WZZT
WZZT (102.7 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Morrison, Illinois, serving primarily Whiteside and Lee counties in the Rock River Valley. Owned by Fletcher M. Ford, through licensee Virden Broadcasting Corp., the station airs a country music format.
City | Morrison, Illinois |
---|---|
Broadcast area | Rock River Valley |
Frequency | 102.7 MHz |
Branding | Big Country 102.7 |
Programming | |
Format | Country |
Ownership | |
Owner | Fletcher M. Ford (Virden Broadcasting Corp.) |
WSDR, WSSQ | |
History | |
First air date | April 10, 1991 (On 95.1 MHz) |
Technical information | |
Facility ID | 37209 |
Class | A |
ERP | 6,000 watts |
HAAT | 100 meters |
Transmitter coordinates | 41°50′16.00″N 89°55′29.00″W |
Links | |
Website | regionalmedia |
History
WZZT launched on April 10, 1991; as of 1992, the station was owned by Whiteside Communications, Inc., and was transmitting at 3,000 watts.[1] In July 1993, it was announced that WZZT and its sister stations WSDR and WSSQ were to be sold to LH&S Communications, a company owned by Larry Sales and Howard Murphy which owned radio properties throughout the state of Illinois.[2][3] In 1998, WSSQ was acquired by Withers Broadcasting.[4] During the late 2000s and early 2010s, WZZT aired coverage of local high school football, including a 2011 playoff run by Newman Central Catholic.[5][6] As of 2011, WZZT was airing a rock music format which also included classic hits.[7]
On July 5, 2017, WZZT changed their format from classic rock to country, branded as "Big Country 102.7". Effective July 28, 2017, Withers Broadcasting sold WZZT, WSDR, and WSSQ to Fletcher M. Ford's Virden Broadcasting Corp. for $400,000.
Previous Logo
References
- "Directory of Radio Stations in the U.S.: Illinois" (PDF), Broadcasting & Cable Market Place 1992 via AmericanRadioHistory.com, R.R. Bowker, A Reed Reference Publishing Company, p. A-110, 1992
- Feder, Robert (July 13, 1993). "Sex Talk Matures On 'Private Lives' ". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on April 9, 2016. Retrieved May 15, 2015 – via HighBeam Research.
Seith's WSDR-AM and WSSQ-FM in Sterling and WZZT-FM in Morrison will be acquired by LH&S Communications...
- "Radio News Network Sold to Missouri Company". Wisconsin State Journal. February 28, 1996. Archived from the original on April 9, 2016. Retrieved May 15, 2015 – via HighBeam Research.
LH&S Communications, which is owned by Larry Sales and Howard Murphy, purchased WRN in September of 1994. LH&S also owns the Illinois Radio Network and radio stations WSDR, WSSQ and WZZT, which are all in Illinois.
- "Broadcasting Pioneer W. Russell Withers, Jr. Passes Away". WDTV.com. Withers Broadcasting Company of West Virginia. January 17, 2014. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
Withers Broadcasting Companies key milestones include the existing acquisitions: ... 1998 - WZZT 102.7 FM, Sterling, IL...
- Woessner, Dan (November 12, 2009). "Challenge dealt in Cards: Stillman's speed a tall order for Comets". SaukValley.com. Shaw Media. Archived from the original on May 26, 2016. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
... Radio: WZZT-FM (102.7), WLLT-FM (107.7)
- Reynolds, Ty (October 27, 2011). "Comets' offense built around big boys". SaukValley.com. Shaw Media. p. 2. Archived from the original on May 26, 2016. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
... Radio: WZZT-FM (102.7)
- "WZZT - 102.7 FM". RockRiverRadio.com. WSDR-WSSQ-WZZT Radio. 2011. Archived from the original on September 6, 2011. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
The Morning Rock Show... offers a wide variety of rock 'n roll music... Classic Hits are played throughout the day... The Late Night Rock Show... offers a healthy balance of rock 'n roll...
External links
- WZZT in the FCC's FM station database
- WZZT on Radio-Locator
- WZZT in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
- RockRiverRadio.com at the Wayback Machine (archive index)