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One minute, it was talk. The next minute, it was Top 40.
Radio station WEZB-FM's recent return to its format roots might have surprised some listeners. Radio insiders, however, see the switch as the result of a series of events that included a national letter-writing campaign by two listeners and a station swap stuck in limbo.
The station hasn't foundered, it has merely corrected its course, WEZB general manager Mark Leunissen says. The format will return to Top 40, emphasizing what Leunissen calls popular familiar tunes from 1985 through the present.
The change also may speed the renewal of WEZB's license by the Federal Communications Commission. The renewal has been delayed by a petition filed with the FCC by a River Ridge couple, Kathleen and Glenn Benfield.
The licensing, in turn, could bring another bonus, Leunissen says. "It should help facilitate the transfer of (station) ownership."
In March, EZ Communications Inc. of Fairfax, Va., agreed to swap its three local stations--WEZB, WRNO-FM and WBYU-AM--for two Seattle stations owned by Dallas-based Heritage Media Corp. and $7.5 million. The deal requires FCC approval.
Alan Box, president and CEO of EZ Communications, admits that WEZB's format change came in response to issues raised by the Benfields and others. "The new format is far more listener- and advertiser-friendly," he says. "The Bee (as WEZB used to be known) was always very successful."
To understand the station's format flip, you have to understand its...