WZPW (92.3 FM, "Z92.3") 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 radi ...

Central Illinois Central Illinois is a region of the U.S. state of Illinois that consists of the entire central third of the state, divided from north to south. Also known as the ''Heart of Illinois'', it is characterized by small towns and mid-sized cities. Agri ...

with a

Rhythmic Top 40 The Rhythmic chart (also called Rhythmic Airplay, and previously named Rhythmic Songs, Rhythmic Top 40 and CHR/Rhythmic) is an airplay chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. The chart tracks and measures the airplay of songs played on ...

music format, licensed to Peoria, Illinois and broadcasting with an

Effective radiated power Effective radiated power (ERP), synonymous with equivalent radiated power, is an IEEE standardized definition of directional radio frequency (RF) power, such as that emitted by a radio transmitter. It is the total power in watts that would h ...

(ERP) of 19,200

watt The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. The watt is named after James ...

s. The station is owned by

Cumulus Media Cumulus Media, Inc. is an American broadcasting company and is the third largest owner and operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States behind Audacy and iHeartMedia. As of June 2019, Cumulus lists ownership of 428 stations in 8 ...

, which purchased the station from

Townsquare Media Townsquare Media, Inc. (formerly Regent Communications until 2010) is an American radio network and media company based in Purchase, New York. The company started in radio and expanded into digital media toward the end of the 2000s, starting wi ...

History

WZPW, whose first owners were awarded a FCC license on October 17, 1990, originally signed on the air in November 1992 as

Urban Contemporary Urban contemporary music, also known as urban music, hip hop, urban pop, or just simply urban, is a music radio format. The term was coined by New York radio DJ Frankie Crocker in the early to mid-1970s as a synonym for Black music. Urban conte ...

WBGE ("B92"), but by the end of the decade, they would start incorporating Rhythmic pop, shifting the station's format direction. WBGE was sold in early 2000 to become what was the first of two radio stations for AAA Entertainment in the Peoria market (AAA also owned

WWKX WWKX (106.3 FM, "Hot 106") is a rhythmic contemporary station in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, serving the Blackstone Valley and much of the Providence metropolitan area. The Cumulus Media outlet operates with an ERP of 1.15 kW and is licensed ...

Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts ...

, who would later become WZPW's sister station). On January 20, 1999, WBGE flipped to

rhythmic oldies Rhythmic oldies is a radio format that concentrates on the rhythmic, R&B, disco, or dance genres of music. Playlists can span from the 1960s through the 2000s and, depending on market conditions, may be designed for African-American or Hispanic ...

as "Jammin' Oldies 92.3", but would flip back to Rhythmic CHR in October 2000 as "POWER 92" after a backlash from listeners and local groups (among them the NAACP). The call letters were changed to WZPW. In 2001, WZPW began expanding its format into the Bloomington area, where it was heard on

WRPW WRPW (92.9 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Colfax, Illinois, in the Bloomington-Normal radio market. WRPW broadcasts a talk radio format known as "Cities Talk FM 92.9." It is owned by Pilot Media, a subsidiary of Great Pla ...

. In early 2002, WZPW upgraded its signal to 19,200 watts and moved to a new tower near Kickapoo, Illinois. By 2006, WZPW and WRPW stopped simulcasting after AAA sold WZPW to Regent Broadcasting (the predecessor to Townsquare Media). AAA kept WRPW, however, later selling it and its sister properties in Bloomington to Great Plains Media. The station's branding was also changed to ''Power 92.3''. On August 30, 2007, the Rhythmic format on WRPW ceased to exist as Great Plains Media relaunched the radio station with an FM Talk format as "Cities 92-9," leaving WZPW as the only surviving part of the previously-successful simulcast (Bloomington-Normal would pick up a Rhythmic again in 2018, courtesy of WWHX). The station in recent years has faced competition from WZPW's former sister station

WPIA WPIA (98.5 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Eureka, Illinois, and serving the Peoria metropolitan area. The station broadcasts a Top 40 - CHR radio format, simulcast with WHPI 96.5 FM. Both stations are owned and operated by A ...

, but remains the top rated Top-40 station in Peoria. Another competitor,

WKZF WKZF (102.3 MHz is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Morton, Illinois, and serving the Peoria metropolitan area. It broadcasts a Rhythmic Classic Hits radio format and is owned by Midwest Communications, Inc. The radio studios an ...

, has since changed formats to Classic Hip-Hop and later, Rhythmic Classic Hits. On January 1, 2015, WZPW rebranded as "Peoria's 92.3". This would last until February 24, 2020, when WZPW rebranded again as “Z92.3”, but retained its Rhythmic Top 40 format.“WZPW Peoria Rebrands As Z92.3”
from Radio Insight (February 24, 2020)

Previous logos

References

External links

* {{coord, 40.7861, N, 89.7837, W, type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC, display=title Rhythmic contemporary radio stations in the United States ZPW Radio stations established in 1990 Cumulus Media radio stations