WLHT

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

WLHT, also known as "Lite Rock 95.7", is an adult contemporary radio station in Grand Rapids, Michigan owned by Regent Communications. Until late April 2006, the station was the home of the husband-and-wife morning team of Dave & Geri. Today, the current morning team of Denis Pryor and Nanette, Kim Carson (a veteran of several Detroit stations, including WDRQ and WCZY) and Bill Bailey (Radio presenter) are heard here.

1 WKLW, WZZM-FM, and WZZR
2 WLHT
3 Today's Lite Rock 95.7
4 External links

[edit] WKLW, WZZM-FM, and WZZR

The station signed on the same day as WOOD-FM in 1962. The original call letters of 95.7 FM were WKLW. In the mid-1960s, the station came into common ownership with WZZM-TV Channel 13 and became WZZM-FM. By 1967, the station was block-programmed, with country music in the morning, Top 40 hit music in afternoon drive, and MOR music at night. Then, in 1968, WZZM-FM converted its format to full-time Top 40. WZZM-FM was one of the first FM Top 40s in Michigan to pose a serious challenge to its AM competition: by the end of 1970 it was ahead of WLAV (1340 AM) and WGRD (1410 AM) in several dayparts, including at night, when both AM stations had poor signals, and on the weekends.

In 1971, WZZM-FM picked up a serious competitor when WGRD added an FM signal at 97.9 (formerly WXTO). The reborn WGRD was an instant success. WZZM reacted by evolving its format into a Top 40-AOR hybrid, and then in 1972, into a Top 40-Oldies hybrid. The station gained a "second wind" of sorts and posted a #1 12+ Arbitron showing in Grand Rapids in the summer of 1973, but ratings quickly dropped off again afterwards. WZZM-FM, which in 1977 changed its calls to WZZR and adopted the names "Z96" and "The Wizard of Rock", continued to struggle through the rest of the 1970s and into the 1980s, shifting back and forth between Top 40 and Adult Contemporary. In 1983 WZZR tweaked its format from CHR into a "new wave"/"Rock of the Eighties"-type format, but ratings remained low.

[edit] WLHT

In 1984, WZZR became WLHT--the station's call letters mean "Lite Rock"--and switched to its current adult contemporary format. Once again, 95.7 FM was a pioneer in the market in terms of trying a new format, and once again, its pioneering spirit led to success and acclaim. In 1998 WLHT was named AC station of the year at the Marconi Award ceremonies. Two years later Regent Communications purchased the station, along with sister stations WGRD-FM, WNWZ-AM, and WTRV-FM.

[edit] Today's Lite Rock 95.7

WLHT generally leans "hotter" than its chief AC competitor, WOOD-FM, playing more uptempo music with a brighter presentation, and is often also quicker to add newer AC releases than is WOOD-FM. The station airs John Tesh's syndicated nighttime show, which competes with the syndicated Delilah on WOOD-FM. Regent actually has two Adult Contemporary stations competing with WOOD-FM in Grand Rapids; the second is WTRV, 100.5 FM (known as "The River"), which has an oldies-heavy, easy-flavored soft AC presentation similar to the way WOOD-FM sounded when it was known as "EZ105.7." All three ACs are usually rated in Grand Rapids' top 10; usually WOOD-FM outperforms both WLHT and WTRV, but occasionally one or both of the Regent stations will pull ahead.

On April 14, 2006, husband and wife morning team Dave Jagger and Geri Jarvis announced that they would host their final morning show on April 21 after twenty years on the air on W-Lite. They were replaced April 24, 2006, by Denis Pryor and Nanette in morning drive. At the same time the station changed its on-air nickname from 95.7 W-Lite to Lite Rock 95.7. The station also tweaked its playlist in a Hot AC direction, adding music from artists considered staples of the Hot AC format such as Alanis Morissette, Third Eye Blind, Aerosmith, Collective Soul, and Gwen Stefani.