WZOO-FM

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WZOO-FM (102 ZOO) is a "Class A" FM radio station which operates at 102.5 MHz, now owned by Clear Channel. It operates with 5,800 watts of power with coverage of Ashtabula and Lake Counties in Northeastern Ohio. Its signal stretches as far East as the Northwestern tip of Erie County in Pennsylvania, as far west as the East Suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio, and as far south as the northermost part of the Youngstown, Ohio area. 102 ZOO has never changed its name since having gone on the air at Midnight on January 23, 1989. It has, however, changed its slogan several times from originally being "The Exciting FM" in 1989 and into the early 90s when it operated under a Top 40 format. Then, in the mid 90s, 102 ZOO changed format to become a Hot AC (Adult Contemporary) station. It also changed it's slogan to "No Rap, No Metal, No Way". In the early 2000s, when the station was sold by local owners, brothers Richard & David Rowley to Clear Channel, 102 ZOO changed its slogan again to "Your Hit Music Station". The station remained Hot AC until September 1, 2006, when the station underwent it's most recent format change, flipping back to a Top 40 (CHR) format. It is also interesting to note that the first song ever played on WZOO-FM was "Animal" By: Def Leppard and it was played at Midnight on January 23, 1989

102 ZOO was founded by John A. Bulmer, an experienced broadcaster whom was awarded a number of FCC permits to construct new FM stations in Ohio, Indiana and Glens Falls, NY (Lake Luzerne). When Bulmer constructed the new Ashtabula station on 102.5 MHz, he wanted something that rhymed with the 102 dial position. Mr. Bulmer desired the name ZOO. However, WZOO was already in use by an AM radio station in North Carolina.

Bulmer was able to take advantage of an FCC policy that allowed him to be granted the WZOO call sign on FM (as WZOO-FM) by obtaining the written permission from WZOO (AM) in Asheboro, North Carolina. Mr. Bulmer paid the licensee of WZOO (AM) $1,000 to grant him permission. Hence, "102 ZOO" was born. Perhaps it is interesting to note that WZOO-FM was one of five construction permits granted to Bulmer in the late 80's/early 90's. At that time, prior to FCC auctions for frequencies, Bulmer discovered a not widly known FCC policy whereby if a filing window closed and there were no applications filed, the FCC would then grant a construction permit (authority to build the radio station) under "First Come/First Serve" processing rules. While the general public was often stampeding to the next newly opened filing window, Bulmer was combing the FCC's records for windows that had just closed to ascertain what FCC filing windows drew no applications for a particular community. As a result, Mr. Bulmer received construction permits to construct new FM stations in Edgewood, OH (Ashtabula, OH, WZOO-FM), North Baltimore, Ohio (WHMQ FM, Findlay, OH), Royal Center, Indiana (WHZR (FM) "Hoosier 103" in Logansport, Indiana) and WJBI-FM in Windslow (Augusta-Waterville, ME). Bulmer constructed three of those four stations (he gave the WJBI-FM permit back to the FCC, as the economy had hit the skids in the early 90's) and built an entire group of new FM stations from construction permits. Arguably, 102 ZOO was Bulmer's most successful station in the group. Having constructed the station in late 1988 for approximately $140,000, he sold the station to Richard and David Rowley of Ashtabula in May of 1999 for 1.7 million cash. Bulmer currently owns and operates WDOE (AM) and WBKX (FM) ("96 Kix FM") in Dunkirk-Fredonia, NY. and is semi-retired, spending his spare time at his vacation home down in Florida.

ORIGINAL BROADCAST LINE-UP (1-23-1989)

Midnight-6am = Kevin August (can now be found in the education field in the west) 6am - 10am = Mike Anthony with "Mike in the Morning" (Mike is currently the sales manager of a cluster of radio stations in Kingman, AZ) 10am - 3pm = Thomas G. Raff (Currently serving as the Public Relations Director for Kent State University Ashtabula Campus) 3pm - 7pm = Mark Allen (Created Friday Festivities)(Currently hosting his own morning show at 102 Zoo's sister station, WREO) 7pm - Midnight = Doc Thompson (Currently serving as Operations Manager for Magic in Dothan, Alabama)

Also of Note = News Director "The News Gorilla" Rudy Saunders

TODAY'S BROADCAST LINE-UP

6am - 10am = Kidd Kraddick In The Morning 10am - 3pm = Kylee 3pm - 7pm = "Ya Bigg Dog" Paul Guglielmo 7pm - Midnight = Chad Lee