WZSR (105.5 FM, "Star 105.5") is a

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 ...

broadcasting 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. Licensed to

Woodstock, Illinois Woodstock is a city in and the county seat of McHenry County, Illinois, McHenry County, Illinois, United States. It is located 51 miles northwest of Chicago, making it one of the city's outer-most suburbs. Per the 2020 United States census, 2020 ...

, United States, it serves

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

's northwest suburbs. The station is currently owned by Alpha Media. The station's studios are located behind McHenry County College in Crystal Lake.

History

WSTK

The station began broadcasting on April 1, 1968, and held the call sign WSTK. It was owned by Angelo Joseph Salvi.Ghrist, John R. (1996). ''Valley Voices: A Radio History''. Crossroads Communications. p. 142-147. WSTK initially aired middle of the road (MOR) and

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

music. By 1971, the station was airing a country music format full time. The station was taken silent in late 1973.

WXRD

In March 1974, the station was sold to Mal Bellairs for $95,000 and returned to the air, with its call sign changed to WXRD. WXRD simulcast AM 850 WIVS in the morning and aired a

progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...

format branded "The Crossroads" the remainder of the day.
Broadcasting Yearbook 1975
',

Broadcasting Broadcasting is the data distribution, distribution of sound, audio audiovisual content to dispersed audiences via a electronic medium (communication), mass communications medium, typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum (radio waves), ...

, 1975. p. C-61. Retrieved March 20, 2019. By 1980, the station had switched to a MOR format.
Broadcasting Yearbook 1980
',

, 1980. p. C-73. Retrieved March 20, 2019. In 1981, Bellairs sold the station, along with AM 850 WIVS, to Katy Communications of

Elgin Elgin may refer to: Places Canada * Elgin County, Ontario * Elgin Settlement, a 19th-century community for freed slaves located in present-day North Buxton and South Buxton, Ontario * Elgin, a village in Rideau Lakes, Ontario * Elgin, Manit ...

for $838,000. WXRD was refer as "X-105" ("The Star Station") in the early 1980s. On October 18, 1982, WXRD became an affiliate of the

Satellite Music Network Satellite Music Network was the first satellite delivered Radio network, network to provide complete live 24-hour-a-day music programming to radio stations, local stations, under several different formats. History Affiliate stations, mostly i ...

. The station then during the same time flipped to

Top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is a list of the 40 currently most popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "To ...

, despite its Satellite Music Network

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 ...

programming being used in its programming lineup, retaining its X-105 name.
Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1983
', Broadcasting/Cablecasting, 1983. p. B-79. Retrieved March 20, 2019. WXRD was also an affiliate of ''

American Top 40 ''American Top 40'' (abbreviated to ''AT40'') is an internationally radio syndication, syndicated, independent song countdown radio programming, radio program created by Casey Kasem, Don Bustany, Tom Rounds, and Ron Jacobs (broadcaster), Ron Jaco ...

'' 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 ...

during its short Top 40 run. In early 1984, the station immediately switched to an adult contemporary format, using the Satellite Music Network's StarStation format.
Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1984
', Broadcasting/Cablecasting, 1984. p. B-85. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
Standard Rate & Data Service - March 1, 1985
', SRDS, 1985. p. 282. Retrieved March 20, 2019.

WXET

On April 7, 1984, the station's call sign was changed to WXET. WXET aired an adult contemporary format and was branded "Lite Hits 105.5".
Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1985
', Broadcasting/Cablecasting, 1985. p. B-88. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
Chicago Radio Guide
'. Vol. 1, No. 1. May 1985. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
Chicagoland Radio Waves
', MediaTies. Summer 1988. Retrieved March 20, 2019. As both WXRD and WXET from 1982 until 1988, the station also carried selected

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...

baseball games. On March 3, 1988, the station was sold to Crystal Lake Radio, along with AM 850 WAIT, for $1.6 million.

WAIT-FM

On November 14, 1988, the station's call sign was changed to WAIT-FM. WAIT-FM simulcast AM 850 WAIT mornings, while

adult rock Adult album alternative (also triple-A, AAA, or adult alternative) is a radio format. See pages 9 and 10Mills, Joshua. "A New Radio Music Format: Rock for Prosperous Adults" New York Times, Feb 28 1994, p. 2. ProQuest. Web. Accessed September 4, ...

from the 1970s and 1980s aired the rest of the day. In June 1990, the station adopted a CHR format, airing programming from Satellite Music Network's "The Heat" network. In March 1991, it adopted a

classic rock Classic rock is a radio format that developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, it comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the early-1990s, primarily focusing on comm ...

format, which also aired programming from the Satellite Music Network for only 6 months. Feder, Robert. "WFMT chief resigns for 'personal reasons'", ''

Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily nonprofit newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has long held the second largest circulation among Chicago newspaper ...

''. May 6, 1991. p. 31. Later that year, the station was sold to Pride Communications, along with AM 850 WAIT, for $2.2 million.

Star 105.5

On August 29, 1991, the station dropped its short lived classic rock format and returned to its adult contemporary format, and it was branded "Star 105.5". On October 4, 1991, the station's call sign was changed to WZSR. In October 2000, NextMedia Group purchased Pride Communications' nine radio stations, including WZSR, for approximately $57 million. In 2014, the station was sold to Matrix Broadcasting LLC. In April 2019, WZSR was sold to

Alpha Media Alpha Media LLC is a radio broadcasting company based in Portland, Oregon, and led by Bob Proffitt. The group does business under the Alpha Media name. It was formed from the merger of Alpha Broadcasting, L&L Broadcasting, and Main Line Broadc ...

due to Matrix Broadcasting's bankruptcy back in March 2018.Deal To Transfer WYSO/Dayton From Antioch College To Independent Ownership Filed With FCC
, ''All Access Music Group''. April 9, 2019. Retrieved April 9, 2019.

References

External links

* {{Alpha Media ZSR Hot adult contemporary radio stations in the United States Alpha Media radio stations McHenry County, Illinois Woodstock, Illinois Radio stations established in 1968 1968 establishments in Illinois