WEZC
Encyclopedia
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.
music format featuring the "America's Best Music
" satellite-delivered format from Dial Global
.
s of effective radiated power
and licensed to Cornbelt Broadcasting Company. WHOW-FM and its AM sister station broadcast from an office building at their shared tower site, four miles (6 km) south of Clinton, built to resemble a "big red barn".
After nearly a quarter-century of ownership by the Livesay family, Cornbelt Broadcasting Company (James R. Livesay II, president) reached an agreement in December 2003 to transfer the broadcast license
for this station to WHOW Radio, LLC (William E. Brady, manager/member) along with AM sister station
WHOW
for a reported combined sale price of $300,000. The deal was approved by the FCC on January 26, 2004, and the transaction was consummated on February 9, 2004. At the time of the sale, both stations were "dark" for reported financial reasons. In September 2004, WHOW-FM adopted a sports radio
format while the AM station focused on news and talk programming.
An ice storm
, part of the Early Winter 2006 North American Storm Complex
, struck the Central Illinois
region on November 30, 2006. On December 1, the broadcast tower shared by WHOW-FM and its AM counterpart collapsed under the weight of the accumulated ice. The AM station was able to return to the air at reduced power a few days later using a longwire antenna
while WHOW-FM resumed broadcasting from a makeshift 60 feet (18.3 m) tower on December 8th. The station received special temporary authority from the FCC in January 2007 to operate in this manner until a new, permanent tower could be constructed.
The extensive damage and the station combo's struggling finances led the WHOW Radio, LLC, partners, led by Illinois state senator
Bill Brady
, to sell the station to local media group owner Randy Miller. In October 2007, WHOW Radio, LLC, announced an agreement to sell WHOW-FM to Kaskaskia Broadcasting, Inc. (Randy Miller, president) as part of a two-station deal along with AM sister station WHOW for a reported $400,000. Kaskaskia Broadcasting, Inc., is part of the Miller Media Group. The deal was approved by the FCC on December 7, 2007, and the transaction was consummated on January 4, 2008. At the time of the sale, WHOW-FM broadcast a sports radio
format branded as "ESPN Radio 95.9".
WHOW-FM, still broadcasting from a temporary tower while the new tower was being erected, received an extension of its special temporary authorization on January 17, 2008. Both the AM and FM stations returned to full power operation on February 25, 2008.
The station was assigned the current WEZC call letters (which stands for the "easy hits" music the station plays, and "C" for Clinton) by the Federal Communications Commission
on December 26, 2008. The new callsign was chosen to reflect the station's current "easy hits" branded adult standards
music format.
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...
licensed
City of license
A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator....
to serve Clinton, Illinois
Clinton, Illinois
Clinton is the largest city in DeWitt County, Illinois, United States. The population was 7,225 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of DeWitt County.The city and the county are named for DeWitt Clinton, governor of New York, 1817-1823...
, USA. The station, established in 1975 as WHOW-FM, is currently owned the Miller Media Group and the broadcast license
Broadcast license
A broadcast license or broadcast license is a specific type of spectrum license that grants the licensee the privilege to use a portion of the radio frequency spectrum in a given geographical area for broadcasting purposes. The licenses are generally straddled with additional restrictions that...
is held by Kaskaskia Broadcasting, Inc.
Programming
WEZC broadcasts an adult standardsAdult standards
Adult standards is a North American radio format heard primarily on AM or class A FM stations.Adult standards is aimed at "mature" adults, meaning mainly those persons over 50 years of age, but it is mostly targeted for senior citizens...
music format featuring the "America's Best Music
America's Best Music
America's Best Music is the on-air branding of an adult standards 24-hour radio network, known internally as Adult Standards and formerly known as AM Only, currently owned by Dial Global. It was one of the original Westwood One's Transtar networks...
" satellite-delivered format from Dial Global
Dial Global
Dial Global is a radio syndication company. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Triton Media Group and is a sister company to Townsquare Media, both of which are owned by Oaktree Capital Management....
.
History
This station began broadcasting as WHOW-FM at 95.9 MHz with 3,000 wattWatt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
s of effective radiated power
Effective radiated power
In radio telecommunications, effective radiated power or equivalent radiated power is a standardized theoretical measurement of radio frequency energy using the SI unit watts, and is determined by subtracting system losses and adding system gains...
and licensed to Cornbelt Broadcasting Company. WHOW-FM and its AM sister station broadcast from an office building at their shared tower site, four miles (6 km) south of Clinton, built to resemble a "big red barn".
