WLHT-FM

Infobox Radio station
name = WLHT-FM


city = Grand Rapids, Michigan
area = [http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WLHT&service=FM&status=L&hours=U]
branding = "Lite Rock 95.7"
slogan =
airdate = February 26, 1962
frequency = 95.7 MHz HD Radio
format = Adult Contemporary
erp = 40,000 Watts
haat =
class = B
callsign_meaning = Light Music
former_callsigns = WZZR-FM (?-2/4/84)
WZZM-FM (?-?)
WKLW (?-?)
owner = Regent Communications
sister_stations = WFGR, WGRD-FM, WLHT-FM, WNWZ, WTRV
webcast =
website = [http://www.wlht.com/ http://www.wlht.com/]
affiliations =

WLHT-FM, also known as "Lite Rock 95.7", is an adult contemporary music formatted radio station in Grand Rapids, Michigan owned by Regent Communications. Until late April 2006, the station was the home of the husband-and-wife morning team of Dave & Geri. Today, the current morning team of Denis Pryor and Nanette, as well as Kim Carson (a veteran of several Detroit stations, including WDRQ and WCZY), and Bill Bailey (formerly of WLS Chicago as well as Detroit stations WDRQ and WNIC), are heard here.

WKLW, WZZM-FM, and WZZR

The station signed on the same day as WOOD-FM in 1962. The original call letters of 95.7 FM were WKLW. In the mid-1960s, the station came into common ownership with WZZM-TV Channel 13 and became WZZM-FM. By 1967, the station was block-programmed, with country music in the morning, Top 40 hit music in afternoon drive, and MOR music at night. Then, in 1968, WZZM-FM converted its format to full-time Top 40. WZZM-FM was one of the first FM Top 40s in Michigan to pose a serious challenge to its AM competition: by the end of 1970 it was ahead of WLAV (1340 AM) and WGRD (1410 AM) in several dayparts, including at night, when the AM competition either had poor signals or was off the air, and on the weekends.

In 1971, WZZM-FM picked up a serious competitor when WGRD added an FM signal at 97.9 (formerly WXTO). The reborn WGRD was an instant success. WZZM reacted by evolving its format into a Top 40-AOR hybrid, and then in 1972, into a Top 40-Oldies hybrid. The station gained a "second wind" of sorts and posted a #1 12+ Arbitron showing in Grand Rapids in the summer of 1973, but ratings quickly dropped off again afterwards. WZZM-FM, which in 1977 changed its calls to WZZR and adopted the names "Z96" and "The Wizard of Rock", continued to struggle through the rest of the 1970s and into the 1980s, shifting back and forth between Top 40 and Adult Contemporary. In 1983 WZZR tweaked its format from CHR into a "new wave"/"Rock of the Eighties"-type format, but ratings remained low.

WLHT

In 1984, WZZR became WLHT and switched to its current adult contemporary format. Once again, 95.7 FM was a pioneer in the market in terms of trying a new format, and once again, its pioneering spirit led to success and acclaim. In 1998 WLHT was named AC station of the year at the Marconi Award ceremonies. Two years later Regent Communications purchased the station, along with sister stations WGRD-FM, WNWZ-AM, and WTRV-FM.

Today's Lite Rock 95.7

WLHT's presentation is "hotter" and "brighter" than that of many other AC stations; the station generally plays two or three current (by AC standards) songs per hour and rarely plays anything pre-1980. The station airs John Tesh's syndicated nighttime show, which competes with Delilah on WOOD-FM. With soft AC sister station WTRV 100.5 FM "The River", Regent Broadcasting forges a two-pronged competition with Star 105.7. However, WOOD-FM is typically the top-rated of the three AC stations in Grand Rapids (see: [http://www.radioandrecords.com/RRRatings/DetailsPage.aspx?MID=105&RY=2007&RQ=1&MP=2&OTHER=2&MN=Grand%20Rapids&MS=MI&MR=67&12P=708400&UP=4/12/2007%2012:00:00%20AM&SU=CM&BPER=&HPER=&OPER=&NSD=5/10/2007%2012:00:00%20AM&CE=0 1] ).

On April 14, 2006, husband and wife morning team Dave Jagger and Geri Jarvis announced that they would host their final morning show on April 21 after twenty years on the air on W-Lite. They were replaced April 24, 2006, by Denis Pryor and Nanette in morning drive. At the same time the station changed its on-air nickname from 95.7 W-Lite to Lite Rock 95.7. WLHT's music rotation also became slightly brighter and more rock-based than previously, though mainstream AC staples like Elton John, Mariah Carey and Amy Grant are still heard on the station. The station's ratings have also dipped considerably since Dave and Geri's departure (see: [http://www.radioandrecords.com/RRRatings/DetailsPage.aspx?MID=105&RY=2007&RQ=1&MP=2&OTHER=2&MN=Grand%20Rapids&MS=MI&MR=67&12P=708400&UP=4/12/2007%2012:00:00%20AM&SU=CM&BPER=&HPER=&OPER=&NSD=5/10/2007%2012:00:00%20AM&CE=0 1] ).

In November 2007, WLHT shifted to an all-Christmas music format for the holiday season - the first time the station had ever done so - to compete with WOOD-FM, which has been going all-Christmas in November since 2001. However, WLHT's sister station, WTRV, which pioneered the all-Christmas format in Grand Rapids, stuck to its normal Soft AC format.

Sources

* [http://www.michiguide.com/dials/rad-j/wlht.html Michiguide.com - WLHT-FM History]

External links

*FMQ|WLHT
*FML|WLHT
*FMARB|WLHT