WZRT
 | |
| Broadcast area | Lebanon-Rutland-White River Junction area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 97.1 MHz |
| Branding | Z97.1 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Top 40/CHR |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WDVT, WJEN, WJJR, WSYB | |
| History | |
First air date | 1974 (as WRUT) |
Former call signs | WRUT (1974-1989) |
Call sign meaning | W Z97 RuTland |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 25741 |
| Class | C2 |
| ERP | 1,150 watts |
| HAAT | 790 meters |
Transmitter coordinates | 43°36′17.00″N 72°49′14.00″W / 43.6047222°N 72.8205556°W |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | z971.com |
WZRT (97.1 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a contemporary hit radio format. Licensed to Rutland, Vermont, USA, the station serves the Lebanon-Rutland-White River Junction area. The station is currently owned by Pamal Broadcasting.
Z97 assumed the WZRT call sign in 1989, prior to that the station had the call sign of WRUT. Z97 branded itself as "The Official Ski Station" and later on as "The Official Ski and Ride Station". Z97 broadcast live from many restaurants and nightclubs throughout Killington. In particular, Z97 began a long relationship with two of Killington's largest and famous nightclubs with nightly and apres-ski live broadcasts throughout ski season.
All Communications eventually sold out to H & D Media, which eventually became Excalibur Media. Z97 expanded its winter advertising base to include Okemo, Bromley, Magic Mountain, Sugarbush, West Mountain, and Stratton Mountain. During the latter half of the 1990s Z97 would broadcast the popular "Stratton Mountain Ski and Ride Show" live every Saturday morning from Stratton Mountain from 7:00-10:00.
From 2003 until the middle of 2007, WZRT was in the process of being acquired by Catamount Radio, but never eventually came to fruition. On July 3, 2003, under the ownership of Clear Channel Radio, the station changed its identity to KISS-FM,[1] following the already popular station name from other markets. In May 2006, Albany, New York-based Pamal Broadcasting acquired KISS-FM in a swap of stations with Clear Channel.[2] One of the station's last known live on-air shows was the Thunderstorm with DJ Vince-1, a hip-hop mixshow which broadcast Thursday evenings on the station. Vince-1 is now employed as a radio account executive in the Boston market.
In 2007, Pamal returned WZRT to Z97[3] and in early 2008, the station rebranded as Z97.1, adding the syndicated "Bob and Sheri" morning show from WLNK in Charlotte, North Carolina. In 2011, the show was transferred over to WJJR, a sister station of Catamount Radio, and in its place, Elvis Duran and the Morning Show began broadcasting weekday mornings.
References
External links
- Z97.1's official website
- Facility details for Facility ID WZRT ({{{2}}}) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- {{{2}}} in Nielsen Audio's FM station database