WZMR

Infobox Radio station


name = WZMR
airdate = 1999 (early 1970's as WIZR-FM Johnstown)
branding = "104.9 The New Edge"
frequency = 104.9 MHz
city = Altamont, New York
area = Capital District
erp = 6,000 watts
haat = 284.0 meters
class = A
facility_id = 27551
coordinates = coord|42|38|11.00|N| 74|0|2.00|W|region:US_type:city
format = Active rock
callsign_meaning =
former_callsigns = WIZR-FM (early 1970s-79, Johnstown)
WMYL (1979-84, Johnstown)
WSRD (1984-99, Johnstown)
WAAP (1999)
owner = Pamal Broadcasting
licensee = 6 Johnson Road Licenses, Inc.
sister_stations = WAJZ, WFLY, WKLI, WROW, WYJB
website = http://www.albanyedge.com|

WZMR (104.9 FM, "104.9 The New Edge") is an Active rock music formatted radio station licensed to Altamont and serving New York's Capital District and surrounding areas. The station is owned by Pamal Broadcasting, and broadcasts at 6 kilowatts ERP from the Helderberg Mountains antenna farm in New Scotland. WZMR is one of several signals to have moved into the Albany market in recent years, prior to its move in March 1999 it was licensed to Johnstown, New York as the sister to WIZR.

tation history

The Johnstown years

WIZR-FM, forerunner to today's WZMR, signed on in the early 1970s largely simulcasting the Middle of the road programming of its parent station. Between 1975 and 1977, both stations flipped to Top 40 though WIZR-FM would flip to pop standards as WMYL in May 1979, one of the earliest stations running the Music Of Your Life format which the station's calls. The prior arrangement of AM and FM simulcasting Top 40 returned for five months starting in September 1983 with the FM once again changing to its own format, Oldies-formatted WSRD "("The Wizard")" in February 1984. Over the next decade-and-a-half, WSRD became slightly infamous for various reasons ranging from poor audio quality to an air talent going on on-air tirades (which led the station to go to all-satellite fed programming) to its serving as "Albany" affiliate for the New York Mets even though it put virtually no signal over Albany.

Moving in

In early 1998, longtime WIZR/WSRD owner Joe Caruso obtained a construction permit to move WZMR to the Albany suburb of Altamont, in turn making the station a full Albany signal. That October, Caruso sold the stations to Albany Broadcasting (today's Pamal Broadcasting) for $2.2 million [http://www.bizjournals.com/albany/stories/1998/10/26/story3.html] . Albany Broadcasting closed on the stations in March 1999 and near immediately moved WSRD into the Albany market and gave it the new calls WAAP.

These plans were put aside in favor of a Modern adult contemporary format as "The Point", an attempt to capitalize on the then-recent flips of WXLE to rhythmic oldies, WRVE to a more mainstream format, and the then-stunting WKLI. It was WKLI which spoiled these plans as Albany Broadcasting was sued by CBS Radio, then-owners of the "Point" name, on the behalf of WKLI-owner-in-waiting Tele-Media. In response, the station relaunched as WZMR "Z104.9" with a more rock-based playlist and the "Point" name surfaced on WKLI that May.

ince 1999

Though WZMR was a musically balanced station and won in listener polls, in terms of promotion and personalities it was beaten by the relaunched WCPT. The newness of the 104.9 signal played a role in the struggles as was presence of New York Yankees baseball, a remnant from the original plans for the frequency which were a partial simulcast of sister talk radio station WROW. Even though the Yankee games did give the station some additional audience, research showed that those listeners were not listening to the music and many music listeners were turned off by the games. Sensing a losing battle, WZMR's format changed to smooth jazz on October 18 of that year though the station did air the last game of the 1999 American League Championship Series and the 1999 World Series before Yankee rights moved to WTMM.

WZMR's smooth jazz format did initially well, though flagging numbers by 2002 led to a relaunch of the station as "LoveFM", a format fusing smooth jazz with R&B, in June 2003. The relaunched format did not improve in the ratings, so, facing the potential of selling WZMR to acquire a pending move-in station on 105.7 FM (which Regent Communications, not Albany Broadcasting, eventually bought), they flipped the station to a simulcast of country music WFFG in the Glens Falls market in February 2005; the simulcast never acknowledged 104.9 and 104.9 only broke for Albany Conquest af2 arena football games.

