WRKZ

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WTZN-FM
Image:Http://imgsrv.937thezone.com/image/wrkz2/logo.jpg
City of license	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Broadcast area	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Branding	93.7 The Zone
Slogan	Pittsburgh's Man Station
First air date	1953
Frequency	93.7 (MHz)
Format	Talk
ERP	41,000 watts
Class	B
Callsign meaning	The Zone
Owner	CBS Radio
Website	http://www.937thezone.com

WTZN-FM(93.7 The Zone), is male-focused talk station radio station based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Owned by CBS Radio, the station operates at 93.7 MHz with an ERP of 41kw. Its transmitter is located in Pittsburgh.

Contents 1 History 1.1 The "B94" years 1.2 The Birth of "K-Rock" 2 Schedule for 93.7 The Zone 2.1 Weekdays 2.2 Weekends 3 The ZoneLines 4 External links

[edit] History

93.7 in Pittsburgh began its life as WKJF-FM in the 1950's, an independently-owned FM station. For a brief time, there was a co-owned UHF TV station, WKJF-TV (53), which operated in 1953-54.

During its early incarnations as WKJF, WKOI, and WJOI, the station played beautiful-music and easy-listening selections.

[edit] The "B94" years

To most people in Pittsburgh, however, 93.7 is perhaps best remembered as WBZZ, simply known as "B94". It was owned by Infinity Broadcasting.

Debuting in 1981, WBZZ (B94) was the city’s number one Top 40 music station, tailoring their programming to not only a younger audience, but also a Pittsburgh audience.

B94 was different from most stations in Pittsburgh because it featured local morning shows such as “Quinn and Banana" (featuring Jim Quinn and Banana Don Jefferson) in the 1980’s and “John, Dave, Bubba, and Shelly” (with some minor morning personality changes)in the 1990’s through 2004.

B94 not only energized its audience with its hit music, but appealed to Pittsburghers since most of the on air talent were originally from Pittsburgh. In fact, the John, Dave, Bubba, and Shelly morning show created several spoof songs about the city and the slang many Pittsburghers (and western Pennsylvanians) use. B94’s studios originally over looked Pittsburgh from Mount Washington. But in 1998 the station moved its studios to Green Tree, a suburb located just right out of Pittsburgh and where most of the city’s radio stations are located.

In 2000, things began to change in Pittsburgh. One of Clear Channel stations revealed a new Top 40 format at 96.1 FM. The station, WKST-FM (Known locally as Kiss FM) began to take a large chunk out of Pittsburgh’s B94 audience. With more syndicated programming featuring famous national on air talent and focusing more on the younger audience, B94 for the first time, saw itself slipping into second place.

While 'Kiss FM' didn’t have a Pittsburgh appeal, it caused B94 to make some changes.

Early in 2003, WBZZ tweaked its name by calling itself “93-7 BZZ”. This was done because the station did want any confusion of exactly where they were on the radio dial, and to re-image their station to compete with its new rival WKST “Kiss FM.” Later, in mid-2004, the station would tweak its name again, calling itself this time, B93-7. There is no relation with B-93.7 of South Carolina.

However, this did not help the station at all.

The Final B94 Lineup June 28th 2004:

Timeslot	Airstaff
Mornings	Dave Bubba Shelly and Giant Brian
Middays	Melanie Taylor
Afternoons	Kobe
Nights	Adam Bomb
Weekends	The Ron Man, Chris Mack

There is another B-94 in St. Marys, Pennsylvania which is unrelated to this one.

[edit] The Birth of "K-Rock"

In 2004 when Clear Channel yanked Howard Stern from their stations, including 105.9 The X WXDX-FM, WBZZ station manager Keith Clark and other station officials decided to flip the station’s format after 23 years, and not only pick up Howard Stern (which they saw as a golden opportunity to improve their ratings) but unveil a new rock format to compete with Clear Channel’s other rock stations.

So on June 30, 2004, WBZZ’s on-air talent gathered to say goodbye to Pittsburgh, thanking them for their support throughout the years. And with the flip of a switch, WBZZ was no more, putting an end to a legacy and a birth to a new format and a new call sign, WRKZ. They failed.

It should be noted that former WBZZ morning personalities have split up, but all are still on the air in Pittsburgh. John Kline (who left the station before the format flip, is now on WZPT with former WBZZ personality ‘Bubba.” Both are part of the morning show. Shelly Duffy, is now on WRKZ sister station, KDKA AM 1020 and is part of the morning show as well. And Dave Cook is still at 93.7, but has his own show in the afternoon at WRKZ. "The Ron-Man" who was the weekend/swing jock also moved to WRKZ holding down the same position, but using the name Kravin.

Ratings for 93.7 improved after the switch, but began to decline before Howard Stern's departure for Sirius satellite radio.

After the demise of Howard Stern on FM Radio, the station had David Lee Roth as his replacement. However, due to low ratings, Roth was replaced by Opie and Anthony less than three months after Roth's debut. Opie and Anthonys ratings are just as low.

On Monday, August 21st, 2006, it was announced on Philadelphia's WYSP, that afternoon drive host, Kidd Chris, would begin syndication to 93.7 on Monday, August 28th. On March 19, 2007, K-Rock dropped The Kidd Chris Show.

[edit] Schedule for 93.7 The Zone

[edit] Weekdays

• 6-9am Opie and Anthony
• 9-10am The John Steigerwald Show
• 10-1pm The Dennis Miller Show
• 1-4pm John McIntire
• 4-7pm Scott Paulsen
• 7-10pm The Dave Dameshek Sports Contraption
• 10-1am Loveline
• 1-6am John and Jeff

[edit] Weekends

• TBA

[edit] The ZoneLines

• 412-333-9370
• Text 47625

[edit] External links

• Official Website
• Query the FCC's FM station database for WTZN
• http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/living/events/s_500210.html