WZLX
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| City of license | Boston, Masschusetts |
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| Broadcast area | Greater Boston |
| Branding | 100.7 WZLX |
| Slogan | "Boston's Classic Rock" |
| Frequency |
100.7 MHz (also on HD Radio) |
| First air date | October 1948[1] |
| Format | Classic rock HD2: Blues HD3: Freeform |
| ERP | 21,500 watts |
| HAAT | 235 meters |
| Class | B |
| Facility ID | 13806 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 42°20′50.00″N 71°4′59.00″W / 42.34722°N 71.08306°W |
| Former callsigns | WCOP-FM (1948–1976) WTTK (1976–1978) WHUE-FM (1979–1984) WCOZ (1984–1985) WKKT (1985) |
| Owner | CBS Radio (CBS Radio Inc. of Boston) |
| Sister stations | WBMX, WBZ, WBZ-FM, WBZ-TV, WODS, WSBK-TV |
| Webcast | Listen Live HD2: Listen Live HD3: Listen Live |
| Website | www.wzlx.com Radio Mojo (HD2) www.wbcn.com (HD3) |
WZLX (100.7 FM, Boston) is a prominent classic rock radio station in the Boston, Massachusetts market. WZLX was one of the first classic rock FM stations in America. It is known as "The Mother of Classic Rock" since it is the original classic rock station in the United States[citation needed].
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[edit] History
What is now WZLX was originally WCOP-FM, notable for being one of the first FM stations to break simulcasting with its AM partner. WCOP-FM's separate programming was initially classical music and was one of the first FM stations in the region to (briefly) broadcast in FM stereo (the station would resume stereo programming in the early 1970s).
In 1965, WCOP (AM) had become Boston's affiliate for the NBC Radio Network, and WCOP-FM would often simulcast the hourly NBC Radio newscasts. By 1969, NBC Radio's weekend series Monitor had moved from WCOP to WCOP-FM, to allow the former to broadcast more hours of country music on the weekends.
The station went through a number of format changes (and later callsign changes), including beautiful music in the late 60s until 1973, oldies (as “Total Gold 101, WCOP-FM”, 1973–74), country 1974-76), AOR (as WTTK "TK101" 1976-78), beautiful music (as WHUE, 1979–85), and Top 40 (as WKKT "The Cat", for a few months in 1985). Also, just before the switch to WKKT in Dec 1984, the station as beautiful music station WHUE sought and received the WCOZ call letters formerly on 94.5. Ironically those calls belonged (legally) to the 100.7 frequency for just 2 weeks in December 1984.
100.7 FM adopted its current format and callsign, WZLX, in October 1985. The station owners at that time, First Media Corporation, hired Gary Guthrie to design and implement a format aimed at people who experienced adolescence in either the 1960s and 1970s and enjoyed the music of those eras, but did not care for the then current heavy metal or top 40 'hot hits' of the 1980s. These were people whose mindset was getting too old for AOR and top 40 radio formats, but were too young for or not interested in the oldies radio format. WZLX was one of the first classic rock radio format stations to made its debut, becoming quite popular throughout the Boston area.
WZLX's first program director was Boston radio veteran Bill Smith, who also did the Morning Show from 1985 to 1990. Bill expanded on Gary's basic idea and in two short years grew the station into what it is today. He hired Harvey Warfield (afternoons), Tony Mathes (middays), Anne Cody (evenings), and musicologist Jeff Allen in a prominent position for weekends.
Bill Smith also worked for WRKO, WBZ, WBOS, WEEI-FM, and WEGQ. Currently he is Production Manager for WRKO in Boston.
A series of ownership changes made WZLX a part of Cook-Inlet Radio, then Infinity Broadcasting in late 1992. Currently it is owned and operated by CBS Radio.
In 1997, WZLX radio host George Taylor Morris created a media frenzy about the "Dark Side of the Rainbow" phenomenon, in which Pink Floyd's album The Dark Side of the Moon is said to synch up with the movie The Wizard of Oz.[2]
In the spring of 2007, WZLX became the first station in the country to broadcast programming in full digital 5.1 surround sound. This flagship effort coincides with the recent move of the industry to implement the HD Radio format.
From 1991 to 2007 the station had its studios on the 24th floor of the Prudential Tower in downtown Boston, the location of its transmitter. On March 3, 2007, the station moved crosstown to the facility where sister stations WODS and WBCN are clustered in the CBS studios in Brighton. The transmitter is still atop the Prudential Tower.
[edit] Programming/personalities
The most prominent personality on WZLX is probably Carter Alan, best known as the disc jockey who, during his time at WBCN, helped the rise of the band U2 in the United States, and later wrote one of the definitive biographies on the band; he also hosts Sunday Morning Blues, some of the week's most popular programming. 19-year veteran Chuck Nowlin handles one of the most successful afternoon drive shows in Boston featuring the Attitude Adjustment Hour. Kenny Young, the Night Rocker, rounds out the day's schedule from 7:00 p.m. to Midnight.
There have been a few morning shows on the station in recent history. With the coming of Howard Stern to WBCN in the early 90s, the Boston legend Charles Laquidara and his show, The Big Mattress, took up residence at 'ZLX. With Charles's retirement, the short-lived Mornings with Tai and Steve Sweeney eventually gave way to Steve Sweeney's Neighborhood, (co-hosted by Lance Norris) which ended a 5-year run in 2005. Long time morning team Karlson and McKenzie took over on August 1, 2005.
[edit] Current on-air staff
- Karlson and McKenzie - 5:30—10 am
- Carter Alan - 10 am—2 pm
- Chuck Nowlin - 2—7 pm
- Kenny Young - 7 pm—12 midnight
- Anngelle Wood
- Travis
- Mike Wendt
- Jack Lawrence
- Janet Egan King ("Juanita")
[edit] Specialty programs
- Wed. 11 pm—1 am - Rockline
- Sat. 7 pm—12 am - Nights with Alice Cooper
- Sun. 6—7 am - Common Ground
- Sun. 8—9 am - Breakfast with The Beatles (hosted by Cha Chi)
- Sun. 9 am—12 noon - Sunday Morning Blues with Carter Alan
- Sun. 10 pm—12 midnight - Boston Emissions with Anngelle Wood
[edit] Availability
WZLX can be heard clearly as far west as Worcester, south into Providence, and as far north as Portsmouth, New Hampshire on typical radios. A more sensitive receiver may be needed for reception on Eastern Cape Cod, in Connecticut, west of City Hall in Worcester, and in central New Hampshire. The signal may occasionally be heard on a powerful car stereo in Western Massachusetts and parts of Maine. The station streams its audio live at its web site.
[edit] References
- ^ (PDF) Broadcasting Yearbook 1949. 1949. p. 306. http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1949/301-400%20Broadcasting%20Yearbook%201949-4.pdf. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
- ^ Holley, Joe (August 3, 2009). "George Taylor Morris, 62: Radio Host Played Classic Rock". The Washington Post'. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/02/AR2009080202158.html. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
[edit] External links
- WZLX website
- WZLX fan page
- Query the FCC's FM station database for WZLX
- Radio-Locator information on WZLX
- Query Arbitron's FM station database for WZLX
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