WZMR today

The latest format, "104.9 The New Edge", was launched February 13, 2006. The launching of the Edge was a direct result of Regent Communications-owned WQBK-FM flipping formats from 103.5/103.9 The Edge to Q103 following the departure of Howard Stern for satellite radio. Two months after running the station as a ghost town (without deejays), the station announced it had hired the team of Darwin and Cat away from Vermont-based WEQX. The Darwin and Cat Radio Show debuted during morning drive on April 24th, 2006. Shortly thereafter, the station added more live day parts, including shifts from Shaun "Pi" Bolts and The General James from WBOE, Don Chopps and others. Overnight sessions were held down by Chris Lynch and Vans.

In April 2007, The Edge acquired the services of former WPBZ Music Director and Afternoon Host Nik Rivers to serve as the station's new Program Director. The trio of Pi, General James and Don Chopps were dismissed from the station shortly thereafter. In their places were onetime FLY 92.3 afternoon host and music director Christy Taylor on middays (Taylor later departed in February 2008 for 91X in San Diego, to be replaced by Weekend Swing Shifter/Traffic Reporter Gazer, formerly Regin), and for a brief period Ralph Renna handling nights. In late August of '07, The Edge secured the services of former Channel 103.1 and WQBK jock Mike The Enforcer to replace Ralph, who remained on weekends and his weekend show, Capital Underground. The weekend staff currently includes Mark David and Vans.

In August 2008 Program Director Nik Rivers exited the station in a downsizing move. Vice President of Programing Kevin Callahan took overthe programming duties of the station. Mike The Enforcer moves from nights to PM drive to replace Rivers and was promoted to Assistant Program Director in the reorganization process, with weekend jockj Boomer taking over the night shift. Morning host Darwin resumed his former position as Music Director while Mike The Enforcer moves from nights to PM drive to replace Rivers.

Industry trade magazines showed that the station was experiencing its greatest growth in July and August of 2008 under the direction and leadership of Rivers. After his departure, Rivers was immediately hired as Program Director of WZNE in Rochester, New York (Arbitron market #54). cite news |work=Radio And Records |title=Rivers Exits WZMR |first=Alexandar |last=Hitchen |url=http://www.radioandrecords.com/RRRatings/DetailsPage.aspx?MID=4&RY=2008&RQ=2&MP=0&OTHER=2&MN=Albany-Schenectady-Troy&MS=NY&MR=63&12P=781600&UP=8/5/2008&SU=CM&BPER=6.6&HPER=2.9&OPER=&NSD=8/25/2008&CE=0]

The station received some national attention in February 2007 when a topic discussed on The Darwin & Cat Radio Show was quoted in the 12 February 2007 edition of the National Enquirer. The incident was played out as the show being suspended for a week at the end of March 2007 into the beginning of April 2007. Although there was no suspension and it turned out the duo was actually on vacation. cite news |work=National Enquirer |title=Rachael Racist |first=Alexandar |last=Hitchen |url=http://www.darwincat.com/enq021207rayawl8.jpg|date=2007-02-12]

Under the leadership of Rivers, the station was voted "Best Radio Station In Albany" in an Albany Herald online readers poll. The station once again received national notoriety on March 5, 2008, when morning show co-host Cat Noel was a participant in the ABC reality series "Wife Swap"cite news |work=NorthEast Radio Watch |title=Thie Week's Bloodbath: Citadel |first=Scott |last=Fybush |url=http://www.fybush.com/NERW/2008/080303/nerw.html |date=2008-03-03]

References

* "Times Union"
* "Albany Biz Journal"
* Arbitron Survey Results

External links

* [http://www.albanyedge.com WZMR official website]
* [http://www.albanyedgefest.com Edgefest Official website]
* [http://www.darwincat.com "Darwin and Cat Radio Show" website]
*FMQ|WZMR
*FML|WZMR
*FMARB|WZMR