WLZL
| Broadcast area | Baltimore, Maryland Washington, D.C. |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 107.9 MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | "El Zol 107.9 FM" |
| Programming | |
| Format | Spanish Tropical |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WIAD, WJFK, WJFK, WDCH-FM, WPGC-FM | |
| History | |
First air date | 1960 (as WFSI) |
Former call signs | WFSI (1960-12/2011) WBGR (12/1/2011-12/12/2011) |
Call sign meaning | EL ZoL |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 20983 |
| Class | B |
| ERP | 49,000 watts |
| HAAT | 151.1 meters |
Transmitter coordinates | 38°59′46.00″N 76°39′26.00″W / 38.9961111°N 76.6572222°W |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | elzolradio.com |
WLZL (107.9 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a Spanish language format. Licensed to College Park, Maryland, USA, the station is currently owned by CBS Radio, and serves the Baltimore, Maryland/Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The transmitter is in Crofton, Maryland.
107.9 FM history
For its entire existence from 1960 until 2011, the call sign was WFSI and the station was owned by Family Radio. The station aired a Christian-based format.
"El Zol 99.1 FM"
At noon on January 12, 2005, WHFS (99.1 FM) switched to a Tropical Latin music format. Its call letters were soon changed to WZLL for a few days, and then again to WLZL, and the station was rebranded as "El Zol 99.1 FM". AOL, which had a partnership with Infinity Broadcasting and recognized that many people would miss the old WHFS format, quickly launched an internet-only streaming radio station with a playlist much like that of WHFS.[3] Due to the amount of complaints about the format change which attracted media attention, then owner Infinity brought the WHFS format back a month later on the 105.7 FM frequency (now WJZ-FM). The WHFS call letters have since relocated first to a talk station on 1580 AM (now WJFK), and then to a sister station in West Palm Beach, Florida. WLZL is also CBS Radio's first Spanish radio station, and the company's only Spanish station outside the southern United States.
On November 16, 2011, CBS Radio announced plans to acquire WFSI (107.9 MHz) from religious broadcaster Family Radio, with the intention of moving WLZL's Spanish Tropical format and El Zol branding from 99.1 to 107.9, with a new all-news format launched on 99.1 under the WNEW-FM call sign.[4][5] The format change occurred on December 1, when both 99.1 and 107.9 began simulcasting El Zol; 107.9 then temporarily changed its call letters to WBGR (swapping call letters with a Family Radio station in Baltimore). The simulcast ended on December 12, 2011, with the WLZL call letters moving to 107.9, and WNEW-FM on 99.1 stunting first with Christmas music, and then with The History of Rock and Roll, in anticipation for the launch of the new all-news format on January 22, 2012. On February 19, 2013, WLZL-FM was granted for a Construction Permit to decrease their ERP down to 49,000 Watts and to lower their HAAT down to 151.1 meters (496 feet). That Construction Permit will expire on February 19, 2016.[6]
dcrtv.com claimed WLZL is expected to move their transmitter on March 14, 2015.
References
- ^ https://fmradiodx.wordpress.com/2014/04/28/new-hd-radioiboc-signal-in-washington-107-9-wlzl-annapolis-md/ WLZL adds digital signal
- ^ http://hdradio.com/station_guides/widget.php?id=100 HD Radio Guide for Washington D.C.
- ^ WHFS: For Many, The Only Alternative
- ^ Radio-Info: "Official: CBS buying D.C.-Baltimore WFSI (107.9), will debut all-news on 99.1", November 16, 2011.
- ^ Radio Insight: "CBS Acquires WFSI, To Launch All-News On 99.1", November 20, 2011
- ^ https://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?call=WLZL WLZL FCC licensing information
External links
- Official website
- Facility details for Facility ID WLZL ({{{2}}}) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- {{{2}}} in Nielsen Audio's FM station database