WRKZ
.jpg){kind=logo} |
|
| City | Columbus, Ohio |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Columbus metro area |
| Branding | 99.7 The Blitz |
| Slogan | Your Rock Station. |
| Frequency | 99.7 MHz |
| First air date | April 4, 2008 (as WRKZ) April 26, 1962 (as WMNI-FM) |
| Format | Active rock |
| ERP | 20,000 watts |
| HAAT | 239 meters |
| Class | B |
| Facility ID | 49107 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 39°58′16.00″N 83°1′40.00″W / 39.9711111°N 83.0277778°W |
| Callsign meaning |
W "The RocK" Z (former branding) |
| Former callsigns | WBZX (1992–2008) WMGG (1986–92) WRMZ (1980–86) WMNI-FM (1962–80) |
| Owner | North American Broadcasting Company, Inc. (North American Broadcasting Company, Inc.) |
| Sister stations | WMNI, WJKR |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | theblitz |
WRKZ (99.7 FM) — branded 99.7 The Blitz — is a commercial active rock radio station licensed to Columbus, Ohio serving the Columbus metro area. Both the WRKZ studios and transmitter are located in Columbus, and the station itself is owned by North American Broadcasting Company, Inc.
99.7FM went on the air in 1962. At that time, FM radio had not been widely adopted (a US commercial FM station had broadcast in stereo for the first time in June, 1961) and WMNI-FM (as it was then known) mostly rebroadcast its sister AM station's easy listening music format. Like most stations, it has changed formats over the years. By 1978 the station's call letters were WRMZ and, in the early '80s, it started to broadcast a country music format. Joe Hill, now of Tucson AZ was the weekend overnight announcer from March to August 1983. In the late '80s and early '90s the station was known as WMGG, Magic 99-7, and played predominantly '60s-era classic rock/oldies.
The Blitz began during the July 4 weekend, 1992, and had an active rock format. The call letters when the station went by this name was WBZX. It was also formerly the home of the syndicated The Howard Stern Show for several years before that show went to Sirius Satellite Radio.
On April 3, 2008, The Blitz began stunting with radio static and a voice mentioning that the "station is rebooting". The last song played on The Blitz was Breaking Benjamin's "Until the End". The next day at 5:00pm, WBZX relaunched as The Rock, along with the call letters changing to WRKZ. The new station premiered with "Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit". The Rock still had the Active Rock format, but it focused less on new music and played popular rock music from the 1980s.
...
Wikipedia