WBNZ

Infobox Radio station
name = WBNZ


city = Frankfort, Michigan
area = [http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WBNZ&service=FM&status=L&hours=U]
branding = Soft Rock 99.3
slogan =
airdate =
frequency = 99.3 MHz
format = Soft Adult Contemporary
power = 50,000 watts
erp =
class = C2
callsign_meaning = Benzie County
former_callsigns =
owner = Kalil Holding Group
webcast =
website = [http://www.wbnz.com/ http://www.wbnz.com/] (currently inactive)
affiliations =

WBNZ (99.3 FM, "Soft Rock 99.3") is a radio station in Frankfort, Michigan, broadcasting an adult contemporary format. The station, which began broadcasting sometime in the early 1970s, is owned by the Kalil Holding Group (formerly by Traverse City broadcaster Roy S. Henderson under the "Fort Bend Broadcasting" banner) and has long been the primary local station for the Frankfort area and Benzie County (the calls denote the county's name, Benzie).

WBNZ's coverage area does not extend far east of Traverse City and Cadillac to protect co-channel WATZ-FM in Alpena, but the station can be heard across Lake Michigan in parts of northeastern Wisconsin.

WBNZ has aired some kind of adult contemporary music format for many years. Before the current locally-programmed "Soft Rock" format debuted in June 2005, the station had aired Jones Radio Networks' satellite-delivered "Adult Hit Radio" hot AC format ("Today's Best Music"), although the morning show was local. WBNZ was also heavily involved in the Frankfort/Benzie County community, with local news and high-school sports coverage.

For the past several years, WBNZ has aired a chiefly automated Soft AC format, but in August 2008, the "Grand Traverse Insider" reported that the station was planning to return to its full-service roots, adding a new live and local morning show hosted by Ed Blair (a Benzie County native returning to the area from Arkansas) and reintroducing local sports play-by-play, hosted by retired teacher/coach Jim Buzzell, to the airwaves. The station also plans to expand and refine its coverage of local news, events and happenings; the music format shall remain Soft Adult Contemporary. ( [http://www.grandtraverseinsider.com/results.asp?id=110] )

Sources

* [http://www.michiguide.com/dials/rad-a/wbnz.html Michiguide.com - WBNZ History]
* [http://www.grandtraverseinsider.com/results.asp?id=110 WBNZ is Back! Popular radio station will focus on local news, events and sports] , from "The Grand Traverse Insider" (04 August 2008)

External links

*fmq|WBNZ
*fml|WBNZ