WBZW

WBZW
Union City, Georgia;
Broadcast area	South Suburban Atlanta
Frequency	96.7 MHz (HD Radio)
Branding	El Patron 96.7
Programming
Format	Regional Mexican
Subchannels	HD2: Spanish CHR (WBZY simulcast)
Ownership
Owner	iHeartMedia; (iHM Licenses, LLC);
Sister stations	WBIN, WBZY, WRDG, WUBL, WWPW
History
First air date	1952 (as WCOH-FM)
Former call signs	WCOH-FM (1948–1985); WBUS (1985–1987); WWER (1987); WMKJ (1987–2000); WLDA (2000–2001); WXVV (2001–2002); WBZY-FM (2002–2005); WVWA (2005–2006); WLTM (2006–2008); WWLG (2008–2013); WRDG (2013–2020); WRDA (2020)
Call sign meaning	Similar to that of former simulcaster WBZY
Technical information
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	61142
Class	A
ERP	2,100 watts
HAAT	173 meters (568 ft)
Repeater(s)	105.7 WBZY-HD2 (Canton)
Links
Public license information	Public file; LMS;
Webcast	Listen Live
Website	elpatron967.iheart.com

WBZW (96.7 FM) is an Atlanta radio station broadcasting a Regional Mexican radio format. It is owned by iHeartMedia and is licensed to serve Union City, Georgia. It operates from studios located at the Peachtree Palisades building in the Brookwood Hills district of Atlanta, and the transmitter is located in Tyrone.

History

Early years (1952–1987)

This station began broadcasting in 1952 as WCOH-FM at Newnan, Georgia.^[2] The 96.7 frequency began in April 1985 as WBUS, then became WWER in March 1987.

Adult contemporary (1987–1997)

Just a few months later, it became adult contemporary-formatted WMKJ "Magic 96.7" in November 1987, staying there for well over a decade. The "Magic" brand would be resurrected just one year after the demise of WMKJ when AC formatted "Mix 98.1" WMAX-FM (now WMGP) in Hogansville, Georgia, rebranded as "Magic 98.1."

Classic hits (1997–2000)

WMGP would shift to classic hits not long after, WHILE still retaining the "Magic" branding.

Rhythmic (2000–2002)

In October 2000, it became Rhythmic Top 40 WLDA, branded as "Wild 96.7".^[3]^[4] This lasted for only a year, becoming a simulcast of rock AC-formatted WMXV (Mix 105.7) as WXVV on October 8, 2001.^[5]^[6]

Alternative (2002–2005)

On April 5, 2002, WXVV dropped the simulcast with WMXV and flipped to alternative, branded as "96-7 the Buzz". The station also took on new calls WBZY.^[7]^[8] On May 5, 2005, the Buzz was moved to 105.3.^[9]

Spanish music (2005–2006)

It was then WVWA ("Viva 96.7"), returning to a simulcast in south metro Atlanta of north metro's WWVA-FM "Viva 105.7" (formerly "Viva 105.3").^[10] (This was the first time this broadcast callsign, which had previously been associated with a parody of radio, had actually been legally assigned.^[11])

Adult contemporary (2006–2007)

On December 20, 2006, WVWA broke from the simulcast again and became adult contemporary as "96.7 Lite FM". The format and moniker and WLTM call letters were previously held locally on 94.9, which flipped to country music as "94.9 the Bull" and adopted new callsign WUBL two days earlier.^[12]^[13]

When WLTM aired as "94.9 Lite FM", it was the Atlanta affiliate for the nationally syndicated Delilah nighttime show; this was not the case on its 96.7 revival, as her show would be picked up by rival station WSB-FM ("B98.5"), and aired there until it was dropped in 2011.

In March 2007, WLTM became the new home of Paul Harvey in Atlanta after a two-year stint on WYAY-FM "Eagle 106.7". Prior to that, Harvey was heard on sister station WGST.

In November 2007, the station again began playing Christmas music, though with a decidedly more modern and diverse musical style than in its previous years on 94.9, and than competitor WSB-FM. When the format was suddenly moved and changed in December 2006, it ceased playing Christmas music, even though it was before Christmas Day.

