WWZZ

Radio station


name = WWZZ, WWVZ, Z104
airdate = 1996 (as Z104)
frequency = 103.9 MHz (Braddock Heights, Md.)
104.1 MHz (Waldorf, Md.)
area = Washington, D.C.
format = Adult Rock
owner = Bonneville International

WWZZ/WWVZ was the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area's largest adult rock format radio station, owned by Bonneville International. The station broadcasted from Braddock Heights, Maryland at 103.9 MHz FM and from Waldorf, Maryland, at 104.1 MHz FM. It was commonly known as Z104 with the slogan "Washington's Modern Music." The station was also known for its community efforts and donation drives for local charities. Furthermore, as a member of the Nationals Network, it offered radio coverage of a large portion of the Washington Nationals games.

History

The WWZZ/WWVZ simulcast was originally two separately owned and operated stations, starting with WXTR ("Xtra 104"), then Washington's heritage Oldies station. WXTR, which had been purchased by Liberty Broadcasting , was soon paired with the Frederick, Maryland-licensed WZYQ 103.9-FM - the original "Z-104", which had been doing a locally based CHR format in Frederick for years, in an attempt to attain better signal coverage for WXTR. From that point on, both stations operated as a simulcast throughout a variety of formats: first oldies, then all-seventies. Finally, Bonneville purchased the WXTR/WZYQ combo, and changed the format over to CHR in the summer of 1996, as "Z-104" with the call letters WWZZ/WWVZ.

At the time, the station followed regional radio stations that had similar format such as Q-102 WIOQ in Philadelphia and Q-94 WRVQ in Richmond, Virginia, and was well-received by local audiences.

Ratings slowly sank as a result of the station's poor signal and repetitive musical selection. The appearance of Baltimore station 102.7 WXYV in 1997 threatened to further chip away at Z104's audience, though the threat never materialized because of the insignificant overlap between the two stations' signals. Between 1998 and 1999, ratings for Z104 actually improved along with the quality of their programming.

The biggest test for Z104's longevity was the appearance of Clear Channel station WIHT (Hot 99.5) which played a similar selection of hip-hop and modern R&B music. WIHT had a very strong signal that covered parts of West Virginia, Virginia, Washington, DC, and west/central Maryland, much of the same area covered by Z104. WIHT also ran an advertising blitz in the area that included attack-style ads targeting Z104 specifically. In one notable incident, a man wearing a Z104 T-shirt knocked on doors in the DC area and introduced himself as a convicted animal sex offender, though it is unclear whether the stunt was authorized by WIHT management or if the individual was trying to win a position with the station ["June News." Radio Business Report 30 Apr. 2001. 16 Mar. 2008 .] .

Five months later, with their audience steadily switching to WIHT, Z104 had no choice but to change, and switched to a modern alternative rock format, playing music by the likes of Dave Matthews Band, Goo Goo Dolls and Third Eye Blind, in addition to less-frequent commercial breaks. The format proved an effective alternative to WIHT and to local stations WWDC (DC101) and WHFS (HFS 99.1), both of which specialized in hard rock.

On January 4, 2006, at noon, WWZZ went off the air due to a multiple-station format change arranged by Bonneville International. One of the most popular stations in the Washington, D.C., area, newsradio station WTOP, expanded its reach by adding 103.5 to its collection, though a new radio station, "Washington Post Radio", took over WTOP's previous frequencies on March 30, 2006. The previous occupant of 103.5, the classical music station WGMS, was moved to the Z104 frequency.

Programming

Z104's weekday morning program included the Matthew Blades Radio Program on the McDonald's Morning Drive, led by its namesake, Matthew Blades. The show focused on a mix of music, celebrity gossip and interviews, and listener interaction. Other prominent DJs affiliated with the station included Jenni Chase and Music Director Sean Sellers. During weekday evenings the station also broadcast features such as "Download or Delete It," which showcased the newest in music, and "DC Downloads," which lists the top 5 songs that were legally downloaded in the Washington DC area for that day. Weekends featured an hour of coverage dedicated to the local music scene in the Capital Scene program, hosted by Jenni Chase.

