WBZY (FM)

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WBZY
City of license	Bowdon, Georgia
Broadcast area	Atlanta metropolitan area Midwest Georgia
Branding	105.3 El Patrón
Frequency	105.3 MHz (Also on HD Radio)
First air date	May 1994
Format	Regional Mexican
ERP	61,000 watts
HAAT	367 meters
Class	C1
Facility ID	63406
Callsign meaning	W Buzz (Y is a reference to the old Y 105.5 format)
Former callsigns	WLCL, WWVA, WMAX, WYAI
Owner	Clear Channel Communications
Sister stations	WGST, WKLS, WWLG, WUBL, WWVA
Webcast	Listen Live
Website	www.1053elpatron.com

WBZY FM, ("105.3 El Patrón") is a radio station that plays regional Mexican music. The station's transmitter is located in Newnan, Georgia and targets Atlanta, Georgia.

WBZY began in May of 1994 as country Y 105.5 WYAI FM, a class A serving Carrollton. In late February 2002 the station upgraded to a class C1 as an Atlanta move-in and it became WMAX-FM "The Max", playing all 1980s music. In February 2004 it became a talk radio station known as "Real Radio" that played talk on weekdays and '80s music on weekends. The WMAX-FM callsign now resides on a Clear Channel station in nearby Chattanooga, Tennessee, which airs 80s programming as The Max virtually identical to its Atlanta predecessor.

In September 2004, the station changed to Spanish top 40 WWVA-FM "Viva 105.3", as part of efforts by owner Clear Channel Communications to expand into Hispanic radio markets. During the last quarter of 2004, it was the second-top-rated radio station in Atlanta. In early May 2005, that station and callsign switched to 105.7, the previous WLCL FM "Cool 105.7".

Meanwhile, Clear Channel started "96.7 the Buzz" on the 96.7 frequency. On May 5, 2005, WVWA and WBZY switched frequencies, turning WBZY into "105.3 the Buzz". For two weeks, the calls of 105.3 were changed to WLCL, so the local media wouldn't be able to predict the move. After the switch, the calls were changed to WBZY.

On November 17, 2006, at 9am, 105.3 The Buzz ceased to exist. Some of the on-air staff were fired, and others moved down the dial to sister station 96 Rock, which was changed into "Project 9-6-1". For several days, WBZY-FM simulcasted the new network until it began a commercial loop telling listeners to tune into the new station as well as advertising the new format of the station. The 105.3 frequency debuted a new regional Mexican format under the name El Patrón on November 26, at 9am.

[edit] Logos

WBZY El Patrón logo (Nov 2006-present)

[edit] See also

• list of radio stations in Georgia (U.S. state)
• Georgia (U.S. state)
• lists of radio stations in North and Central America

[edit] External links

• 105.3 El Patron
• Query the FCC's FM station database for WBZY
• Radio Locator information on WBZY
• Query Arbitron's FM station database for WBZY

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