WENZ

Infobox Radio Station
name = WENZ


area = Greater Cleveland
branding = "Z107.9"
slogan = "Cleveland's Blazin' Hip-Hop and R&B"
airdate =
frequency = 107.9 (MHz)
format = Mainstream Urban
erp = 16,000 watts (horizontal)
15,000 watts (vertical)
class = B
owner = Radio One
website = [http://www.z1079fm.com www.z1079fm.com]
sister_stations = WERE, WJMO, WZAK
callsign_meaning = The ENd(the former brandname)
The Z is used in Z107.9 branding

WENZ, also known as "Z107.9", is a Mainstream Urban radio station that features hip-hop and R&B and serves the Cleveland, Ohio area.

History

The station, which debuted on April 5, 1958 as WNOB FM (Northern Ohio Broadcasting), was started by several people from WNEW in New York. When the companion AM license was not granted, the station found itself in a precarious position, because stand alone FM stations in the 1950's did not make money.

In 1961, the station filed for bankruptcy and a machine operator, Mr. Phillip Kerwin, purchased WNOB for $16,000. In 1968 the signal was upgraded, the ststion purchased a new transmitter and antenna system. Two years later, in 1970, Multicom Inc. (owner of WELW AM 1330 in Willoughby) purchased the station for $330,000. The call letters were then changed to WELW FM. WELW played a top 40 Drake type format for almost two years, then switched to country music.

In 1975, Beasley Broadcast Group purchased the station from Multicom for $550,000 and in 1976, the station switched to the then popular disco format and took the moniker "Disco 108". This is where the urban influnce started, and in 1978, the ststion switched to an "Urban Contemporary" format, one of the first Urban, if not the first urban ststion in the USA fact|date=August 2008.

In 1987 the call letters were changed to WPHR (Power 108) and in 1988, the station was sold to Ardman Broadcasting in Washington DC. Then, in 1991, the station was purchased by Clear Channel Communications and the format was changed to alternative rock as "The END" and call letters changed to WENZ.

Then, in 1995, the station was sold. Radio One Purchased the station and retained the WENZ call letters after once again switching the format back to Urban. WENZ remains an Urban formatted station today and is still owned by Radio One, Lanham, Md.

From 1991 to 1999, the station ran an alternative music format, referring to itself as 'The End' (with 107.9 FM being the last frequency on the FM dial). Both the inception and the demise of 'The End' were marked by repeated playing of the song "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" by rock band R.E.M.. On January 15, 1999, WENZ was purchased by Radio One, a company that owns and operates radio stations, most of which target African American communities. The station was relaunched first as "Kiss 107.9", but due to a legal action from Clear Channel Communications claiming rights to the "kiss" name, on September 1, 1999, it was changed to "Z107.9", targeting the Cleveland, Ohio area with a Mainstream Urban format featuring hip-hop and R&B.

WENZ is the home of the syndicated Russ Parr Show In the Mornings.

External links

* [http://www.z1079fm.com WENZ Official Web Site]
* [http://www.cleve-radio.com/index2.htm#WENZ-FM WENZ Timeline from Cleveland Radio Archive]
* [http://www.1079.com/ 1991-1995 WENZ-FM, "The End".]
*fmq|WENZ
*fml|WENZ