After nearly a quarter-century of ownership by the Livesay family, Cornbelt Broadcasting Company (James R. Livesay II, president) reached an agreement in December 2003 to transfer the broadcast license
Broadcast license
A broadcast license or broadcast license is a specific type of spectrum license that grants the licensee the privilege to use a portion of the radio frequency spectrum in a given geographical area for broadcasting purposes. The licenses are generally straddled with additional restrictions that...
for this station to WHOW Radio, LLC (William E. Brady, manager/member) along with AM sister station
Sister station
In broadcasting, sister stations or sister channels are radio and/or television stations operated by the same ownership....
WHOW
WHOW
WHOW is a radio station licensed to serve Clinton, Illinois, USA. The station, established in 1947, is currently owned by the Miller Media Group and the broadcast license is held by Kaskaskia Broadcasting, Inc.-Programming:...
for a reported combined sale price of $300,000. The deal was approved by the FCC on January 26, 2004, and the transaction was consummated on February 9, 2004. At the time of the sale, both stations were "dark" for reported financial reasons. In September 2004, WHOW-FM adopted a sports radio
Sports radio
Sports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...
format while the AM station focused on news and talk programming.
An ice storm
Ice storm
An ice storm is a type of winter storm characterized by freezing rain, also known as a glaze event or in some parts of the United States as a silver thaw. The U.S. National Weather Service defines an ice storm as a storm which results in the accumulation of at least of ice on exposed surfaces...
, part of the Early Winter 2006 North American Storm Complex
Early Winter 2006 North American Storm Complex
The Early Winter 2006 North American Storm Complex was a severe winter weather event in the last week of November 2006 and continuing into December 1...
, struck the Central Illinois
Central Illinois
Central Illinois is a region of the U.S. state of Illinois that consists of the entire central section of the state, divided in thirds from north to south. It is an area of mostly flat prairie. The western section was originally part of the Military Tract of 1812 and forms the distinctive western...
region on November 30, 2006. On December 1, the broadcast tower shared by WHOW-FM and its AM counterpart collapsed under the weight of the accumulated ice. The AM station was able to return to the air at reduced power a few days later using a longwire antenna
Antenna (radio)
An antenna is an electrical device which converts electric currents into radio waves, and vice versa. It is usually used with a radio transmitter or radio receiver...
while WHOW-FM resumed broadcasting from a makeshift 60 feet (18.3 m) tower on December 8th. The station received special temporary authority from the FCC in January 2007 to operate in this manner until a new, permanent tower could be constructed.
The extensive damage and the station combo's struggling finances led the WHOW Radio, LLC, partners, led by Illinois state senator
Illinois Senate
The Illinois Senate is the upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the state of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. The Illinois Senate is made up of 59 senators elected from...
Bill Brady
Bill Brady (politician)
William E. "Bill" Brady, Jr. is a Republican member of the Illinois Senate, representing the 44th Legislative District since his appointment in May 2002. He previously served in the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 88th District from 1993 to 2000.-Early life, education and...
, to sell the station to local media group owner Randy Miller. In October 2007, WHOW Radio, LLC, announced an agreement to sell WHOW-FM to Kaskaskia Broadcasting, Inc. (Randy Miller, president) as part of a two-station deal along with AM sister station WHOW for a reported $400,000. Kaskaskia Broadcasting, Inc., is part of the Miller Media Group. The deal was approved by the FCC on December 7, 2007, and the transaction was consummated on January 4, 2008. At the time of the sale, WHOW-FM broadcast a sports radio
Sports radio
Sports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...
format branded as "ESPN Radio 95.9".
WHOW-FM, still broadcasting from a temporary tower while the new tower was being erected, received an extension of its special temporary authorization on January 17, 2008. Both the AM and FM stations returned to full power operation on February 25, 2008.
The station was assigned the current WEZC call letters (which stands for the "easy hits" music the station plays, and "C" for Clinton) by the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
on December 26, 2008. The new callsign was chosen to reflect the station's current "easy hits" branded adult standards
Adult standards
Adult standards is a North American radio format heard primarily on AM or class A FM stations.Adult standards is aimed at "mature" adults, meaning mainly those persons over 50 years of age, but it is mostly targeted for senior citizens...
music format.