WCZY-FM (Detroit)
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WCZY-FM was a Detroit "easy listening" radio station on 95.5 FM in the mid to late 1970s owned by Combined Communications (John Bayliss's Radio Empire). The state of the art facility was programmed by Robert Gaskins with a staff including Paul Bryon (Mornings), Bob Martin (Middays), and Al Gauge (afternoons).
In 1978, the former country station WDEE-AM (1500) was acquired and its call letters changed to WCZY-AM with a similar format. Even though several top rated disc jockeys like Bob Martin were moved to the AM, the poor signal of the station hindered the station from producing the #1 ratings the FM station enjoyed.
Finally, Bob Martin and the other air staff were moved back to WCZY-FM, and the AM was changed again, this time to WLQV-AM (Love Radio) with a Christian time-block religious format put in place. (This was an inside joke as the old country music call letters "WDEE" was said by former country jock Deano Day to stand for "We've Done Everything Else."[citation needed])
Even with solid competition from two other easy listening stations (WJR-FM 96.3 and WWJ-FM 97.1, later WJOI), WCZY-FM enjoyed two more years of #1 ratings in the adult listening market until in 1980, the Combined Communications chain was bought by the Gannett newspaper chain. Wishing for a heavier commercial load and with no radio ownership experience, the format was changed to Top 40 to compete with "Hot Hits" WHYT (the former WJR-FM), eventually taking on the moniker "Z95.5". Dick Purtan was brought in from CKLW as the new morning man, and the entire staff was replaced (Gaskins going to Boston, and Martin to Mobile, Alabama). But the station never came anywhere near the sales or high ratings levels it enjoyed under the leadership of Bob Gaskins and air talent of Bryon, Martin and Gauge; although WCZY-FM and its successor, WKQI, continued to frequently post top 10 ratings (largely due to the popularity of Dick Purtan), the 95.5 MHz frequency has not been number one (12+) since.
Incidentally, WLQV did return to the WCZY-AM calls and to simulcasting WCZY-FM for a time in the mid-1980s, returning to the WLQV calls and religious format afterwards. WLQV is now a Christian-talk station owned by Salem Communications.
Citing the continued below-expectations advertising revenue, WCZY-FM "Z95.5" migrated to Hot Adult Contemporary as WKQI in 1989. The station now programs a rhythmic-based CHR format as "Channel 955," owned by Clear Channel Communications.