Classic country (2007–2008)

On December 26, 2007, WLTM became WWLG and took the moniker "96.7 The Legend", and began airing a classic country format.^[14] During this tenure, WWLG heavily emphasized how they played 10 songs in a row without interruption. WWLG's morning show was hosted by Chris East who also doubled as WWLG's assistant program director and WWLG's program director was WUBL afternoon jock, Lance Houston. From WWLG's launch to around 2009, the station used Roger Alan Wade for voiceover work.^[15]

Rhythmic (2010–2013)

On September 6, 2010, WWLG started simulcasting rhythmic CHR sister station WWVA-FM 105.7, in effort to increase its overall market coverage, mostly in the southern parts of the Atlanta metropolitan area. (The classic country format and "Legend" branding were moved to WUBL-HD2.) The last songs on "The Legend" were "If We Make It Through December" by Merle Haggard and Linda Ronstadt's "When Will I Be Loved", which was then cut in the middle with "Let's Get It Started" by The Black Eyed Peas, launching the simulcast.^[16] This marked the station's return to a rhythmic format since WLDA's exit in October 2001, and marks the third time the two stations simulcasted each other. On November 14, 2010, the station changed its name to "WiLD 105.7 & 96.7", retaining the "Atlanta's Party Station" slogan.^[17]

Alternative (2012–2016)

On March 28, 2013, at 11:00 a.m., due to low ratings most likely caused by Power 96-1's launch in August 2012, WWVA/WWLG began stunting with a loop of "What's the Frequency, Kenneth" and "Radio Song" by R.E.M. Just after Noon, the stations became "Radio 105-7", with an alternative rock format similar to 92.9 Dave FM and 99X, which both flipped in late 2012.^[18]^[19] On April 11, 2013, WWLG's call letters were changed to WRDG, while WWVA's call letters were changed to WRDA.

Urban (2016–2020)

On November 11, 2016, at 9:23 a.m., WRDG dropped the simulcast of WRDA (who continued with the alternative format), flipped to mainstream urban as "92.3 & 96.7 The Beat", and began simulcasting on translator W222AF FM 92.3 (who also dropped its contemporary Spanish format). "The Beat" launched with 10,000 songs in a row, and began carrying The Breakfast Club (which had previously been heard on W233BF) in morning drive starting December 5. The flip made the pair the fourth current-based hip hop station in the market, the other three being WVEE, WHTA and the aforementioned W233BF.^[20]

On April 12, 2018, W222AF was taken off-the-air by its owner because iHeart's lease of the translator expired.^[21] W222AF now simulcasts WAKL (106.7 FM).

Spanish music (2020–present)

On May 4, 2020, iHeart moved the "Beat" moniker, airstaff, and urban format to WBZY (105.3 FM), as that signal has a larger coverage area than 96.7.^[22] WRDG continued to simulcast 105.3 FM until May 18, when it switched to a fourth simulcast with 105.7 FM (now WBZY). The WRDG call letters moved to 105.3 on the same date; in turn, 96.7 FM adopted the WRDA call sign and then the WBZW calls on May 26, 2020.^[23]

On November 5, 2021, the station broke from the 105.7 simulcast once again and began stunting with Christmas music as "Christmas 96.7", running commercial free through the holiday season.^[24] On January 1, 2022, WBZW switched to a Regional Mexican format, branded as "96.7 El Patrón". The flip returned the format and branding to the iHeart cluster for the first time since the now-WRDG flipped to Spanish contemporary hits in November 2018.^[25]

Previous logos

References

^ "Facility Technical Data for". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
^ FCC History Cards for WBZW
^ Lance (September 8, 2000). "WMKJ becomes Wild 96.7". Format Change Archive. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
^ Miriam Longino, "Summer was a season of big changes," The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, November 19, 2000.
^ "RR-2001-10-12" (PDF).
^ Rodney Ho, "The End result at 107.9 signal: A return to Hot hip-hop idea," The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, October 9, 2001.
^ Rodney Ho, "Radio station 'Buzzing' with new format," The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, April 6, 2002.
^ "RR-2002-04-12" (PDF).
^ Lance (May 5, 2005). "96.7 The Buzz Moves To 105.3". Format Change Archive. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
^ Richard L. Eldredge, "The Buzz on the Buzz," The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 10, 2005.
^ "NorthEast Radio Watch by Scott Fybush".
^ Richard L. Eldredge, "Lite FM update," The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 20, 2006.
^ "Music & Radio Station News | AllAccess.com". All Access. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
^ "2007 HOLIDAY FORMAT CHANGE RUNDOWN". December 28, 2007.
^ WWLG "96.7 The Legend" Peachtree City, GA Station Imaging Part 2, retrieved January 24, 2024
^ "ATLANTA DOUBLES ITS GROOVE". September 6, 2010.
^ "GROOVE ATLANTA EVOLVING WILDLY". November 14, 2010.
^ "ALTERNATIVE RETURNS TO ATLANTA". March 18, 2013.
^ Lance (March 28, 2013). "Radio 105.7 Atlanta Launches". Format Change Archive. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
^ "IHEART DEBUTS THE BEAT 92.3/96.7 ATLANTA". November 11, 2016.
^ "Another Atlanta FM Loses its Translator".
^ The Beat Moves in Atlanta
^ "Z105.7 ATLANTA READDS 96.7 SIMULCAST". May 18, 2020.
^ "COMMERCIAL-FREE CHRISTMAS COMES TO ATLANTA". November 5, 2021.
^ "El Patrón Returns to Atlanta". Radioinsght. December 30, 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2021.