WRVZ (107.3

MHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), often described as being equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose formal expression in terms of SI base u ...

, "107.3 The Beat") is an FM

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 A license (American English) or licence (Commonwealth English) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another part ...

Miami, West Virginia Miami is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated community in Kanawha County, West Virginia, Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States. Miami is south of East Bank, West Virginia, East Bank along Cabin Creek (West Virginia), Cabin Creek. Miam ...

. Owned by

WVRC Media WVRC Media is a media corporation comprising radio stations and two radio networks based in the state of West Virginia. The company was known as the West Virginia Radio Corporation prior to a December 2021 rebranding. The company is controlle ...

, it broadcasts a

rhythmic contemporary Rhythmic contemporary, also known as Rhythmic Top 20, Rhythmic Top 30, Rhythmic Top 40, Rhythmic CHR or rhythmic crossover, is a primarily American music-radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and upbeat R&B hit ...

format serving the Charleston area.

History

When the station was initially launched, it was known as "Country Heaven 107", broadcasting from Miami (Cabin Creek) West Virginia. Its call sign was WVCM, which stood for “West Virginia’s Country Music“. In 1987, after it and

WXIT WXIT (1200 AM) is a radio station that broadcasts in a contemporary hit radio format. Licensed to Blowing Rock, North Carolina, the station is currently owned by High Country Ventures, LLC. WXIT has been granted an FCC construction permit to mo ...

were acquired by Empire Broadcasting, the format was changed to a

soft rock Soft rock (also known as light rock or mellow rock) is a form of rock music that originated in the late 1960s in the United States and the United Kingdom which smoothed over the edges of singer-songwriter and pop rock, relying on simple, mel ...

format, and the station was known as “Lite 107“. The call sign was subsequently changed to WLZT to signify the “lite“ element of the station. In early 1989, the station would switch to an

oldies Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as well as for a radio format playing this music. Since 2 ...

format, keeping the WLZT call sign, and the tag became "Z–107". Despite the format change, WLZT continued to air the current hit countdown show ''

Casey's Top 40 ''Casey's Top 40'' was a syndicated radio music program that was distributed by the Westwood One radio network. The show was a vehicle for former ''American Top 40'' host and co-creator Casey Kasem and ran for over nine years. Like Kasem's prio ...

'' with

Casey Kasem Kemal Amin "Casey" Kasem (April 27, 1932 – June 15, 2014) was an American disc jockey, actor, and radio presenter who created and hosted several radio countdown programs, notably ''American Top 40'', as well as the weekly syndicated televi ...

every Sunday morning due to contractual obligations.

Bristol Broadcasting Company "Bristol Broadcasting Company" is a radio station chain operating 29 stations in four Southern United States markets: the Tri-Cities area of upper-east Tennessee and southwest Virginia (receiving its name from the twin cities of Bristol, Virgini ...

acquired the station circa 1992, and briefly changed the format to the CD Country satellite feed format. They retagged the station as “QBE2“, designating it as a high sound quality, continuous music companion to Bristol’s main country station in the market, WQBE. After approximately a year, the station reverted to oldies and adopted the dormant WKAZ call sign. Original WKAZ (950 AM) personality Frank George hosted an all request hour at noon on weekdays (but did not have a regular length shift beyond that). The West Virginia Radio Corporation purchased WKAZ-FM and WSWW in 1995. It initially had a 1970s music format until spring 1997. Around that time, sister station 580

WCHS WCHS may refer to: Broadcasting * WCHS (AM), a radio station (580 AM) licensed to Charleston, West Virginia, United States * WCHS-TV, a television station (channel 29, virtual 8) licensed to Charleston, West Virginia * WCHS-LP, a low-power radio s ...

would move its oldies format to WKAZ-FM in favor of a news and talk radio format. In fall 2001, in the wake of the

September 11 terrorist attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...

, WKAZ committed to broadcast

ABC News Radio ABC News Radio is the news radio service of ABC Audio, a division of ABC News (United States), ABC News in the United States. Formerly known as ABC Radio News, ABC News Radio feeds, through Skyview Networks, five-minute newscasts on the hour ...

updates at the top of every hour, 24/7. In 2006, WKAZ flipped from oldies to adult hits under the "

Jack FM Jack FM is a radio network brand that is licensed by Sparknet Communications, with the exception of the European Union where it is licensed by Oxis Media. It plays an adult hits radio format, format, in most cases not using disc jockey, DJs. F ...

" branding, using the ABC Radio satellite feed. In March 2007, after the Jack FM format was not well received by listeners in the area, WKAZ-FM restored the previous oldies format using

Tom Kent Thomas Kent Newton (August 6, 1954 – June 24, 2024) was an American radio personality and label executive. As the head of the ''Tom Kent Radio Network'', Kent hosted and produced syndicated daily, weekend and, 24/7 programming each week on a ...

's " Classic Top 40" branding. It positioned itself as "107.3 WKAZ-FM, Classic Top 40". On April 25, 2012, WKAZ-FM changed its format to classic rock, branded as "107.3 K-Rock". On August 8, 2014, after stunting for a day with patriotic-themed songs, WKAZ-FM flipped to a broad adult hits format as ''Tailgate 107.3'': positioned as "Party Songs for Party People", the station played a broad mix of current pop and country music, as well as classic hits spanning as far back as the 1970s. WKAZ 107

On April 1, 2020, the station flipped to

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

as ''107.3 KAZ'', flanking sister station classic country

WKWS WKWS (96.1 FM) is a broadcast radio station licensed to Charleston, West Virginia, and owned and operated by WVRC Media History Origination In 1969, WBES-FM 96.1 was launched by Rollins Telecasting (later acquired by Heritage Media) as an ...

. On June 26, 2023, the country format moved to WKAZ (680 AM), while 107.3 picked up the

format, "The Beat" branding, and WRVZ call sign from 98.7 FM on July 10.

References

External links

107.3 The Beat Online
{{West Virginia Radio Corporation RVZ HD Radio stations Radio stations established in 1986 1986 establishments in the United States Rhythmic contemporary radio stations in the United States Kanawha County, West Virginia