WATZ-FM

For the AM station formerly known as WATZ, see WZTK.

WATZ-FM & WRGZ

City	WATZ-FM: Alpena, Michigan WRGZ: Rogers City, Michigan
Broadcast area	WATZ-FM: WRGZ:
Branding	WATZ
Slogan	Today's Country
Frequency	WATZ-FM: 99.3 MHz WRGZ: 96.7 MHz
First air date	WATZ-FM: unknown WRGZ: 1983
Format	Country
ERP	WATZ-FM: 17,000 watts WRGZ: 42,000 watts
HAAT	WATZ-FM: 257 meters WRGZ: 162 meters
Class	WATZ-FM: C2 WRGZ: C2
Facility ID	WATZ-FM: 71108 WRGZ: 49304
Callsign meaning	WRGZ: RoGerZ City
Former callsigns	WATZ-FM: none WRGZ: WVXA (4/1/88-5/30/06) WMLQ (3/5/84-4/1/88) WNSR (1/9/84-3/5/84) WOEA (7/19/83-1/9/84)
Former frequencies	WATZ-FM: 93.5 MHz (?-4/1/88) WRGZ: 97.7 MHz (3/5/84-?)
Affiliations	Michigan Radio Network
Owner	Midwestern Broadcasting Company (WATZ Radio, Inc.)
Sister stations	WBCM, WCCW, WCCW-FM, WJZQ, WTCM, WTCM-FM, WZTK
Website	watz.com

WATZ-FM (99.3 FM) and WRGZ (96.7 FM, "WATZ 99.3 and 96.7") are two radio stations simulcasting a country music format. The two stations are licensed to the cities of Alpena (WATZ) and Rogers City, Michigan (WRGZ). WRGZ first began broadcasting in 1984 under the call sign WMLQ while WATZ has been assigned the same call sign since it signed on in the late 1960s. The stations, along with sister station WATZ AM, are currently owned by Midwestern Broadcasting Company.

WATZ history

WATZ signed on the air in the late 1960s as an adult contemporary station at 93.5 FM, known for several years as "Z93." In 1988, the format of WATZ-FM was changed to country and the signal moved to 99.3 so the station could boost its power from 3,000 to 50,000 watts. For the next several years, WATZ-FM simulcasted the long-time Country music format of sister station WATZ AM. In the mid-90s, WATZ AM had switched to a news/talk format while WATZ-FM retained the Country format. WATZ-FM became a 24-hour broadcaster in 1999, using a satellite feed from Jones Radio Networks from 11 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. Prior to this, the station went off the air at 1 a.m.

WRGZ history

WRGZ began as the 26,000 watt WMLQ, "Mello-Q", an adult contemporary station at 97.7 FM, in 1984. The station went through numerous changes during the 1990s, including a move to the current 96.7 frequency and a long-running adult standards format as "Silver 97." In 1998, the station was purchased by Xavier University in Cincinnati and converted into a public radio station. It became a repeater of WVXU, the public radio station operated by the university, and its call letters were changed to WVXA. WVXA also featured a small amount of local programming in additiont o the WVXU simulcast.

In August 2005, WVXA was sold to Cincinnati Public Radio, although it continued to serve as a repeater of WVXU. At the same time, the station's power was increased to 42,000 watts. Cincinnati Public Radio was not interested in retaining ownership of WVXU's repeater stations outside Ohio and sold the station to Midwestern in March 2006. After the sale was closed the following May, its call letters were changed to WRGZ and it began repeating WATZ. WRGZ allows WATZ's programming to be heard in areas where the 99.3 FM signal is not heard clearly, as far north as Cheboygan and into the eastern Upper Peninsula.

WATZ today

WATZ-FM remains locally owned and operated by the same company that founded the AM station in 1946. All of its programming from 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays and during the day on weekends (except for syndicated shows such as Bob Kingsley's Country Top 40) is broadcast from the station’s studios in downtown Alpena.

References

External links

Official website

Query the FCC's FM station database for WATZ

Radio-Locator information on WATZ

Query Nielsen Audio's FM station database for WATZ

Query the FCC's FM station database for WRGZ

Radio-Locator information on WRGZ

Query Nielsen Audio's FM station database for WRGZ

Radio stations in the Alpena / Tawas City, Michigan area

By FM frequency	88.1 88.9 89.7 91.3 91.7 92.5 94.9/98.1 95.7 96.7 99.3 99.9 100.7 103.3 104.7 105.7 106.1 107.7

By AM frequency	960 1480

By callsign	WATZ-FM WCMB-FM WCML-FM WFDX WGJU WGZR WHAK (AM) WHAK-FM WHSB WHST WIOS WJOJ WKJC WSFP WKJZ WQLB WRGZ WWTH WZTK

Defunct	WATZ (1450 AM)

Nearby radio markets Detroit Flint North Central Michigan Thumb of Michigan Traverse City–Petoskey Tri-Cities See also List of radio stations in Michigan

Country radio stations in the state of Michigan

Stations	WFYC - Alma WATZ-FM – Alpena WBCH-FM – Hastings WBCM – Boyne City WBCT – Grand Rapids WBGV – Marlette WBMI – West Branch WCEN-FM – Hemlock WCMM – Gulliver WCUP – L'Anse WCZE - Harbor Beach WDRQ - Detroit WFBE – Flint WFXD – Marquette WGDN-FM – Gladwin WGNC-FM - Constantine/South Bend, IN WGRY-FM – Grayling WHKB – Houghton WIBM - Jackson WIKB-FM - Iron River WITL-FM – Lansing WJMS – Ironwood WJNR-FM – Iron Mountain WJPD – Ishpeming WKCQ – Saginaw WKFR-HD2/W273AR - Paw Paw/Kalamazoo WKJC – Tawas City WKKM-LP - Harrison WKZC – Scottville WLAW – Newaygo WLCO – Lapeer WLEW – Bad Axe WLST – Marinette, Wisconsin WMIC – Sandusky WMIM – Luna Pier WMKC – Indian River WMKD – Pickford WMLM – Saint Louis WMRP-LP - Mundy Township WMUS – Muskegon WNBY – Newberry WNWN-FM – Coldwater WQTE – Adrian WRCI/W246BW – Three Rivers WRGZ – Rogers City WSAQ – Port Huron WTCM-FM – Traverse City WTIQ - Manistique WTNR – Holland WTWS – Houghton Lake WUPG - Republic WUPY – Ontonagon WWBR – Big Rapids WWDK – Jackson WWSS – Tuscarora Township WWWW-FM – Ann Arbor WYCD – Detroit WYKX – Escanaba WYTZ – Bridgman

See also adult contemporary classic hits college country news/talk NPR oldies religious rock sports top 40 urban other radio stations in Michigan

Coordinates: 44°51′25″N 83°32′35″W / 44.857°N 83.543°W / 44.857; -83.543

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