EZ Communications
Encyclopedia
EZ Communications, Inc. was a corporation
with its headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia
. In the 1970s, the small company was one of the pioneers of the easy listening
on the FM broadcasting
radio
spectrum with 2 stations in Manassas
and Richmond
. Within 25 years, the company grew to 20 stations across the United States
.
began in the 1930s. Although many broadcast radio stations had already been established in the AM frequency range
, the use of FM radio offered higher sound quality. However until the 1970s, FM broadcast frequencies were primarily seen as investments in the future, with most of the self-supporting commercial stations simulcast
ing with AM stations. Few automobile
s in the U.S. were equipped to receive FM signals until the early 1970s.
Beautiful music
was a mostly-instrumental music format
that was prominent in American radio
from the 1960s through the 1980s. "Mood music", "easy listening
", "elevator music
" and (inaccurately) "Muzak
" are other common terms for the format and the style of music that it featured.
In the Fairfax, Virginia
, Art Kellar was an owner of WEEL an AM radio station, licensed to Fairfax
which was one of the Washington, DC area's major top 40 stations in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Kellar acquired control of an FM station nearby, and went on the air with WEZR, licensed to Manassas, Virginia
. He used the new beautiful music format featuring primarily instrumental versions of popular music, only interrupted by station breaks and commercial advertisements only every 12–15 minutes, The company's Arbitron
ratings indicated it has popular with the public.
In 1970, the company took the successful easy listening format to the Richmond
market when it acquired European classical music station WFMV (FM), which had been Virginia's first station to broadcast in multiplex stereo, and changed the call sign to WEZS. The easy listening format was very successful in Richmond has it had been in the Washington DC metro market.
Soon, EZ Communications expanded into larger broadcast markets. Stations which used the easy listening format to find profitability in emerging FM markets were WEZC
(FM) 104.7 MHz in Charlotte, North Carolina
, and WEZB
(FM) 97.1 MHz in New Orleans, Louisiana
. In the early 80's EZ made a successful transition from eazy listening to creating Contemporary Hit Radio stations in New Orleans (WEZB became B-97) and Pittsburgh (B-94). By 1995, EZ Communications was # 12 in the Top 25 Radio Groups in the U.S.
Listeners as of spring 1995, as measured by the Arbitron ratings service.
and St. Louis, Missouri
. The combination gave American Radio 96 outlets in mostly midsize markets, making it the nation's second-biggest radio broadcaster in advertising sales.
The combined company's estimated sales of $340 million ranked second only behind Westinghouse Electric Corp.
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
with its headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia
Fairfax, Virginia
The City of Fairfax is an independent city forming an enclave within the confines of Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Although politically independent of the surrounding county, the City is nevertheless the county seat....
. In the 1970s, the small company was one of the pioneers of the easy listening
Easy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
on the FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
spectrum with 2 stations in Manassas
Manassas, Virginia
The City of Manassas is an independent city surrounded by Prince William County and the independent city of Manassas Park in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Its population was 37,821 as of 2010. Manassas also surrounds the county seat for Prince William County but that county...
and Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. Within 25 years, the company grew to 20 stations across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
History
FM broadcasting in the USAFM broadcasting in the USA
FM broadcasting in the United States began in the 1930s at engineer and inventor Edwin Howard Armstrong's experimental station, W2XMN. The use of FM radio has been associated with higher sound quality in music radio.-History of FM radio in the U.S.:...
began in the 1930s. Although many broadcast radio stations had already been established in the AM frequency range
AM broadcasting
AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...
, the use of FM radio offered higher sound quality. However until the 1970s, FM broadcast frequencies were primarily seen as investments in the future, with most of the self-supporting commercial stations simulcast
Simulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
ing with AM stations. Few automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
s in the U.S. were equipped to receive FM signals until the early 1970s.
Beautiful music
Beautiful music
Beautiful music is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in American radio from the 1960s through the 1980s...
was a mostly-instrumental music format
Radio format
A radio format or programming format not to be confused with broadcast programming describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. Radio formats are frequently employed as a marketing tool, and constantly evolve...
that was prominent in American radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
from the 1960s through the 1980s. "Mood music", "easy listening
Easy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
", "elevator music
Elevator music
Elevator music refers to instrumental arrangements of popular music designed for playing in shopping malls, grocery stores, department stores, telephone systems , cruise ships, airports, doctors' and dentists' offices, and elevators...
