99 Country". Competing against market leader WZZK, 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 changed its call letters to WLTB. "Lite 99" was a soft adult contemporary station, but was no more successful than its predecessor. At 6:00 p.m. on Christmas Day, 1988, the 99.5 frequency became the new home of classic rock
in Birmingham, with the new call letters of WZRR and the new on-air name "Rock 99". The very first song that was played under the 'WZRR' moniker on Christmas Day, 1988 was "All Right Now" by Free. The station has stayed true to its format since then. In 1995, the on-air name of the station was changed to "Classic Rock 99.5". From 2002 until the next year it was known as "99.5 the Buzzard”, and in 2003, the name was changed again, this time to “Rock 99.5”, using basically the same logo as it did in the late 1980’s. In 2010 the name was once again shortened to "Rock 99" and the slogan heard most often on the station is "Alabama's Best Rock".
In April 2010, the station added the locally-originated Mojo Morning Show and brought popular midday host, Lori Ray back. The rest of the on-air line-up includes Jason Mack and Blazeman. WZRR is one of Birmingham's two rock stations. Despite competition, it has maintained a rock format for over twenty years.
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...
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"...
radio station
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...
licensed to Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. Its on-air name is "Rock 99". The station is owned by Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media, Inc. is the second largest Owner and Operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States, behind Clear Channel Communications, operating 570 stations in 150 markets as of September 16, 2011. The company also owns Cumulus Media Networks...
. Other stations in the market that Cumulus owns include WJOX-FM (94.5), WAPI-FM (100.5), WUHT
WUHT
-External links:*...
-FM (107.7), WJOX-AM (690) and WAPI-AM (1070). Cumulus also owns WTUG-FM
WTUG-FM
WTUG-FM is a radio station serving the Tuscaloosa, Alabama, vicinity with an Urban Adult Contemporary format. Licensed to Northport, Alabama, USA. The station is currently owned by Cumulus Media.In February 2005, Apex Broadcasting Inc. WTUG-FM (92.9 FM) is a radio station serving the Tuscaloosa,...
(92.9) from Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...
, whose signal covers much of the Birmingham market.
History
The station broadcasting at 99.5 FM in Birmingham first signed on in 1977 as WVOK-FM. "K-99", as the station was called, was Birmingham’s first full-time album rock station; previously, WJLN-FM (now WZZK) and WERC-FM (now WBPTWBPT
WBPT is a classic hits music-formatted radio station licensed to Homewood, Alabama, that serves the Birmingham and central Alabama area. The station was assigned the WBPT call letters by the Federal Communications Commission on October 17, 2001. Since October 2005, it has used the branding "106.9...
) dabbled in that format on a part-time basis. K-99 played an eclectic mix of rock songs from artists of the 1960’s and 1970’s, and was a ratings success. When its AM sister station WVOK (now WJOX) was sold in 1978, the call letters of the FM station were changed to WRKK, 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, when the new owners of WRKK changed the station’s format to 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...
. The on-air name of the station was modified to “K-99 Country". Competing against market leader WZZK, 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 changed its call letters to WLTB. "Lite 99" was a soft adult contemporary station, but was no more successful than its predecessor. At 6:00 p.m. on Christmas Day, 1988, the 99.5 frequency became the new home of 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...
in Birmingham, with the new call letters of WZRR and the new on-air name "Rock 99". The very first song that was played under the 'WZRR' moniker on Christmas Day, 1988 was "All Right Now" by Free. The station has stayed true to its format since then. In 1995, the on-air name of the station was changed to "Classic Rock 99.5". From 2002 until the next year it was known as "99.5 the Buzzard”, and in 2003, the name was changed again, this time to “Rock 99.5”, using basically the same logo as it did in the late 1980’s. In 2010 the name was once again shortened to "Rock 99" and the slogan heard most often on the station is "Alabama's Best Rock".
In April 2010, the station added the locally-originated Mojo Morning Show and brought popular midday host, Lori Ray back. The rest of the on-air line-up includes Jason Mack and Blazeman. WZRR is one of Birmingham's two rock stations. Despite competition, it has maintained a rock format for over twenty years.
External links
- Official Website of Classic Rock 99.5
- http://www.birminghamrewound.com/features/K99_main.htmTribute page to K-99 FM, the original station on 99.5 in Birmingham