WNWZ
Encyclopedia
WNWZ is a radio station
broadcasting a comedy
format, licensed to Grand Rapids, Michigan
.
The station is simulcast on the HD2 subchannel of adult contemporary sister station WLHT
95.7.
1340 and WZZM-FM
95.7 by the end of the decade. WGRD made a number of formatic adjustments in the mid-1960s in response to its falling ratings, shifting to an adult contemporary format in 1964 and then to a Top 40/oldies mix the following year before tweaking back to Top 40 in 1967. WGRD reclaimed its market dominance after it added an FM signal at 97.9 MHz in 1971 (formerly WXTO), though AM 1410 was relegated to being a simulcast of the FM signal.
format as WXQT. In 1984, WXQT flipped to oldies as "GREAT GOLD 14-K", which stood for "14 Karat Gold", focusing on pop oldies from 1958-1972. Under the direction of PD
Allen Jackson, "The NEW 14-K" featured Jack Stack (who had done mornings on WGRD and WLAV back in the 1960s) mornings, Rich Kennedy middays, Larry Olek afternoons and Pugs Stella evenings. The station earned a respectable 2.4 share 12+ in the Summer 1984 Arbitron. In 1986, the local lineup was dropped in favor of the ABC/Satellite Music Network "Pure Gold" satellite format. Ratings crashed to a 0.9 share in the summer of 1986 Arbitron, under the new call sign WKTH.
format (which changed to Modern Rock
in 1994). In 1996, WGRD changed calls to WRCV and switched to ABC Radio's syndicated "Real Country" format. The station continued to be a non-factor in the ratings. In September 1998, 1410 changed its calls to WNWZ and adopted a simulcast of CNN Headline News
, which was replaced by News/Talk in October 2001 (mostly syndicated from the Michigan Talk Radio Network).
(also 24 hours), 810 WMJH
and 1530 WYGR
(both daytimers). In August 2010, a reunion of more than 60 former WGRD staff members was held in Grand Rapids, which included market legend Bruce Grant, the original program director from 1948, and dozens of other personalities from the AM 1410/97.9 history.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
broadcasting a comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
format, licensed to Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
.
The station is simulcast on the HD2 subchannel of adult contemporary sister station WLHT
WLHT
WLHT-FM, also known as "CHANNEL 95-7" , is a hot adult contemporary music formatted radio station in Grand Rapids, Michigan owned by Townsquare Media. Until late April 2006, the station was the home of the husband-and-wife morning team of Dave & Geri.-WKLW, WZZM-FM, and WZZR:The station signed on...
95.7.
WGRD
The station first began broadcasting under the WGRD call sign in 1948. As AM 1410 was originally a daytime-only station, the WGRD calls stood for Grand Rapids Daytime. The station adopted the Top 40 music format in 1959 and was a top-rated station in the Grand Rapids market during the late 1950s and early 1960s, though the station had lost ground to WLAVWBBL
WJRW is a radio station broadcasting a News/Talk format in Grand Rapids, Michigan. WJRW is branded as NEWSTALK 1340 WJRW, West Michigan's LIVE & LOCAL Leader...
1340 and WZZM-FM
WLHT
WLHT-FM, also known as "CHANNEL 95-7" , is a hot adult contemporary music formatted radio station in Grand Rapids, Michigan owned by Townsquare Media. Until late April 2006, the station was the home of the husband-and-wife morning team of Dave & Geri.-WKLW, WZZM-FM, and WZZR:The station signed on...
95.7 by the end of the decade. WGRD made a number of formatic adjustments in the mid-1960s in response to its falling ratings, shifting to an adult contemporary format in 1964 and then to a Top 40/oldies mix the following year before tweaking back to Top 40 in 1967. WGRD reclaimed its market dominance after it added an FM signal at 97.9 MHz in 1971 (formerly WXTO), though AM 1410 was relegated to being a simulcast of the FM signal.
WXQT/Great Gold 14-K
In 1981, WGRD dropped its simulcast (middays were shadowcast) of the FM station and switched to a "Big Band" Music of Your LifeMusic of Your Life
Music of Your Life is a satellite-delivered radio network featuring the Adult Standards music format. Created by record executive and jingle writer Al Ham, and now under the direction of Marc Angell, Music of Your Life has more than 50 AM, FM and HD-2 radio station affiliates, and has been in...
format as WXQT. In 1984, WXQT flipped to oldies as "GREAT GOLD 14-K", which stood for "14 Karat Gold", focusing on pop oldies from 1958-1972. Under the direction of PD
Program director
In service industries, such as education, a program director or programme director researches, plans, develops and implements one or more of the firm's professional services...
Allen Jackson, "The NEW 14-K" featured Jack Stack (who had done mornings on WGRD and WLAV back in the 1960s) mornings, Rich Kennedy middays, Larry Olek afternoons and Pugs Stella evenings. The station earned a respectable 2.4 share 12+ in the Summer 1984 Arbitron. In 1986, the local lineup was dropped in favor of the ABC/Satellite Music Network "Pure Gold" satellite format. Ratings crashed to a 0.9 share in the summer of 1986 Arbitron, under the new call sign WKTH.
More changes
In 1988, the station adopted Satellite Music Network's Z-Rock format, keeping the WKTH call letters. The station reverted to the WGRD calls in 1991, moving back to a simulcast of 97.9 FM's CHRContemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
format (which changed to Modern Rock
Modern rock
Modern rock is a rock format commonly found on commercial radio; the format consists primarily of the alternative rock genre...
in 1994). In 1996, WGRD changed calls to WRCV and switched to ABC Radio's syndicated "Real Country" format. The station continued to be a non-factor in the ratings. In September 1998, 1410 changed its calls to WNWZ and adopted a simulcast of CNN Headline News
CNN Headline News
HLN, formerly known as CNN Headline News and CNN2, is a cable television news channel based in the United States and a spinoff of the cable news television channel, CNN. Initially airing tightly-formatted 30-minute newscasts around the clock, since 2005, the channel has increasingly aired long-form...
, which was replaced by News/Talk in October 2001 (mostly syndicated from the Michigan Talk Radio Network).
La Maquina Musical
WNWZ's current Spanish pop hits format was adopted on January 1, 2003, and has thus far been fairly successful in the ratings given its poor signal, often ranking as Grand Rapids' third most popular AM station (behind only WOOD-AM and WBBL-AM) (see: 1). WNWZ was the first radio station to cater to the Spanish-speaking community in Grand Rapids 24 hours a day; its competing stations are 640 WMFNWMFN
WMFN is a radio station broadcasting a brokered Regional Mexican format. The station is known on-air as "La Poderosa" . The station is owned by Birach Broadcasting...
(also 24 hours), 810 WMJH
WMJH
WMJH is a radio station broadcasting a brokered Regional Mexican format, licensed to Rockford, Michigan and serving the Grand Rapids, Michigan market...
and 1530 WYGR
WYGR
WYGR is a radio station broadcasting an Urban Adult Contemporary format, licensed to Wyoming, Michigan and serving the Grand Rapids area. The station operates with 500 watts during the day and 250 watts critical hours, but must sign off at night to protect 1530 WCKY in Cincinnati...
(both daytimers). In August 2010, a reunion of more than 60 former WGRD staff members was held in Grand Rapids, which included market legend Bruce Grant, the original program director from 1948, and dozens of other personalities from the AM 1410/97.9 history.