WEZN-FM
WEZN-FM (99.9 MHz, "Star 99.9") is a commercial FM radio station, licensed to Bridgeport, Connecticut and serving Southern Connecticut. The station is owned by Connoisseur Media and it airs a hot adult contemporary radio format. The WEZN studios are located on Wheelers Farms Road in Milford with other Connoisseur radio stations and the transmitter is off Video Lane in Shelton.[2]
 | |
| City | Bridgeport, Connecticut |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Southern Connecticut |
| Frequency | 99.9 MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | Star 99.9 |
| Slogan | Today's Best Mix! |
| Programming | |
| Format | Hot adult contemporary |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Connoisseur Media (Connoisseur Media Licenses, LLC) |
| Sister stations | WFOX, WPLR, WYBC-FM, WEBE, WICC |
| History | |
| First air date | October 24, 1960 (as WJZZ) |
| Former call signs | WJZZ (1960–1973) WEZN (1973–1998)[1] |
| Call sign meaning | W EaZy N (refers to previous easy listening format) |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 48721 |
| Class | B |
| ERP | 27,500 watts |
| HAAT | 204 meters (669 ft) |
| Transmitter coordinates | 41°16′44″N 73°11′8″W |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | www |
WEZN has a strong signal which reaches north of Hartford, Connecticut as well as into Suffolk County, New York and Nassau County, New York on Long Island to the south and into Westchester County, New York to the west. It can be heard in Monmouth County, New Jersey.
History
On October 24, 1960, the station first signed on the air as WJZZ, the FM sister station of WICC.[3] As the call letters imply, the station started out as a jazz outlet. It was the first station to be assigned the WJZZ call sign followed by 105.9 FM in Detroit, Michigan (now WDMK) and 107.5 FM in Atlanta, Georgia (now WAMJ).[4] There were few FM radios in the 1960s and the all-jazz format was not financially viable. For a time, WICC simulcast the programming from AM 600 on FM 99.9. WICC sold the station after several years.
The station was later bought by Williams Broadcasting, carrying a beautiful music format and changing its call letters to WEZN to reflect its easy listening sound. While WEZN was a popular and profitable station, the audience wanting to hear mostly orchestras and instrumental music was aging. So in the 1990s, WEZN gradually added more soft adult contemporary vocals until it made the switch to full-time adult contemporary. At the same time, 107.9 WDJF in nearby Westport, Connecticut also moved to an adult contemporary format, so WEZN went a step further, implementing a hot adult contemporary format.
Despite the format changes, the station has kept its WEZN call sign, although it rarely says those call letters on the air, preferring the handle "Star 99.9."
The station was purchased from Cox Radio by Connoisseur Media along with sister stations WFOX and WPLR, at a purchase price of $40 million. Connoisseur Media took ownership on May 10, 2013.[5]
Past radio hosts have included Randye Kaye.[6]
References
- "Call Sign History". CDBS Public Access Database. FCC Media Bureau. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
- "Radio-Locator Predicted Coverage Area for WEZN 99.9 FM, Bridgeport, Connecticut". radio-locator.com. Retrieved October 29, 2016.
- Broadcasting Yearbook 1977 page C-35
- Collins, Michael. "Part Two: Time Line For Connecticut Broadcasting". WUUH.org. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
- Venta, Lance (May 6, 2013). "Cox Sells Stations In Six Markets To Two Groups". RadioInsight. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
- "Randye Kaye". Edge Studio. Retrieved 2011-05-18.
External links
- WEZN in the FCC's FM station database
- WEZN on Radio-Locator
- WEZN in Nielsen Audio's FM station database