WOZZ

WOZZ

City	Mosinee, Wisconsin
Broadcast area	Wausau, Wisconsin
Branding	Rock 94.7
Slogan	Central Wisconsin's Best Rock
Frequency	94.7 MHz
Translator(s)	102.9 W275AC (Wausau)
First air date	August 15, 1991 (as WEHM)
Format	Active Rock
Audience share	1.9 (Sp'10, R&R[1])
ERP	50,000 watts
HAAT	150 meters
Class	C2
Facility ID	43881
Transmitter coordinates	44°59′18.00″N 89°59′42.00″W / 44.9883333°N 89.9950000°W / 44.9883333; -89.9950000
Callsign meaning	Though the calls can represent MOZZinee (Mosinee), they were moved from their original home in New London, WI, where they represented that station's "Land of OZ" AC format & branding
Former callsigns	WEHM (8/1991-9/1991) WOFM (1991-2010)
Owner	Duey E. Wright (WRIG, Inc.)
Sister stations	WDEZ, WIFC, WRIG, WSAU, WSAU-FM
Webcast	Listen Live!
Website	rock947.com

WOZZ (94.7 FM, "Rock 94.7") licensed to Mosinee, Wisconsin, is an Active Rock formatted station in the Wausau, Wisconsin, market. The station is owned and operated by Duke Wright's Midwest Communications and operates at an ERP of 50,000 watts. The station simulcasts on translator W275AC (102.9), licensed to Wausau.

Current on-air staff

• Nikki Montgomery (Also On WDEZ)
• "Scary" Terry Stevens (Also On WDEZ)
• Dr. Kessler
• Just Zach (Also On WIFC as Zach Williams)
• Brewer (Also On WIFC as Mike Mathers)
• Slender Man
• Lou Brutus (Host of the nationally syndicated hardDrive and hardDrive XL)

History

The station originally went on the air as WEHM on August 15, 1991, though it changed its call sign to WOFM exactly one month later on September 15.^[2] The station has had a long history of oldies formats, including spending most of the 1990s as a standalone oldies station ("Oldies 94.7"). In the late 1990s-early 2000s, it began simulcasting with its sister station WIZD 99.9 FM under the name "The Oldies Station;" this was done to allow the entire Wausau-Stevens Point radio market to be linked with one oldies station. In 2004, WIZD and WOFM, adopted the "Cool FM" moniker while still retaining the oldies format.

In August 2005, WIZD and WOFM separated. WIZD became simply 99.9 WIZD, and heavily targeted the Plover and Stevens Point area in which the station is local to. WOFM continued using the Cool FM name with Westwood One's oldies channel and chopped up jingle packages from both Cool FM and the Oldies 94.7 days.

In October 2005 it was announced that WOFM would switch to a rhythmic CHR format as "Wild 94-7." That format was short-lived, however, and on March 6, 2006, the station adopted Midwest Communications' "Guaranteed Music Variety" format, originally under "The Peak" branding and later branded as "The Valley" branding, with a playlist of classic hits from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.^[3] Between September 2006 and September 2009, sister station WIZD would rejoin WOFM in a "Valley" simulcast. (WIZD now simulcasts the talk format of WSAU, as WSAU-FM.)

On September 13, 2010, WOFM changed its call sign to WOZZ; 10 days later, on September 23, the station dropped classic hits. At 5 PM on the 23rd, after Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight" finished playing, the station adopted a Classic rock format as "Rock 94.7," with Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" being the first song played.^[4] "Rock 94.7" concentrates on mainstream rock from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s; this format had recently been adopted on Midwest Communication-owned sister stations in Duluth (on KDAL-FM) and Appleton/Green Bay (on WRQE, which previously had the WOZZ call sign). By March 2011, "Rock 94.7" tweaked to a full blown mainstream rock format playing a mix of classic rock and rock from the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, to current active rock music, competing between classic rock 103.3 WGLX and active rock 104.1 WMZK "Z104". As of September 2011, the station has moved into a full blown active rock position, playing the latest from Five Finger Death Punch, Pop Evil, Seether, and other active rock artists. "Rock 94.7" has also added a Metal show to their lineup, Scary Terry's Saturday Nightmare can be heard Saturday nights at 9pm central time. The show features a mix of 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and current trash/death/heavy metal. The "Rock 94.7" lineup included the nationally syndicated Free Beer and Hot Wings Show during morning drive time. Free Beer and Hot Wings were dropped from the station on March 1, 2013, due to poor ratings and listener demand for more music in the morning.

Awards

WOZZ has become one of the most award winning Rock Stations in the Midwest. The station won 3 Awards for Excellence from the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association ^[5] in 2012. In 2013, WOZZ won 2 national awards from the Radio Contraband Rock Radio Awards for Station of the Year, and Program/Music Director of the year.^[6] Greg Atoms, who uses the on air name "Lunchbox" was also a finalist for Best DJ in America at the Rock Radio Awards.^[7]

For the year of 2013, WOZZ won the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Station of the Year for Medium Market Music Radio. Beating out stations in Green Bay/Appleton, La Crosse, Eau Claire, Wausau/Stevens Point, and Sheboygan.^[8]

The Unofficial Rock 94.7 Street Team

On July 7, 2011, The Unofficial Rock 94.7 Street Team Facebook page was launched by various fans as an outlet to get the station to be known by more people. The creator of the Unofficial Rock 94.7 Street Team is Sean Honsa, one of Rock 94.7's biggest supporters. The Street Team page posts almost daily with new music and music news. The Street Team also posts songs by new upcoming bands.

Translators

In addition to the main station, WOZZ is relayed by an additional translator to widen its broadcast area.

References

External links

• Rock 94.7 official website
• Rock 94.7 on Facebook
• Query the FCC's FM station database for WOZZ
• Radio-Locator information on WOZZ
• Query Nielsen Audio's FM station database for WOZZ
• Midwest Communications corporate website