View source for WWZW

{{short description|Radio station in Buena Vista, Virginia}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name             = WWZW
| logo             = WWZW-FM 2014.PNG
| logo_size        = 200px
| city             = [[Buena Vista, Virginia]]
| area             = {{ubl|[[Lexington, Virginia]]|[[Lynchburg metropolitan area]]}}
| branding         = ''Classic 96.7 3WZ''
| frequency        = 96.7 [[Megahertz|MHz]]
| airdate          = {{Start date and age|1981}}
| format           = [[Classic hits]]
| erp              = 2,000 [[watt]]s
| haat             = {{convert|346|m|ft|sp=us}}
| class            = B1
| licensing_authority = [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]]
| facility_id      = 19672
| coordinates      = {{coord|37|43|37.0|N|79|18|24.0|W|type:landmark}}
| callsign_meaning = a nod to former sister [[WRSC-FM|WZWW]] in [[Bellefonte, Pennsylvania]]
| former_callsigns = {{ubl|WWZD (1980–1985)|WVLI (1985–1990)|WREL-FM (1990–2004)|WWZW-FM (2004)}}
| affiliations     =
| owner            = First Media Radio, LLC
| licensee         =
| sister_stations  = [[WREL]]
| webcast          = [http://ice41.securenetsystems.net/WWZW.m3u WWZW Webstream]
| website          = [http://www.3wzfm.com/ WWZW Online]
}}
'''WWZW''' (96.7 [[Hertz|MHz]]) is a [[commercial radio|commercial]] [[FM radio|FM]] [[radio station]] [[city of license|licensed]] to [[Buena Vista, Virginia]], and serving the [[Lexington, Virginia|Lexington]] area and part of the [[Lynchburg metropolitan area]].  WWZW is owned and operated by First Media Radio, LLC.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?call=WWZW|title=WWZW Facility Record|work=[[Federal Communications Commission]], audio division}}</ref>  It broadcasts a [[classic hits]] [[radio format]].  The [[radio studio|studio]]s and offices are on Main Street in Lexington.
WWZW has an [[effective radiated power]] (ERP) of 2,000 [[watt]]s.  The [[transmitter]] is on Blue Ridge Parkway near [[U.S. Route 60 in Virginia|U.S. Route 60]] in Buena Vista.<ref>[https://radio-locator.com/info/WWZW-FM?loc=37.33459%2C-79.52278&locn=Bedford%2C%20Virginia Radio-Locator.com/WWZW]</ref>
==History==
The station [[sign-on|signed on]] the air in 1981.<ref>[https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1999/D-Radio-All-BC-YB-1999..pdf ''Broadcasting Yearbook 1999''] page D-46-, [[Broadcasting & Cable]]</ref> Its original [[call sign]] was WWZD.  It was the [[sister station]] to [[WREL]] (1450 AM) in Lexington.  In 1985, Equus Communications acquired WWZD and WREL for $185,000. WWZD changed its call sign to WVLI on November 1, 1985, and to WREL-FM on May 1, 1990.<ref name="fcc-callsigns">{{cite web |title=Call Sign History (WWZW) |url=https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=19672&Callsign=WWZW |website=CDBS Public Access |publisher=[[Federal Communications Commission]] |access-date=August 18, 2023}}</ref> The two stations [[simulcast]] a [[full service radio|full service]] [[country music]] format.
On July 22, 2004, WREL-AM-FM were sold to First Media Radio.  On September 9, 2004, WREL-FM switched its call letters to WWZW-FM<ref name="fcc-callsigns"/>{{efn|The "-FM" suffix was dropped on October 15, 2004.<ref name="fcc-callsigns"/>}} to match co-owned station [[WRSC-FM|WZWW]] in [[Bellefonte, Pennsylvania]].  On November 1, 2004, WWZW, still a country music station, adopted the "3WZ" branding, the same branding used by WZWW, an [[adult contemporary]] station. On February 2, 2005, First Media Radio changed WWZW's format from country to adult contemporary; sister WREL remained a [[Talk radio|talk]] station.
In July 2009, WWZW switched from adult contemporary to [[classic hits]] as "Classic 96.7 3WZ".
==Notes==
{{notelist}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.3wzfm.com/ Classic 96-7 3WZ Online]
*{{FM station data|19672|WWZW}}
{{VirginiaHighlands Radio}}
{{Classic Hits Radio Stations in Virginia}}
[[Category:Radio stations in Virginia|WZW]]
[[Category:Classic hits radio stations in the United States]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1981]]
[[Category:1981 establishments in Virginia]]
{{Virginia-radio-station-stub}}