" and (inaccurately) "Muzak
Muzak
Muzak Holdings LLC is a company based in metro Fort Mill, South Carolina, United States, just outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. Founded in 1934, Muzak Holdings is best known for distribution of background music to retail stores and other companies....
" are other common terms for the format and the style of music that it featured.
In the Fairfax, Virginia
Fairfax, Virginia
The City of Fairfax is an independent city forming an enclave within the confines of Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Although politically independent of the surrounding county, the City is nevertheless the county seat....
, Art Kellar was an owner of WEEL an AM radio station, licensed to Fairfax
Fairfax, Virginia
The City of Fairfax is an independent city forming an enclave within the confines of Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Although politically independent of the surrounding county, the City is nevertheless the county seat....
which was one of the Washington, DC area's major top 40 stations in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Kellar acquired control of an FM station nearby, and went on the air with WEZR, licensed to Manassas, Virginia
Manassas, Virginia
The City of Manassas is an independent city surrounded by Prince William County and the independent city of Manassas Park in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Its population was 37,821 as of 2010. Manassas also surrounds the county seat for Prince William County but that county...
. He used the new beautiful music format featuring primarily instrumental versions of popular music, only interrupted by station breaks and commercial advertisements only every 12–15 minutes, The company's Arbitron
Arbitron
Arbitron is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio audiences. It was founded as American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by merging with L.A. based Coffin, Cooper and Clay in the early 1950s...
ratings indicated it has popular with the public.
In 1970, the company took the successful easy listening format to the Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
market when it acquired European classical music station WFMV (FM), which had been Virginia's first station to broadcast in multiplex stereo, and changed the call sign to WEZS. The easy listening format was very successful in Richmond has it had been in the Washington DC metro market.
Soon, EZ Communications expanded into larger broadcast markets. Stations which used the easy listening format to find profitability in emerging FM markets were WEZC
WEZC
WEZC is a radio station licensed to serve Clinton, Illinois, USA. The station, established in 1975 as WHOW-FM, is currently owned the Miller Media Group and the broadcast license is held by Kaskaskia Broadcasting, Inc.-Programming:...
(FM) 104.7 MHz in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, and WEZB
WEZB
WEZB, aka B-97 today, is a mainstream Contemporary hit radio radio station in New Orleans, Louisiana. The station is owned by Entercom and they broadcast their format at 97.1 MHz with an effective radiated power of 99 kW...
(FM) 97.1 MHz in New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
. In the early 80's EZ made a successful transition from eazy listening to creating Contemporary Hit Radio stations in New Orleans (WEZB became B-97) and Pittsburgh (B-94). By 1995, EZ Communications was # 12 in the Top 25 Radio Groups in the U.S.
Listeners as of spring 1995, as measured by the Arbitron ratings service.
Sale to American Radio Systems
In 1996, American Radio Systems Corp. of Boston, Massachusetts bought EZ Communications Inc. for about US$655 million. At the time, EZ Communications operated 20 stations in cities such as Seattle, WashingtonSeattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
and St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. The combination gave American Radio 96 outlets in mostly midsize markets, making it the nation's second-biggest radio broadcaster in advertising sales.
The combined company's estimated sales of $340 million ranked second only behind Westinghouse Electric Corp.
See also
- FM broadcasting in the USAFM broadcasting in the USAFM broadcasting in the United States began in the 1930s at engineer and inventor Edwin Howard Armstrong's experimental station, W2XMN. The use of FM radio has been associated with higher sound quality in music radio.-History of FM radio in the U.S.:...
- FM broadcast bandFM broadcast bandThe FM broadcast band, used for FM broadcast radio by radio stations, differs between different parts of the world. In Europe and Africa , it spans from 87.5 to 108.0 megahertz , while in America it goes only from 88.0 to 108.0 MHz. The FM broadcast band in Japan uses 76.0 to 90 MHz...
- AM broadcastingAM broadcastingAM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...
- AM stereoAM stereoAM stereo is a term given to a series of mutually incompatible techniques for wireless radio broadcasting stereo audio in the AM band in a manner that is compatible with standard AM receivers...
- list of broadcast station classes
- history of radioHistory of radioThe early history of radio is the history of technology that produced radio instruments that use radio waves. Within the timeline of radio, many people contributed theory and inventions in what became radio. Radio development began as "wireless telegraphy"...
- RDS (Radio Data System)Radio Data SystemRadio Data System, or RDS, is a communications protocol standard for embedding small amounts of digital information in conventional FM radio broadcasts. RDS standardises several types of information transmitted, including time, station identification and programme information.Radio Broadcast Data...
- long-distance FM reception (FM DX)