WHIZ-FM (92.7 FM) is a commercial

radio station Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based rad ...

licensed to South Zanesville, Ohio, featuring a

contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio (CHR, also known as contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top ...

format known as "Z92". Owned by

Marquee Broadcasting Marquee Broadcasting, Inc. is an American broadcasting company that owns several television stations in the United States. History Marquee began in 2013 when its owners, Brian and Patricia Lane, announced its intent to acquire WMDT and its re ...

, WHIZ-FM's studios are located on Downard Road in

Zanesville Zanesville is a city in Muskingum County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Located at the confluence of the Licking and Muskingum rivers, the city is approximately east of Columbus and had a population of 24,765 as of the 2020 cen ...

and its transmitter is located near

Crooksville, Ohio Crooksville is a village in Perry County, Ohio, United States, along Moxahala Creek. The population was 2,418 at the 2020 census. It was the home of Hull pottery, one of the best known Ohio potteries. History Crooksville was founded around 1874 ...

. WHIZ-FM was previously broadcast on 102.5 FM.

History

The 92.7 facilities, originally located at 2477 East Pike, on the east side of Zanesville, signed on January 5, 1983. It originally operated as WCVZ, a

religious Religion is a range of social- cultural systems, including designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relate humanity to supernatural ...

station owned by Christian Voice of Central Ohio. The Christian Voice of Central Ohio had been serving Columbus and surrounding areas since 1972, with Christian programming on 104.9 WCVO-FM. Each station had an illuminated cross on the top of their broadcast tower. WCVZ-FM programming was very similar to WCVO-FM, and featured many national Christian teaching, preaching, talk programs. These included Focus on the Family, with James Dobson, Turning Point, with Rev. David Jeremiah, Talk Back with Bob Larson, and many more. Seven days a week, a local "Prayer Line" program was broadcast, which invited listeners to share prayer needs, which would be prayed over by volunteer hosts. Music programming consisted of a local morning drive and afternoon drive program, and the format was an eclectic mix of contemporary, praise, and southern gospel music. In a typical hour of drive time music, all three were featured in a continuous rotation. Friday evenings featured edgier youth oriented Contemporary Christian Music. Saturday evenings featured southern gospel music. Staff and volunteers produced several weekend music programs. Several WCVZ on air hosts throughout the years include Robin (Sampson) Kelly, Chuck Case, Neil Snelling, Andy Shepherd, and Charles Rice. Locally produced weekend music shows included Gospel Ship (Farris Wilhite), Sunday Serenade (Charlie Swank), Street Light Radio (Michael Lanning), and Yesterday in Christian Music (Chuck Case). WCVZ was known for including children's programming on Saturday mornings. In 1994, the station began carrying "The SonShine Radio Network", which broadcast children's programming 24/7, via a subcarrier channel. Listeners could access the programming by purchasing a specially tuned receiver. The station was also known for its "Christmas Extravaganza" that preempted most regular programming for two weeks each December. The "Extravaganza" featured many special Christmas radio productions, including vintage radio productions like "A Christmas Carol" from Campbells' Radio Playhouse. WCVZ was underwritten by contributions from local businesses and the listening audience. Each September, "Involvathon" invited listeners to pledge gifts to provide for the station's financial needs. In 1994, a new transmitter site was constructed in rural Rose Farm, Ohio, where it remains today. The move allowed the station to increase its ERP from 6,000 watts to 16,000 watts. In October 2001, WCVZ was relaunched as "Joy FM". All previous programming was replaced by a 24 hour Contemporary Christian format. Michael James served as the morning show host. On October 17, 2008, the Southeastern Ohio Broadcasting System,

doing business as A trade name, trading name, or business name is a pseudonym used by companies that do not operate under their registered company name. The term for this type of alternative name is fictitious business name. Registering the fictitious name with ...

the WHIZ Media Group, announced the purchase of WCVZ, allowing 102.5 FM WHIZ to move out of the Zanesville area. Under a

local marketing agreement In North American broadcasting, a local marketing agreement (LMA), or local management agreement, is a contract in which one corporation, company agrees to operate a radio station, radio or television station owned by another party. In essence, it ...

, WCVZ then simulcast WHIZ-FM's

adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...

music format in preparation for this move until December 7, 2008, when WCVZ assumed WHIZ-FM's identity as "Z92", and WHIZ-FM became "Highway 102", featuring an automated country music format. Studios on Downard Road, Zanesville, Ohio, left When 102.5 FM moved to its new location serving

Baltimore, Ohio Baltimore is a village in Fairfield County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,981 at the 2020 census. History Baltimore was originally called New Market, and under the latter name was laid out in 1824. A post office called Baltimore has ...

, it took the WCVZ call sign from 92.7, allowing 92.7 to use the WHIZ-FM call sign. Former owner Christian Voice of Central Ohio continues to serve the Zanesville area on

WZNP WZNP is a non-commercial FM radio station located in Newark, Ohio, and operates on the assigned frequency of 89.3 MHz. The station was established as the replacement for South Zanesville, Ohio, South Zanesville-licensed station WCVZ, which ...

(89.3 FM) licensed to

Newark, Ohio Newark ( ) is a city in Licking County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located east of Columbus, Ohio, Columbus at the junction of the forks of the Licking River (Ohio), Licking River. The population was 49,934 at the 2020 United ...

, a part of the company's "River Radio Group". The WCVZ calls remained with WHIZ Media Group, and were used on 102.5 FM until December 23, 2010, when

operator Fun With Radio, LLC's

WWCD WWCD may refer to: * WWCD (AM), a radio station (1070 AM) licensed to serve Solana, Florida, United States * WXZX, a radio station (105.7 FM) licensed to serve Hilliard, Ohio, United States, which held the call sign WWCD in 2024 * WXGT, a radio s ...

calls were moved to the frequency. On October 2, 2014, WHIZ-FM transitioned from a

hot adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...

format to

. The Littick family announced the sale of the WHIZ Media Group, including WHIZ-FM, to

on April 20, 2022; the deal was completed on July 15, 2022.

References

External links

* {{Marquee Broadcasting HIZ-FM Radio stations established in 1983 1983 establishments in Ohio Contemporary hit radio stations in the United States Marquee Broadcasting