WZIM (99.5
MHz
The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose expression in terms of SI base units is s−1, meaning that one he ...
) is a
commercial
Commercial may refer to:
* a dose of advertising conveyed through media (such as - for example - radio or television)
** Radio advertisement
** Television advertisement
* (adjective for:) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and s ...
FM 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
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A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another party (licensee) as an element of an agreeme ...
to
Lexington, Illinois
Lexington is a city in McLean County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,090 at the 2020 census. There are two theories regarding the etymology of the city name. One says it was named for the Battle of Lexington, where General Gridley' ...
, and serving the
Bloomington-
Normal Normal(s) or The Normal(s) may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Normal'' (2003 film), starring Jessica Lange and Tom Wilkinson
* ''Normal'' (2007 film), starring Carrie-Anne Moss, Kevin Zegers, Callum Keith Rennie, and Andrew Airlie
* ''Norma ...
radio market
A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area (DMA), television market area, or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same (or similar) television station, television and radio broadcasting, ra ...
. The station is owned and operated by Pilot Media, and calls itself "Magic 99.5." It broadcasts 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 ...
radio format
A radio format or programming format (not to be confused with broadcast programming) describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. The radio format emerged mainly in the United States in the 1950s, at a time when Radio broadcasting, ...
, but for much of November and December, it switches to
Christmas music
Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music regularly performed or heard around the Christmas season. Music associated with Christmas may be purely instrumental, or, in the case of carols or songs, may employ lyrics whose subject ma ...
.
History
The station signed on in late 2001 as WCSO, and the call letters were soon changed to WDQZ. It was a classic rock simulcast with WDQX in Peoria. In December 2005 WDQX was sold, and the simulcast with WDQZ was split. Sometime after that, the station evolved into a more straight-ahead classic hits station. In September 2009, WDQZ stunted as an all-TV-themed station for a day and a half. On September 18, 2009 at noon, WDQZ changed back to a classic hits format.
Scott Robbins, a longtime Bloomington/Normal host, hosted mornings on "The Eagle" for many years, with two different co-hosts. In April 2007, Mancow's Morning Madhouse was added, and Robbins moved to afternoons, then left the station in August 2007 to host mornings on Cities 92.9. In February 2008 he returned to middays on "The Eagle". The syndicated ''Nights With Alice Cooper'' served as the night show.
On August 17, 2010 WDQZ changed its call letters to WZIM.
On April 5, 2012 WZIM changed its format from classic hits to sports, branded as "The Ticket". The move meant that Bloomington-Normal had an all-sports radio station for the first time. Immediately after announcing the switch, 99.5 The Ticket became the B-N affiliate for the
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
, taking over from
WJEZ
WJEZ (98.9 FM, "Classic Hits 98.9") is a radio station licensed to the community of Dwight, Illinois, United States, and serving the greater Livingston County, Illinois, area. The station is owned by Cumulus Media and licensed to Cumulus Licensi ...
. WZIM was also the Bloomington-Normal affiliate for the
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...
, although the station gave first priority to the Cubs. The Ticket also aired
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
games in the fall.
WJBC WJBC may refer to:
* WJBC (AM), a radio station (1230 AM) licensed to Bloomington, Illinois, United States
* WJBC-FM
WJBC-FM (93.7 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Pontiac, Illinois, in the Bloomington-Normal radio market. ...
airs nearly all local sports teams.
WZIM aired one local program, ''The Front Row'', from 4-6 p.m. The show was hosted by Dan Swaney and Paul Jackson. It was cancelled sometime in the fall of 2012.
On November 13, 2013 at 10 am, WZIM dropped its sports format and began stunting with automated classic rock songs.
On November 15 at noon, it changed its format to AC as Magic 99.5, with the slogan, "80s, 90s, And Now!" and began promoting itself as the new home in Bloomington and Lexington for the syndicated John Tesh radio show in the morning.
In April 2018, Joe Greenwood took over as Program Director and added The Kidd Kraddick Morning Show. Joe Greenwood had previously been in Peoria for nearly a decade at Alpha Media being a part of WDQX, WMBD and burst onto the country scene on WXCL (where he would go on to win the ''"Best DJ in Peoria''"). Joe has made several changes to the station, including freshing up the format to lean more towards Hot AC while still featuring 80's music with "Awesome 80's double plays" and adding "Throwback Thursday". The lineup on-air as of that time is the nationally syndicated "Kidd Kraddick Morning Show" from 6am-9am, 99 minute work day kick off from 9am-11am, former morning host and program director Adam Chandler 11am-3pm, Rick Dee's 3pm-7pm and John Tesh from 7pm-midnight. Weekends feature Jim Brickman, Rick Dees, John Tesh and locally "Johnny B". Program Director, Joe Greenwood isn't on-air on WZIM but does the mid-day show on sister station WIBL 107.7 & 92.1 The Bull with ratings success, success that Great Plains Media hopes he can bring to WZIM.
References
External links
*
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ZIM
Radio stations established in 2001