WZLR

Broadcast area Dayton, Ohio
Branding 95.3 and 101.1 The Eagle
Slogan Rocks The 80s
Translator(s) 101.1 W266BG (Dayton)
Repeater(s) 99.1-2 WHKO-HD2
Format 80s Rock
ERP 6,000 watts
HAAT 98 meters
Class A
Facility ID 15649
Callsign meaning W Z CLeaR
Former callsigns WBZI (1974-1988)
WDJK (1988-1993)
WZLR (1993-2000)
WDTP (2000-2002)
Owner Cox Media Group
(Cox Radio, Inc.)
Sister stations WHIO, WHIO-FM, WHIO-TV, WHKO
Webcast Listen Live
Website 95.3 and 101.1 The Eagle

WZLR (95.3 FM), known as "95.3 and 101.1 The Eagle", is a radio station broadcasting an 1980s classic hits format. Licensed to Xenia, Ohio, United States, it serves the Dayton area. According to the Federal Communications Commission's website, the station has transmitted at 6,000 watts since 1998. Its studios are co-located with the Dayton Daily News, WHIO-AM-FM-TV and two more radio stations in the Cox Media Center building near downtown Dayton. WZLR has a transmitter in Xenia. The station is currently owned by Cox Media Group. This is the third time it has offered an 1980s format; it was previously known as Power 95 in the early 1990s and as The Point in the early 2000s.

History

WBZI I-95 (Country)

Originally WBZI the FM sister of the former WGIC-AM which employed numerous formats from southern gospel in the mid 1970s, adult contemporary in the late 1970s (as "I-95" following a format and AM/FM frequency swap) then switching to country in 1980. The station was always the 'also ran' to WONE which owned the country music audience in the 1970s and 1980s.

WDJK DJK95 (Adult Contemporary)

In 1988 the station flipped from country to a national AC satellite format. It was a low ratings performer since both WVUD-FM (99.9) and WWSN-FM (107.7) both were successful Adult Contemporary stations. In the later part of 1989 the station dumped the satellite format in favor of local AC. During the year the station began adding CHR titles and completed the move to CHR/POP in 1990.

WDJK DJ 95/Power 95 (CHR)

In the latter part of 1990, the station became CHR/Pop "DJ 95". This name lasted for two years until June 1992, when the station retained the CHR/Pop format and became known as "Power 95", following the playing of Boyz II Men's "It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday" 953 times in a row. The CHR/Pop format would last until July, 1993, when the station was put up for sale, at which time the station decided to flip to an '80s Oldies format, the first time such a format had been tried in the country. Once the station was sold, on August 10, 1993, following the playing of Night Ranger's "Goodbye", the '80s Oldies format was dropped as well as the entire airstaff for an FM simulcast of sister station 1500 WBZI, retaining the WDJK calls.

WZLR Kool 95/Oldies 95 (Oldies)

The station was sold to Dick Hunt (owner of WCLR/WPTW in Piqua, Ohio) again in 1994 and eventually became a simulcast with Piqua's WCLR "Kool 95" becoming repeater WZLR. In 1998 the station was sold to Cox Media Group and tweaks to the format were made including a branding change to Oldies 95 in its final year of operation.

WDTP 95.3 The Point ('80s Hits)

Another format and call letter change took place in October 2000 becoming WDTP the repeater of 95.7 WDPT "Dayton's Point" playing '80s Adult Hits until September 2002. The simulcast was branded as "95.7 Northside and 95.3 Southside." 95.7 The Point continued on the 95.7 WDPT frequency with the '80s Adult Hits format until October 30, 2006 when the station became a simulcast of News/Talk WHIO-AM.

WZLR 95.3 ZLR (Classic Rock)

At this point the station flipped to Classic Rock after a full day of stunting with the opening riffs of Queen's "We Will Rock You" playing in the background and reverting to the WZLR calls. The original 95.3 ZLR was a mainstream '70s Classic Rock format. The station used a "no DJ" approach and promoted the fact they were Dayton's first radio station without DJs. Until recently the station did not use DJs.

WZLR 95.3 The Eagle ('70s Classic Hits)

In 2006, the station evolved and softened into a Classic Hits format and picked up the handle "95.3 The Eagle-Dayton's Classic Hits Station", as well as retaining the WZLR calls. Core artists during this era of the station included Fleetwood Mac, Bob Seger, The Eagles, and The Doobie Brothers.

