WILZ

This article is about the FM radio station in Saginaw, Michigan. For the AM radio station in St. Pete Beach, Florida, formerly known as WILZ, see WRXB.
WILZ
City Saginaw, Michigan
Broadcast area Saginaw-Bay City-Midland
Branding Wheelz 104.5
Slogan Classic Rock that Really Rocks
Frequency 104.5 MHz
First air date 1992 (as WUVE)
Format Classic rock
Power 2,900 watts
HAAT 126 meters
Class A
Facility ID 58578
Transmitter coordinates 43°23′34″N 83°55′27″W / 43.39278°N 83.92417°W / 43.39278; -83.92417
Callsign meaning WheeLZ
Former callsigns WMJA (4/8/95-3/19/99)
WUVE (5/3/91-4/8/95)
Owner Cumulus Media
(radio License Holding CBC, LLC)
Sister stations WHNN, WIOG, WKQZ, WFBE, WTRX
Webcast Listen Live
Website wheelz.fm

WILZ (104.5 FM, "Wheelz 104.5") is a radio station broadcasting a classic rock format in Saginaw, Michigan, owned by Cumulus Media. The station is the local affiliate of the syndicated programs The Bob and Tom Show. Former syndicated program Nights with Alice Cooper ended in the beginning of March, 2012.

WILZ can be heard in the Northern thumb area, around their niche market, Saginaw/Bay City. It reaches farther south through the Flint and Lapeer county areas. With weaker radios, an adjustment of the antenna is needed, because of adjacent channel interference from Detroit's WOMC on 104.3.

104.5 FM began in the early 1990s as WUVE, an album oriented rock station that aired some programming from ABC/Satellite Music Network's "Z Rock" network (though not an official "Z-Rock" affiliate). The station became WMJA ("Magic") with a classic hits format in 1995, and then adopted its current calls and format in 1999 (possibly in tribute to former Detroit album-rock station WLLZ 98.7 FM, now Top-40 WDZH).

Wheelz 104.5 and 101 logo, back when the two stations simulcasted.

WILZ's format was formerly simulcast on then-sister station WYLZ (100.9 FM) (now WLUN), licensed to Pinconning, Michigan. WYLZ has broadcast a variety of different formats since signing on in 1983. 104.5 and 100.9 together were known as "Wheelz 104.5 and 101" from 1999 to 2007.

In June 2007, WYLZ was sold by Citadel Broadcasting (along with nine other stations) to The Last Bastion Station Trust, LLC, as part of ABC Radio's absorption into Citadel. Upon ending the simulcast, WYLZ switched to a satellite-fed country format ("Mainstream Country" from Dial Global) under the "Thunder Country" moniker. Despite the programming changes, WYLZ continued to air play-by-play of Great Lakes Loons baseball during the summer of 2007. In winter of 2008 the Great Lakes Loons finally took over ownership and changed the station to sports radio under new calls WLUN. Citadel retained WILZ until its merger with Cumulus Media on September 16, 2011.[1]

References

  1. ↑ "Cumulus now owns Citadel Broadcasting". Atlanta Business Journal. September 16, 2011. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
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