KLRZ (100.3 FM) is a radio station licensed to

Larose, Louisiana Larose is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 6,763 in 2020. It is part of the Houma– Bayou Cane– Thibodaux metropolitan statistical area. ...

. Owned by Coastal Broadcasting, KLRZ targets both

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

and the Tri-Parishes area.

History

In the early-to-mid-1990s, this station's moniker was Z-100, and was playing a Top 40/Rhythmic hybrid format aimed at the New Orleans market at the time. The format was then changed to a Classic Rock format with a mid-morning talk show in June 1996. In July 2005,

Citadel Broadcasting Citadel Broadcasting Corporation was a Las Vegas, Nevada-based broadcast holding company founded and developed by Larry Wilson. Citadel owned 243 radio stations across the United States and was the third-largest radio station owner in the count ...

entered into a $6,000,000 agreement to buy the station. However, after

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...

, they had backed out of the purchase. In fact, a new tower had been built to put a better signal into New Orleans, and was turned on the week before Katrina hit. Speculation was that Citadel was going to either sign on a Rockin' Country format onto this signal (which eventually was put on 106.7) or move the format of 106.7 the End to 100.3. ESPN New Orleans

A format of regional music called

swamp pop Swamp pop is a music genre indigenous to the Acadiana region of south Louisiana and an adjoining section of southeast Texas. Created in the 1950s by young Cajuns and Creoles, it combines New Orleans–style rhythm and blues, Country music, countr ...

was produced on the radio station for a number of years using the branding "Rajun Cajun". This format was later moved to sister station KLEB in 2014. On January 1, 2014, the station dropped the swamp pop music and flipped to

sports radio Sports radio (or sports talk radio) is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sport, sporting events. A widespread programming genre that has a narrow audience appeal, sports radio is characterized by an often-low comed ...

as the

ESPN Radio ESPN Radio, which is alternatively branded platform-agnostically as ESPN Audio, is an American sports radio network and extension of the ESPN television network. It was launched on January 1, 1992, under the banner "SportsRadio ESPN". The netw ...

affiliate in the New Orleans market. The station was named the new flagship station of the

New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Confere ...

on June 26, 2019. Ahead of the

2024–25 New Orleans Pelicans season The 2024–25 New Orleans Pelicans season was the 23rd season of the New Orleans Pelicans franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). On August 8, 2024, the Pelicans announced that they would depart from Bally Sports New Orleans (whic ...

, the team announced its move to WWL, while Gus Kattengell ended his afternoon show, leaving KLRZ with no local programming. In October 2024, Steve Hegwood, via Core Radio Group, took over operations of KLRZ under a time brokerage agreement. The agreement includes an option for Hegwood to buy the station outright, with payments from the time brokerage agreement being credited from the purchase price. Hegwood had previously owned urban contemporary KNOU ''Hot 104.5'' via On Top Communications before its facilities were destroyed by

. After Core Radio Group assumed operations, KLRZ dropped ESPN Radio and began stunting as ''Wayne 100.3'', playing only music by New Orleans native

Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all ...

. On November 4, 2024, KLRZ flipped to

urban contemporary Urban contemporary music, also known as urban music, urban pop, or just simply urban, is a music radio format. The term was coined by New York radio DJ Frankie Crocker in the early to mid-1970s as a synonym for Black music. Urban contemporary r ...

as ''Streetz 100.3''.

References

External links

Radio stations established in 1992

KLRZ KLRZ (100.3 FM broadcasting, FM) is a radio station licensed to Larose, Louisiana. Owned by Coastal Broadcasting, KLRZ targets both New Orleans and the Tri-Parishes area. History In the early-to-mid-1990s, this station's moniker was Z-100, and w ...

Radio stations in Louisiana 1992 establishments in Louisiana Urban contemporary radio stations in the United States Lafourche Parish, Louisiana {{Louisiana-radio-station-stub