On June 23, 1982 (1982-06-23), the station signed on the air. The call sign was WEZY-FM, with the EZ standing for easy listening and beautiful music. WEZY-FM played quarter hour sweeps of mostly instrumental cover versions of popular songs, as well as Broadway and Hollywood show tunes. But by the 1980s, the easy listening format was aging. At first WEZY-FM added more soft vocals and reduced the instrumentals. But by the late 1980s, it had made the transition to soft adult contemporary.
On January 15, 1988 (1988-01-15), the station changed its call sign to WLRQ-FM.[4] The new call letters helped separate the station from its beautiful music past, aiming at a more youthful audience, representing the new moniker "Lite Rock".