In March 2009, the station added the nationally syndicated Bubba the Love Sponge morning show.

WZLR 95.3 and 101.1 The Eagle ('80s Classic Hits)

The station's website mentioned that a format change would be coming to 95.3 Thursday, January 7, 2010 following the Bubba the Love Sponge Show. It was announced at 11 AM on Thursday, January 7 that the station was shifting its focus to the 1980s ("Now more 80s and the same great 70s"). It also included short intercuts of old radio imaging from 104 DJX, 105 WTUE, and Z-93. The connection was made to the stations playing hit music in the late 1970s and 1980s in the market. The first song after the change was announced was "Nothin' but a Good Time" by Poison. Core artists at that time included Def Leppard, AC/DC, Tom Petty, Foreigner, Journey, The Police, Van Halen, John Mellencamp, Billy Squier, Bryan Adams and Aerosmith.

Bubba the Love Sponge was dropped from the station on March 2, 2011. According to AllAccess.com, the station completed its evolution to its new format and listener demand for music in the morning.[1]

On May 27, 2011 another shift occurred as the station completed its move to an 1980s Classic Hits station. The new sound of the station features the 1980s rock acts like Journey and Bon Jovi, alternative 1980s from R.E.M. and The Romantics, some pop from acts like Huey Lewis and The News and now the early 1990s. They still maintain the rock feel without playing dance pop from the 1980s. The station changed the positioning statement to 1980s Classic Hits to reflect the new format. The station's Facebook page indicates that the format is mostly 1980s with late 1970s included from acts that fit the model.

On June 1, 2012 the station changed their positioning statement to "'80s Rock Hits." Sandy Collins hosted a morning show in 2012. Sandy's career included stops WLQT, WMMX, WXEG and ironically played much of the 1980s music when it was current on WGTZ Z-93. The show ended. In September 2013, the station began operating on translator W266BG at 101.1 MHz;[2] this translator was previously used by WSWO-LP.[3]

The station now runs commercial-free weekends; the tactic has been running since 2015.

The station dropped the 'hits' part of the slogan and just focuses on "Dayton's '80s Rock." The current music is '80s rock and pop/rock.

The Eagle Morning Zoo

Dr. Dave and "The Eagle Morning Zoo" started on February 6, 2017.[4] Dr. Dave was the host of the original "Z Morning Zoo" on WGTZ (Z-93) in the mid to late 1980s. One week later, "Wild Bill" Cox, who had been Dr. Dave's WGTZ sidekick in the mid 1980s, joined the show.

Other personalities

The station added Chris Collins to the afternoon drive position on April 11, 2017. Chris was the former morning sidekick/news at WMMX Mix 1077 in Dayton and is also co-host of Miami Valley's Morning News on WHIO Radio. Fred Tomlinson, formerly of Z93, Mix 1077, and WDJX, is also joining the station from 9am to 2 pm beginning April 17, 2017.

Streaming

In addition to the Eagle website, streaming via the iHeartRadio website and smartphone app was available since summer 2012. Subsequently, a smartphone app solely for "The Eagle" was launched the following summer. This app allows listeners to not only hear the station's stream, but access features such as: "Open Mic," which records up to ten seconds of a listener's voice and could be used for playback on-air, either in station promos or prior to song requests; "Alarm Clock", which automatically starts playing the station's stream at a time preset by the listener; and the opportunity to vote on songs in the station's playlist, including which songs are featured on the regular playlist.

(WZLR's logo under previous "Classic Hits" positioner)

Former airstaff

WDJK DJ95/Power 95

Simulcast of WCLR

See also

References

  1. ↑ "WZLR Drops Bubba". All Access. Retrieved 2017-02-08.
  2. ↑ "The Eagle now heard in Dayton on 101.1FM". WZLR. September 16, 2013. Archived from the original on September 23, 2013. Retrieved September 23, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Ultimate Oldies Radio, WSWO Changes: Frequently Asked Questions". Southwestern Ohio Public Radio (WSWO-LP). September 2013. Archived from the original on September 23, 2013. Retrieved September 23, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Legendary voice Dr. Dave returning to Dayton radio | Dayton, Ohio". dayton. Retrieved 2017-02-09.
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