WEZN-FM
Broadcast areaSouthern Connecticut
Frequency99.9 MHz (HD Radio)
BrandingStar 99.9
Programming
FormatHot adult contemporary
AffiliationsCompass Media Networks
Ownership
Owner
WEBE, WFOX, WICC, WPLR, WYBC-FM
History
First air date
October 24, 1960 (1960-10-24)
Former call signs
  • WJZZ (1960–1973)
  • WEZN (1973–1998)[1]
Call sign meaning
"Easy" (refers to previous easy listening format)
Technical information[2]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID48721
ClassB
ERP27,500 watts
HAAT204 meters (669 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
41°16′44″N 73°11′8″W / 41.27889°N 73.18556°W / 41.27889; -73.18556
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen live (via TuneIn)
Websitewww.star999.com

WEZN-FM (99.9 MHz, "Star 99.9") is a commercial radio station, licensed to Bridgeport, Connecticut, and serving Southern Connecticut. The station is owned by Connoisseur Media and it airs a hot adult contemporary radio format. The WEZN studios are located on Wheelers Farms Road in Milford, and its transmitter is on Green Haven Road in Trumbull.[3]

History

On October 24, 1960, the station first signed on the air as WJZZ, the FM sister station of WICC.[4] As the call letters imply, the station started out as a jazz outlet. It was the first station to be assigned the WJZZ call sign followed by 105.9 FM in Detroit, Michigan (now WDMK), and 107.5 FM in Atlanta, Georgia (now WAMJ).[5] There were few FM radios in the 1960s and the all-jazz format was not financially viable. For a time, WICC simulcast the programming from AM 600 on FM 99.9. WICC sold the station after several years.

The station was later bought by Williams Broadcasting, carrying a beautiful music format and changing its call sign to WEZN to reflect its easy listening sound. While WEZN was a popular and profitable station, the audience wanting to hear mostly orchestras and instrumental music was aging. So in the 1990s, WEZN gradually added more soft adult contemporary vocals until it made the switch to full-time adult contemporary. At the same time, 107.9 WDJF in nearby Westport, Connecticut, also moved to an adult contemporary format, so WEZN went a step further, implementing a hot adult contemporary format.

Despite the format changes, the station has kept its WEZN call sign; however, outside of hourly station identifications, it rarely says those call letters on the air, preferring the handle "Star 99.9."

The station was purchased from Cox Radio by Connoisseur Media along with sister stations WFOX and WPLR, at a purchase price of $40 million. Connoisseur Media took ownership on May 10, 2013.[6]

References

  1. ↑ "Call Sign History". CDBS Public Access Database. FCC Media Bureau. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for WEZN-FM". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  3. ↑ "Radio-Locator Predicted Coverage Area for WEZN 99.9 FM, Bridgeport, Connecticut". radio-locator.com. Retrieved October 29, 2016.
  4. ↑ Broadcasting Yearbook 1977 page C-35
  5. ↑ Collins, Michael. "Part Two: Time Line For Connecticut Broadcasting". WUUH.org. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
  6. ↑ Venta, Lance (May 6, 2013). "Cox Sells Stations In Six Markets To Two Groups". RadioInsight. Retrieved May 28, 2013.


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