WDZK

Infobox Radio station
name = WDZK


city = Bloomfield, Connecticut
area = Hartford
branding =
slogan = "Radio Disney"
airdate =
frequency = 1550 kHz
format = Children's Radio
power = 5,000 watts day
2,400 watts night
erp =
haat =
class = B
facility_id = 37804
coordinates = coord|41|51|47.00|N|72|44|1.00|W|region:GB_type:city
callsign_meaning =
former_callsigns = WGAB (1986-1988)
WLVX (1988-1993)
WRDM (1993-1998)
owner = the Walt Disney Company
licensee = RADIO DISNEY GROUP, LLC
sister_stations =
webcast =
website = [http://radio.disney.go.com/mystation/Hartford official website]
affiliations = Radio Disney

History

WDZK started out in 1961 as WEXT, licensed to West Hartford, Connecticut, with a 1000 Watt daytime-only signal on 1550 kHz and a country and western format. The studios at that time were located on Farmington Avenue in West Hartford Center and the transmitter and tower were at 99 Grassmere Avenue in West Hartford, CT (USA).

In 1972, the studios were moved to the 2nd floor of the Culbro Building at 630 Oakwood Avenue in West Hartford.

In 1975, the station changed ownership and the call letters were changed to WMLB which was a combination of the first names of the three owners, Mary, Lou and Barry.

In 1985, the station was sold to a radio group out of Long Island, New York, and the format became talk radio "The Talk of Connecticut" and the call letters were changed to WGAB. Springfield talk show host Dan York was brought in as Program Director.

In 1986, the station's city of license was changed from West Hartford to Bloomfield, Connecticut, and the transmitter site was moved to Bloomfield to facilitate a daytime power increase up to 5,000 Watts and the addition of nighttime service at 2,400 Watts. The Bloomfield facility, which is still in use today, utilizes six tower on convert|9|acre|m2 of land in its directional antenna system.

In 1987, WGAB went dark due to financial hardship, and the station remained silent for nearly two years.

1989 saw the station return to the air as WLVX with new owners Living Communications who also owned WLIX in Islip, Long Island, NY. The new owners brought a Contemporary Christian format to the station and they moved the studios to the Wintonbury Mall in Bloomfield, Connecticut.

Several years later, the station was sold again, this time to a local group who changed the call letters to WRDM and switched the format to Italian. The studios were moved to 880 Maple Avenue in Hartford where they shared space with Channel 13 Television.

Radio Disney

In 1997 the station was sold again, this time to Hibernia Corporation. The format was switched to Radio Disney and the studios moved to Franklin Avenue in Hartford, CT. The call sign was changed to WDZK.

Radio Disney purchased the station from Hibernia in 1998 and continued to operate from the Franklin Avenue location.

The studios were moved to 160 Chaple Rd in Manchester, Connecticut, in 2004.

In February, 2008 WDZK started HD digital broadcasting.

External links

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* [http://wwuh.org/history/CTtimeline.htm Timeline for Connecticut Broadcasting]