WAZY

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WAZY
Broadcast area	Lafayette, Indiana
Branding	Z96-5
Slogan	Lafayette's #1 Hit Music Station
Frequency	96.5 (MHz)
Format	Contemporary hit radio
ERP	50,000 watts
Class	B
Owner	Artistic Media Partners
Website	wazy.com

WAZY, "Z96.5" is an FM radio station owned by Artistic Media Partners in Lafayette, Indiana. The station operates on the FM radio frequency of 96.5 MHz, FM channel 243. [1]. The studios are located at 3824 South 18th Street in Lafayette, Indiana.

Contents 1 Station broadcasting information 2 Interesting Fact 3 History 4 Programming 5 External links

[edit] Station broadcasting information

The station broadcasts from a 499 foot tower near New Greenhill, Indiana. [2] Originally the station broadcast at 96.7 MHz, but shortly after it changed to 96.5 MHz. [3]

[edit] Interesting Fact

WAZY-FM is the oldest top 40 station still in existence. In the most recent ratings sweep (Fall 2006), WAZY slipped four/tenths of a share in the 12+ however beat crosstown WXXB overall in the 18-34 Women Demo which is the most sought after in Top 40 programming.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] History

In 1938, the first radio station to sign on the air was WLAF-AM.^{[citation needed]} Located at 1180 on the dial, the station broadcasted local programming and the popular BLUE network. In 1952, the father of Top 40 radio Todd Storz (Storz Radio) purchased the AM station and built his first FM signal, WAZY-FM. Lafayette was the first city in the United States with a Top 40 FM radio station. In 1955, Storz sold the combo to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, which intended to move the AM station to a higher frequency so that WOWO Fort Wayne could expand its service. In 1956, Westinghouse sold WAZY-FM to Hillebrand Toledo who owned a few stations in surrounding states. In 1964, WAZY-FM was reunited with WLAF-AM and they began sharing station call letters.

In 1964, Fischer Communications purchased the combo and moved it to its current location on South 18th Street in Lafayette. At the time, Fischer also owned the WFBM group in nearby Indianapolis. Fischer sold the radio stations to the Peoria Journal Star newspaper group. It was later purchased in the early 80's by Lightfoot Broadcasting, headquartered out of Connecticut. Rob Ford was hired from the WASK group to run the stations. Hal Youart, the station's GM for many years, was widely regarded as the person who grew WAZY-FM into the successful station it was. The tide really turned for the station when it flipped its Top Forty by day and AOR by night format to all Top Forty. Jeffrey Jay Weber, who later became one of the first PD's to make the move directly to GM when he left the station to go to an AM-FM in Terre Haute, was instrumental in the station's growth in the late seventies along with jocks like Lou Michaels, Keith Harris and Steve West. In the 1970s WAZY-FM began to grow, and the need for an AM station became less in the community. Some of the talent and programming staff that worked for WAZY in the 1970s moved on to become programmers in New York City, Philadelphia, and Chicago. Gary Spears [4], aka Michael Ray (real name: Michael Frosch), who last broadcast from WAZY-FM in 1977 and later went to Chicago, is now the afternoon drive at KBIG-FM 104.3 in Los Angeles.

In 1982, Lightfoot Broadcasting sold the AM signal to United Christian Church of Lafayette. In 1987 Lightfoot Broadcasting's Indiana stations, including WAZY A/F and WXLX A/F Columbus, were purchased by University Broadcasting, which would become Artistic Media Partners of Lafayette. Since that period, WAZY-AM has been reunited once again with the FM station.

In 1995 under program director John Flint (Harrison), WAZY switched from a Top 40 format to a Hot Adult Contemporary format, positioning themselves as "The Best Of the 80's and 90's." In 1999, WAZY decided to drop Hot Contemporary for a Soft Contemporary blend. In 2001, WAZY returned to the Hot Contemporary format. It remained 96.5 WAZY until September 28, 2006, when it switched to "Lafayette's #1 Hit Music Station - Z96.5".

[edit] Programming

WAZY currently plays a Contemporary hit radio format, leaning toward modern adult contemporary.

During the relaunch on September 28th, WAZY hired former WTMX weekender Carley OKelly for 10-3 who shortly therafter left for afternoons in Madison WI.

WAZY also hired on September 28th former Program Director Dan Tyler from WQHY/WDOC Prestonsburg KY in which he left on December 20th to join Maverick Media of Ohio to serve as Program Director of Contemporary Formats.

Former WAZY morning show hosts Gavin Todd and Stephanie Patterson left WAZY during the fall ratings sweep. Todd who transitioned from Star FM in Chicago now works in Hawaii while Patterson who was with the station for 5 years left for a county position in Lafayette.

It currently hosts the WAZY Wake-Up Crew, Friday Night Hypermix, Open House Party, and American Top 40.

MONDAY - FRIDAY

6AM - 10AM KIM IVERSON AND JAKE

7PM - 12AM ROMEO'S PLAYHOUSE

WEEKEND PROGRAMMING

2PM - 7PM LEXI voicetracked from ARTISTIC MEDIA PARTNERS of LAFAYETTE

7PM - 12AM OPEN HOUSE PARTY

8AM - 12PM AMERICAN TOP 40 -- SUNDAY

WAZY is a Local Primary Source-2 for the Indiana Emergency Alert System. [5]

[edit] External links

• Z96.5 Website
• Artistic Media Website
• WAZY FCC Information