WZZO
 |
 | |
| City | Bethlehem, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Lehigh Valley |
| Frequency | 95.1 MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | 95.1 ZZO |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | English |
| Format | Classic rock |
| Subchannels | HD2: Soft adult contemporary |
| Affiliations | iHeartRadio Premiere Networks |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | iHeartMedia (iHM Licenses, LLC) |
| History | |
First air date | February 16, 1946 (as WGPA-FM) |
Former call signs | WGPA-FM (1946–1973) WEZV (1973–1978) |
| Technical information | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 14375 |
| Class | B |
| ERP | 30,000 watts |
| HAAT | 192 meters (630 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 40°37′13″N 75°17′37″W / 40.62028°N 75.29361°W |
| Links | |
Public license information | Profile LMS |
| Webcast | Listen live (via iHeartRadio) |
| Website | 951zzo |
WZZO (95.1 MHz "95.1 ZZO") is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The station broadcasts a classic rock radio format and is owned by iHeartMedia. WZZO's studio and offices are in the iHeart Broadcasting Complex in Whitehall Township.
WZZO has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 30,000 watts, covering the Lehigh Valley metropolitan region of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The transmitter is loated off Severn Lane, near Interstate 78 in Lower Saucon Township.[1] In addition to a standard analog transmission, WZZO broadcasts using HD Radio technology and is available online through iHeartRadio.[2] The HD2 digital subchannel carries a soft adult contemporary format from iHeartRadio known as "The Breeze."
WZZO carries Rover's Morning Glory syndicated syndicated from WMMS in Cleveland during morning drive time. The station regularly sponsors live music and nightclub events in the Lehigh Valley area.[3]
History[edit]
| This section needs additional citations for verification. (September 2018) |
WZZO first signed on the air on February 16, 1946 as WGPA-FM, owned and operated by the Bethlehem Globe-Times.[4] The broadcast was simulcast during daylight hours with sister station WGPA. The AM 1100 station is authorized by the Federal Communications Commission to broadcast only from sunrise to sunset, so programming continued on FM station until 11 PM. At that time WGPA-FM used a sub-carrier to broadcast instrumental beautiful music from reel-to-reel tapes for playing over paging systems inside retail businesses. Eventually, that same beautiful music sound was airing on WGPA-FM.
In 1973, when WGPA-AM and FM were sold by The Globe-Times to Holt Broadcasting, the new owners changed the FM call sign to WEZV, to reflect the FM's easy listening radio format, with the EZ in the call letters standing for "Easy" and the V representing "Valley" as in Lehigh Valley. In 1978, WGPA and WEZV were sold to different owners, with WEZV's call letters changing to WZZO and the format switching to album-oriented rock, which continues to this day.
The broadcast tower remains at its original location off Applebutter Road in Lower Saucon Township and can be spotted from I-78 between the exits for Route 412 and Route 33. The original broadcast studios were at 428 Brodhead Avenue, which now serves as a Lehigh University building in Bethlehem. Before moving to Whitehall Township, the WZZO broadcast studios were located in the Westgate Mall in Bethlehem.
On February 24, 2019, WZZO's Facebook page announced that morning host "The Bearman" had passed away unexpectedly.
HD radio[edit]
WZZO's HD2 station carries "The Breeze," a soft adult contemporary music format from iHeartRadio. Previously it ran an alternative rock format called "The Alternative Project" and, prior to that, a classic rock format.
Programming[edit]
Rover's Morning Glory from WMMS/Cleveland airs in morning drive; in addition, Maria Milito, local host Keith Moyer and Ron "Big Rig" Michaels are heard in middays, afternoons and evenings, respectively.
Competition[edit]
WZZO's primary rock station competitors include Philadelphia's WMMR, WMGK, and WRFF, Reading's WRFY-FM, and the Lehigh Valley's WODE-FM.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Radio Station Coverage Map".
- ^ "iBiquity Digital Corporation - HDRadio Find a Station". Archived from the original on 2013-12-02.
- ^ WZZO Events at WZZO.com.
- ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1977
External links[edit]
- Official website
- WZZO in the FCC FM station database
- WZZO on Radio-Locator
- WZZO in Nielsen Audio's FM station database