The station also hosted a number of live events featuring prominent musicians. The Z104 Lounge programs featured performances and interviews in the Z104 studio itself. Tickets for these events were typically given out through other Z104 programs leading up to the event. Among the performers featured on the Z104 Lounge were Ben Folds, Alanis Morissette and Gavin DeGraw. Audio clips from the Lounge programs were then played back during predetermined weekend hours. In December 2001, Z104 attempted to compete with local radio festivals like the DC101 Chili Cook-Off and HFStival with the one-time Z104 Subway Snowball, which was held at George Mason University's Patriot Center and featured performances by Five for Fighting, The Calling, Train and Barenaked Ladies. The Z104 Bosom Ball was held in 2003 at Washington's famed , benefiting George Washington University's mobile mammogram program and featuring performances by Guster and Third Eye Blind. A follow-up in 2004 featured Pat McGee Band and Bowling for Soup, and the third and final incarnation in 2005 featured Better Than Ezra, Vertical Horizon and Hootie and the Blowfish.

In October 2002, following the Beltway Sniper attacks that terrorized the Washington area for weeks, Z104 held a 24-hour Request-a-Thon to raise money for the victims and/or their families. Listeners would call in with a request for any song of any genre and pledge a minimum of $25 to the Salvation Army. The event was such a success that it became an annual happening, with future Request-a-Thons benefiting Ronald McDonald House, plus a special one held after Hurricane Katrina in September 2005 for the victims of that catastrophe (the minimum donation was raised from 2003 onward to $500 for unsigned local bands seeking an avenue of exposure).

Themes

Broadcasts on each day of the week had a certain theme associated with them, which changed the music played throughout the day.
*New Release Mondays - Featured tracks from newly released albums
*Storyteller Tuesdays - Featured a selection of short interviews with popular musicians
*Wayback Wednesdays - Featured an interspersing of a selection of songs from the 1980s and 1990s with usual programming
*Artist of the Month Thursdays - Featured music from an artist that the station had decided to focus on for the month
*Z104 Lounge Weekends - Featured clips from live performances at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Fridays, 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturdays, and 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Sundays

Their weekend tagline was "It's the weekend and you gotta be on the Z, Z104!!"

Original Schedule 1996-1998

*05:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. George McFly Morning Show
*10:00 a.m. - 02:00 p.m. Lisa Beragan
*12:00 p.m. - 01:00 p.m. Lisa's Lunch Time Workout with DJ Fadi 1998-1999
*02:00 p.m. - 06:00 p.m. Elliot Reid
*06:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Jo Jo Morales
*10:00 p.m. - 02:00 a.m. Tammi Rush

Weekly Schedule 1999-2001

*5:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Billy Bush and the Bush League Morning Show
*10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Lisa Beragan 1999–2000 Jenni Chase 2000-2006
*12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Lisa's Lunch Time Work Out with DJ Soho 1998-2001
*3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Sean Sellers
*5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Disk Drive @ 5 with Sean Sellers and DJ Soho 1999-2001
*7:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. Matthew Blades and the Matthew Blades Radio Program
*9:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Top 5 and 9 with Matthew Blades
*12:00 a.m. - 5:30 a.m. All Night Cafe with Matthew Reid (syndicated by SupeRadio)
*10:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. Bedtime Groove with various DJs including DJ Fadi, DJ Self, Bobby D, DJ Soho, DJ Spin. [Friday Night Only]
*11:00 p.m. - 12 a.m. Bedtime Groove with various DJs including DJ Fadi, DJ Self, Bobby D, DJ Soho, DJ Spin and DJ Milkman [Mondays-Thursdays]

Part Time Fillers

Fox Mueller (Mark Mueller)

Mason

Mark Anthony

Final Weekday Schedule

*5:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.: Matthew Blades Radio Program: Matthew Blades, Whitney, J.C. Fernandez
*10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.: Jenni Chase
*3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.: Sean Sellers
*7:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.: All Night Long with JV - JV
*Late Nights: Matt Simon

References

External links

* [http://www.moremusic104.com Z104's farewell note]