WZOQ

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WZOQ
Branding	92 ZOO
Slogan	The Station That Defines Variety
Frequency	92.1 (MHz)
Format	Contemporary hit radio
ERP	3,000 watts
Class	A
Owner	Maverick Media of Lima, LCC
Website	[1]

WZOQ "92 Zoo" is a commercial FM station licensed to Wapakoneta operating at 92.1 mHz with a contemporary hit format. Its studios and offices are located in Lima, Ohio with transmitter located in Cridersville between Wapakoneta and Lima.

1 History
2 Facilities and Programming
3 Programming
4 ON-AIR Presentation
5 External links

[edit] History

Originally WERM (for its main air personality Ernestine R. Miller..wife of the station's founder Harry B. Miller) when it first took to the air in 1965 under the licensee name West Central Ohio Broadcasters Inc. WERM was a family owned and opearated station located west of Wapakoneta on County Road 33-A (old U.S. Route 33) in Moulton which aired local news and sports. Its format was a mix of traditional middle of the road and beautiful music. In the mid 1970s the gradual trend towards contemporary pop began with the evening shift "6 to 10 Club" and occasional rock. It also operated an in-house training school for local aspiring broadcasters along with jazz-formatted Xenia sister stations WELX-AM(now southern gospel WGNZ in Fairborn) and WHBM-FM (now active rock WXEG in Beavercreek.)

In 1978 WERM was purchased by John Bulmer Communications with the call letters switched to WAXC (previously used at an AM station in Rochester,NY) as "Waxcee 92-FM...Your Radio Station" putting greater emphasis on the Wapakoneta/St. Marys community while gradually moving closer to the Lima market when its transmitter was moved from its studios in Moulton to Cridersville in the early 1980s. The station's new owner went as far as installing newer audio equipment and airing major market-styled jingles produced by PAMS and Jam Creative Productions along with high energy production values giving it a more professional sound and image over the former WERM with a soft adult contemporary-day/ Hot AC-evening format. A polka program was also aired on Sunday afternoons.

After a short-lived format switch to an adult standards/pop oldies mix,WAXC was sold in 1985 to what eventually became Pennsylvania-based Forever Broadcasting becoming WZOQ,then slowly moving the operation from the small 1960s-styled brick house in Moulton to a former KFC restaurant on Cable Road in Lima and later up the street to the former WCIT-AM/WLSR-FM studios(now WLJM-AM/ WUZZ-FM respectively) when Forever purchased both stations and added country newcomer WFGF to the new cluster operation which is where it is located today.

[edit] Facilities and Programming

Since 1986 WZOQ "92 Zoo" has been Lima's top rated contemporary hit music station. It's 3000 watt transmitter is located on East National Road in Cridersville. Prior to WZOQ,Top 40 hit music was aired on the former WCIT-AM "Great 94" (later "Rock 94" now WLJM "ESPN 940.") 92 Zoo currently airs the sydnicated "Bob & Sheri" morning program in addition to local air talent. In 2005, WZOQ and the other Forever-owned Lima stations were sold to Wisconsin-based Maverick Media and purchased classsic country WDOH in Delphos switching to the soft adult contemporary format it now airs today.

[edit] Programming

WZOQ is programmed by Dan Baisden who transferred from Artistic Media Partners of Lafayette where he most recently programmed heritage WAZY Top 40, WLFF County. Baisden has also programmed various contemporary formated stations in Huntington West Virginia, and Mount Vernon Ohio.

WZOQ Mid-Days are hosted by local favorite Chris Connor who has been with the station for 9 years.

WZOQ Evenings are handled by Ryan Reker who also serves as Program Director of co-owned Sports Talker WLJM-AM. Reker arrived in 2006 from Grand Rapids Michigan.

WZOQ Mornings are syndicated from Lincoln Financials BOB AND SHERI

Weekends are hosted by a variety of local talent including Bean who moved from Florida where he worked at Magic 92.1. Samantha has worked at various radio stations in the area incluing Forever of Ohio and FOX TV Lima. Murphy Stephens transitions from co owned WFGF.

[edit] ON-AIR Presentation

MONDAY - FRIDAY

6AM - 10AM BOB AND SHERI in the morning

10AM - 3PM CHRIS CONNOR and the At Work Zoo

3PM - 7PM KENNEDY (Program Director)

7PM - 12AM BUZZ @ NITE

SATURDAYS

6AM - 10AM BOB AND SHERI in the morning

10AM - 3PM CHRIS CONNOR and the At Work Zoo

3PM - 7PM BUZZ

7PM - 12AM BEAN

SUNDAYS

6AM - 10AM MURPHY STEPHENS

10AM - 3PM SAMANTHA KELLOGG

3PM - 5PM KID KELLY BACKTRAX 80'S

5PM - 7PM KID KELLY BACKTRAX 90'S

7PM - 11PM JOE CORTEZ RETRO POP REUNION

[edit] External links

Radio stations in the Lima, Ohio market (Arbitron #250)

By Frequency: (FM) 88.1 | 88.7 | 89.3 | 90.7 | 91.5 | 92.1 | 93.1 | 93.9 | 94.9 | 97.7 | 102.1 | 103.3 | 104.9 | 105.9 | 106.3 | 107.1 | 107.5