WBZG (100.9 FM) is a

radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio ...

licensed to

Peru, Illinois Peru is a city in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States. The population was 9,896 at the 2020 census, down from 10,295 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Ottawa, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area. Peru and its twin city, LaSalle, make up ...

, covering, LaSalle,

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

Princeton Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the nine ...

, and Vicinity. WBZG airs a

classic rock Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, primar ...

format Format may refer to: Printing and visual media * Text formatting, the typesetting of text elements * Paper formats, or paper size standards * Newspaper format, the size of the paper page Computing * File format, particular way that informatio ...

and is owned by

Shaw Media Shaw Media was the television broadcasting division of Shaw Communications. Shaw Media owned the Global Television Network, which broadcasts nationally via 13 television stations, as well as 19 specialty channels including Slice (TV channel), Sli ...

, through licensee Shaw Local Radio Co., after previously being owned by Studstill Media/Mendota Broadcasting, Inc. until April 2023.

History

WGSY

The station began broadcasting on March 15, 1970, holding the call sign WGSY. The station was originally owned by George W. Yazell, and had an ERP of 3,000 watts at a

HAAT Haat or hat, even haat bazaar, is an open-air market that serves as a trading venue for local people in rural areas and towns of Indian subcontinent, especially in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan. Haat bazaars are conducted on a regular ba ...

of 145 feet. WGSY aired a

variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

format.
1973 Broadcasting Yearbook
',

Broadcasting Broadcasting is the distribution (business), distribution of sound, audio or video content to a dispersed audience via any electronic medium (communication), mass communications medium, but typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum (radio ...

. 1973. p. B-64. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
Broadcasting Yearbook 1977
',

. 1977. p. C-66. Retrieved September 11, 2018. In 1977, the station was sold to Radio Illinois, Ltd. for $85,000.

WIVQ

In 1977, the station's call sign was changed to WIVQ, and the station began airing a

MOR Mor or MOR may refer to: Names and titles * Mór (given name), a list of people named Mór or Mor * Mor (surname), a list of people named Mor or Mór * Mor (honorific), or Mar, in Syriac Radio and television * Middle of the road (music) genre * ...

format.
Broadcasting Yearbook 1978
',

. 1978. p. C-68. Retrieved September 11, 2018. By 1980, the station had begun airing an

adult rock Adult album alternative (also triple-A, AAA, or adult alternative) is a radio format. See pages 9 and 10Mills, Joshua. "A New Radio Music Format: Rock for Prosperous Adults" New York Times, Feb 28 1994, p. 2. ProQuest. Web. Accessed September 4, 2 ...

format.
Broadcasting Yearbook 1980
',

. 1980. p. C-71. Retrieved September 11, 2018. By 1983, the station had begun airing a

beautiful music Beautiful music (sometimes abbreviated as BM, B/EZ or BM/EZ for "beautiful music/easy listening") is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in North American radio from the late 1950s through the 1980s. Easy listening, elevator musi ...

easy listening Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to 1970s. It is related to middle-of-the-road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit songs, n ...

format.
Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1983
', Broadcasting/Cablecasting. 1983. p. B-77. Retrieved September 11, 2018. By 1984, the station was airing a MOR format.
Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1984
', Broadcasting/Cablecasting. 1984. p. B-83. Retrieved September 11, 2018. In 1984, the station was sold to Starved Rock Radio Project for $155,000.

WLRZ

In September 1984, the station's call sign was changed to WLRZ. WLRZ would air an

adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...

format.
Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1986
', Broadcasting/Cablecasting. 1986. p. B-90. Retrieved September 11, 2018. By 1990, the station had begun airing a classic rock format.
The Broadcasting Yearbook 1990
',

Broadcasting & Cable ''Broadcasting & Cable'' (or ''Broadcasting+Cable'') is a weekly telecommunications industry trade magazine published by Future US. Previous names included ''Broadcasting-Telecasting'', ''Broadcasting and Broadcast Advertising'', and ''Broadcast ...

. 1990. p. B-103. Retrieved September 12, 2018. In 1994, the station was sold to Valley Plus Broadcasting for $150,000. In 1997, the station was sold to Mendota Broadcasting, Inc., along with 103.3

WAIV WAIV (102.3 FM) is a radio station licensed that serves Cape May, New Jersey. The station is owned by Equity Communications, L.P. and it simulcasts the Top 40-CHR radio format on co-owned 95.1 WAYV Atlantic City. The studios and offices are in ...

, for $700,000.

WBZG

In July 2000, the station's call sign was changed to WBZG, and the station was branded "The Buzz". However, in August 2000, 107.7 WBZM in Bloomington would begin broadcasting with "The Buzz" branding, airing a

modern rock Modern rock is an umbrella term used to describe rock music that is found on college rock radio stations. Some radio stations use this term to distinguish themselves from classic rock, which is based in 1960s–1980s rock music. Radio format Mod ...

format.Sadler, Roger L. (2005).
Electronic Media Law
'.

SAGE Publications SAGE Publishing, formerly SAGE Publications, is an American independent publishing company founded in 1965 in New York by Sara Miller McCune and now based in Newbury Park, California. It publishes more than 1,000 journals, more than 800 books ...

. p. 329. Retrieved September 12, 2018. Unbeknownst to WBZG, the owner of WBZM had trademarked "The Buzz" branding for the entire state of Illinois, and WBZG stopped calling itself "The Buzz" to avoid a lawsuit. The station would later be branded "100.9 FM Rocks!". On January 24, 2023, it was announced that Studstill Media had sold WBZG, along with its sister stations, to

Crystal Lake, Illinois Crystal Lake is a city in McHenry County in the U.S. state of Illinois. Named after a lake southwest of the city's downtown, Crystal Lake is 45 miles northwest of Chicago. The population is 40,269 as of the 2020 Census, a 1.2% decrease from 201 ...

, for a total of $1.8 million. The sale was under FCC review for just under two months before being finalized on March 23, 2023. Shaw Local Radio officially assumed ownership of WBZG and its sister stations on April 3, 2023.

References

External links

WBZG's website
* {{Classic Rock Radio Stations in Illinois BZG Classic rock radio stations in the United States Radio stations established in 1970 1970 establishments in Illinois