WKMZ

Infobox Radio Station
name = WKMZ


airdate =
frequency = 105.3 (MHz) FM
city = Mukwonago, Wisconsin
area = Milwaukee, Wisconsin
format = Contemporary Christian Music (CCM)
owner = EMF Broadcasting
erp = 1,650 watts
class = A
branding = K-Love
slogan =
callsign_meaning =
webcast =
website =

WKMZ (105.3 FM) is a radio station in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area. The station is owned by EMF Broadcasting and began airing the K-Love contemporary Christian (CCM) format on February 15, 2008. WFZH's Milwaukee offices and studios are located near the Wisconsin State Fair Park.

History

WFZH went on the air November 22, 2001 with a temporary all-Christmas music format. This format continued until just after Christmas, when they changed to a contemporary Christian format, 105.3, The Fish. Danny Clayton was hired as the program director for the radio station when it first went on the air; Clayton previously spent his Milwaukee radio career at AC-formatted WKTI. Other original staff members included Milwaukee radio veteran Andi Miller.

WFZH was owned by Salem Communications, the largest Christian- and family-themed broadcaster in the United States. The station shared studio space and staff with its sister station, talk-formatted WRRD-AM, until February 2008, when Salem sold both stations in separate deals. WRRD was purchased by Good Karma Broadcasting and changed format to all-sports. WFZH would remain with the CCM format, but its sale to EMF Broadcasting led to a change from local programming to EMF's K-Love national network. This change took effect after Midnight on February 15, 2008, following 2 days of on-air farewells from the "Fish" staff. On May 30, the call letters changed to WKMZ.

For a time, WFZH had a friendly rivalry with its Chicago sister station, WZFS ("106.7 The Fish"), which included a paintball game between the stations' employees. This rivalry lasted until the Chicago station was sold to Univision Communications in 2005 and WZFS was replaced by Spanish AC station WPPN.

On-Air Lineup

References

*Citation
last = Kirchen
first = Rich
title = Salem selling radio station 'The Fish'
date = 1-28-08
url = http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2008/01/28/daily3.html
accessdate = 2008-02-12

External links

* [http://dannyclayton.blogspot.com Danny Clayton's blog]
*fmq|WKMZ
*fml|WKMZ
* [http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=718516 "Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel" article on the last day of "The Fish," 2/14/2008]