WCRZ
Encyclopedia
WCRZ is a radio station
in Flint, Michigan
, broadcasting an adult contemporary format. WCRZ is the top-rated heritage station in the market.
, and has been a sister station to WCRZ since the mid-1990s.
Cars 108 has a stable airstaff, with air personalities Rod Prahin, J.Patrick, George McIntyre, Stu Allen, Dale Willis and Wright Wilson all part of the lineup for a decade or more.
Since the mid-1990s WCRZ has been the number one radio station in Flint, off and on, and was the first station in the market to broadcast in high definition
. Since then, sister stations WWBN
and WRCL
have also added HD broadcasting, as has competing station WDZZ.
In the Spring of 1995, WCRZ went off the air for some time due to a vandalizing of their transmitting antenna. During this time, the frequency of 107.9 was dead for roughly a week. However, sister station 101.5 WWBN allowed WCRZ to share signals until repairs were made on the antenna.
WCRZ is the Flint outlet for Delilah
's syndicated love-songs show. Prior to this, that shift was manned by the locally-based radio veteran Carey Conley, whose delivery and style was frequently compared to bass singer Barry White
, and before that, by Jeff Wade, whose delivery and persona rivaled that of Alan Almond, longtime nighttime air personality at WNIC
in Detroit. Cars 108 also features John Tesh
during overnight hours.
WCRZ can be heard as far north as Big Rapids, and as far west as Grand Rapids during certain atmospheric conditions.
The station plays classic hits
and oldies
during the "Cars Classic Lunch" on weekdays, hosted by midday personality J. Patrick (who also hosted "J.'s Jukebox," a Saturday-night oldies show, until that show was canceled in favor of Casey Kasem
's American Top 40
- The 80s). Rod Prahin hosts the morning show. Prior to this, morning drive was handled by Johnny Burke, who now handles mornings at WHNN
.
WCRZ's jingle melody was adapted from KVIL in Dallas, Texas
. For much of the 1990s, JAM Creative Productions
produced WCRZ's jingles; it was JAM that chose to sing the station's nickname, "Cars 108" to the melody of KVIL. For over a decade, however, WCRZ's jingles have been by TM Studios.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
in Flint, Michigan
Flint, Michigan
Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...
, broadcasting an adult contemporary format. WCRZ is the top-rated heritage station in the market.
History
From its sign-on in 1961 until changing its call letters to WCRZ in 1984, the station was WGMZ with a long-running and successful MOR/easy listening format. Those calls were assumed by an easy-listening station in Tuscola, Michigan three years later, and that station is known today as WWBNWWBN
WWBN , is a radio station broadcasting rock music to Central Michigan and The Thumb areas of Michigan. The station is owned by Townsquare Media and is a member of the Michigan Association of Broadcasters...
, and has been a sister station to WCRZ since the mid-1990s.
Cars 108 has a stable airstaff, with air personalities Rod Prahin, J.Patrick, George McIntyre, Stu Allen, Dale Willis and Wright Wilson all part of the lineup for a decade or more.
Since the mid-1990s WCRZ has been the number one radio station in Flint, off and on, and was the first station in the market to broadcast in high definition
Intel High Definition Audio
Intel High Definition Audio refers to the specification released by Intel in 2004 for delivering high-definition audio that is capable of playing back more channels at higher quality than previous integrated audio codecs like AC'97...
. Since then, sister stations WWBN
WWBN
WWBN , is a radio station broadcasting rock music to Central Michigan and The Thumb areas of Michigan. The station is owned by Townsquare Media and is a member of the Michigan Association of Broadcasters...
and WRCL
WRCL
WRCL is a commercial broadcast radio station serving the mid Michigan area . It plays Rhythmic Contemporary Hits on the FM dial at 93.7 MHz, naming itself Club 93-7...
have also added HD broadcasting, as has competing station WDZZ.
In the Spring of 1995, WCRZ went off the air for some time due to a vandalizing of their transmitting antenna. During this time, the frequency of 107.9 was dead for roughly a week. However, sister station 101.5 WWBN allowed WCRZ to share signals until repairs were made on the antenna.
WCRZ is the Flint outlet for Delilah
Delilah Rene
Delilah Rene Luke , almost always known mononymously as Delilah, is an American radio personality, author, and songwriter, best known as the host of a nationally syndicated nightly U.S...
's syndicated love-songs show. Prior to this, that shift was manned by the locally-based radio veteran Carey Conley, whose delivery and style was frequently compared to bass singer Barry White
Barry White
Barry White, born Barry Eugene Carter , was an American composer and singer-songwriter.A five-time Grammy Award-winner known for his distinctive bass voice and romantic image, White's greatest success came in the 1970s as a solo singer and with the Love Unlimited Orchestra, crafting many enduring...
, and before that, by Jeff Wade, whose delivery and persona rivaled that of Alan Almond, longtime nighttime air personality at WNIC
WNIC
WNIC is an American radio station based in Detroit, Michigan broadcasting at 100.3 MHz FM. WNIC's studios and offices are located in Farmington Hills, MI. WNIC's transmitter is located near Schoolcraft and Livernois Avenue in the City of Detroit on the near west side. WNIC broadcasts with an...
in Detroit. Cars 108 also features John Tesh
John Tesh
John Frank Tesh is an American pianist and composer of pop music, as well as a radio host and television presenter. His 10-year-old 'Intelligence for Your Life Radio Show' reaches 14.2 Million listeners/week, and is syndicated by Teshmedia on 400 stations in US, Canada, and the UK...
during overnight hours.
WCRZ can be heard as far north as Big Rapids, and as far west as Grand Rapids during certain atmospheric conditions.
The station plays classic hits
Classic hits
Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes rock and pop music from 1964 to 1989. The term is sometimes erroneously used as a synonym for the adult hits format, but is more accurately characterized as a contemporary style of the oldies format...
and oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
during the "Cars Classic Lunch" on weekdays, hosted by midday personality J. Patrick (who also hosted "J.'s Jukebox," a Saturday-night oldies show, until that show was canceled in favor of Casey Kasem
Casey Kasem
Kemal Amin "Casey" Kasem is an American radio personality and voice actor who is best known for being the host of the nationally syndicated Top 40 countdown show American Top 40, and for voicing Shaggy in the popular Saturday morning cartoon franchise Scooby-Doo.Kasem, along with Don Bustany and...
's American Top 40
American Top 40
American Top 40 is an internationally syndicated, independent radio program created by Casey Kasem, Don Bustany, Tom Rounds and Ron Jacobs. Originally a production of Watermark Inc...
- The 80s). Rod Prahin hosts the morning show. Prior to this, morning drive was handled by Johnny Burke, who now handles mornings at WHNN
WHNN
WHNN is an FM radio station serving the Saginaw-Bay City-Midland area and Flint with its classic hits format. It broadcasts on FM frequency 96.1 and is under ownership of Cumulus Media...
.
WCRZ's jingle melody was adapted from KVIL in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
. For much of the 1990s, JAM Creative Productions
JAM Creative Productions
JAM Creative Productions, Inc., is an American company that produces radio jingles, promo music for television, and commercial jingles for advertisers. It has made more radio jingles than any other jingle company and has become part of American pop culture....
produced WCRZ's jingles; it was JAM that chose to sing the station's nickname, "Cars 108" to the melody of KVIL. For over a decade, however, WCRZ's jingles have been by TM Studios.