WZLX

'WZLX' (100.7 FM, Boston) is a prominent classic rock radio station in the Boston market. WZLX was one of the first classic rock FM stations in America. It is known as "The Mother of Classic Rock" since it is the original classic rock station in the United States.

Contents

History

Programming/Personalities

Availiablity

External links

History

Originally WCOP-FM, a classical music station notable for being one of the first FM stations to break simulcasting with its AM partner. The station went through a number of format changes (and later callsign changes), including oldies (as “Total Gold 101, WCOP-FM”), country (with part of the day being a simulcast of sister station WCOP-AM), AOR (as WTTK "TK101"), beautiful music (as WHUE), and Top 40 (as WKKT "The Cat").
100.7 FM finally settled on the current format and callsign, WZLX, in October of 1985. Station owners, First Media Corporation, hired Gary Guthrie to design and implement a format aimed at people who experienced adolescence in either the 1960s and 1970s and enjoyed the music of those eras, but did not care for the then current heavy metal or top 40 'hot hits' of the 1980s. People whose mindset was getting too old for AOR and top 40 radio formats, yet were too young or not interested in the oldies radio format. The classic rock radio format then made its debut in Boston.
WZLX's first program director was Bill Smith, who also did the Morning Show from 1985 to 1990. Bill expanded on Gary's basic idea and grew the station into what it is today in two short years. He hired Harvey Warfield (Afternoons), Tony Mathes (Middays), Ann Cody (Evenings), and Musicologist Jeff Allen in a prominent position for weekends.
Smith Also Worked For WRKO, WBZ, WBOS, WEEI-FM, and WEGQ. Currently Bill Smith is Production Manager for WRKO in Boston.
A series of ownership changes made it a part of Cook-Inlet Radio, then Infinity Broadcasting in late 1992. Currently it's owned and operated by CBS Radio.
In the spring of 2007, WZLX became the first station in the country to broadcast programming in full digital 5.1 surround sound. This flagship effort coincides with the recent move of the industry to implement the HD Radio format.
The station had its studios on the 24th floor of the Prudential Tower in downtown Boston since 1991, which is the location of its transmitter. On March 3, 2007, the station moved crosstown to the facility where sister stations WODS and WBCN are clustered in the CBS studios in Brighton. The transmitter is still atop the Prudential Tower, with no intentions to move it.

Programming/Personalities

The most prominent personality on WZLX is probably Carter Alan, best known as the disc jockey who, during his time at WBCN, helped the rise of the band U2 in the United States, and later wrote one of the definitive biographies on the band; he also hosts ''Sunday Morning Blues'', some of the week's most popular programming. 15-year veteran Chuck Nowlin handles one of the most successful afternoon drive shows in Boston featuring the ''Attitude Adjustment Hour''. Kenny Young, the Night Rocker, rounds out the day schedule from 7:00 p.m. to Midnight.
There have been a few morning shows on the station in recent history. With the coming of Howard Stern to WBCN in the early 90s, the Boston legend Charles Laquidara and his show, The Big Mattress, took up residence at 'ZLX. With Charles' retirement, the short-lived ''Mornings with Tai and Steve Sweeney'' eventually gave way to ''Steve Sweeney's Neighborhood'', (co-hosted by Lance Norris) which ended its 5-year run in 2005. Long time morning team ''Karlson and McKenzie'' took over on August 1, 2005.
In June of 2006, the weekend branding of programming was changed. The branding ''"Weekend 'ZLX"'' debuted on the first Friday afternoon of summer that year, and has continued through the present time. The idea is that the songs are played in "shuffle mode" in honor of the iPod versus the pre-selected tracks by management.

Availiablity

'ZLX is can be heard clearly as far west as Worcester, south as Providence, and as north as Portsmouth, New Hampshire on any radio.
A more powerful receiver is preferred if you live on Eastern Cape Cod, Connecticut, west of City Hall in Worcester , and in Concord, New Hampshire. It can be heard on a powerful car stereo in Western Massachusetts, New York City, Maine, and in parts of Quebec. The station streams its audio live at their web site.

External links

★ WZLX home page

★ WZLX fan page

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