WZZT

WZZT
Morrison, Illinois;
Broadcast area	Rock River Valley
Frequency	102.7 MHz
Branding	Hog Country 102.7
Programming
Format	Country
Affiliations	Hog Country Radio Network, Fox News
Ownership
Owner	Fletcher M. Ford; (Virden Broadcasting Corp.);
Sister stations	WSDR, WSSQ
History
First air date	April 10, 1991 (On 95.1 MHz)
Technical information
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	37209
Class	A
ERP	6,000 watts
HAAT	100 meters
Transmitter coordinates	41°50′16.00″N 89°55′29.00″W / 41.8377778°N 89.9247222°W
Links
Public license information	Public file; LMS;
Website	hogcountryradio.com

WZZT (102.7 FM) — branded as Hog Country 102.7 — is a commercial radio station licensed to Morrison, Illinois, serving primarily Whiteside and Lee counties in the Rock River Valley. Owned by Fletcher M. Ford, through licensee Virden Broadcasting Corp., the station airs a country music format.

History

WZZT launched on April 10, 1991; as of 1992, the station was owned by Whiteside Communications, Inc., and was transmitting at 3,000 watts.^[2] In July 1993, it was announced that WZZT and its sister stations WSDR and WSSQ were to be sold to LH&S Communications, a company owned by Larry Sales and Howard Murphy which owned radio properties throughout the state of Illinois.^[3]^[4] In 1998, WSSQ was acquired by Withers Broadcasting.^[5] During the late 2000s and early 2010s, WZZT aired coverage of local high school football, including a 2011 playoff run by Newman Central Catholic.^[6]^[7] As of 2011, WZZT was airing a rock music format which also included classic hits.^[8]

On July 5, 2017, WZZT changed their format from classic rock to country, branded as "Big Country 102.7". Effective July 28, 2017, Withers Broadcasting sold WZZT, WSDR, and WSSQ to Fletcher M. Ford's Virden Broadcasting Corp. for $400,000. In late 2023. WZZT changed its branding to "Hog Country 102.7".

Current programming

Previous Logos

References

^ "Facility Technical Data for WZZT". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
^ "Directory of Radio Stations in the U.S.: Illinois" (PDF), Broadcasting & Cable Market Place 1992 via AmericanRadioHistory.com, R.R. Bowker, A Reed Reference Publishing Company, p. A-110, 1992
^ Feder, Robert (July 13, 1993). "Sex Talk Matures On 'Private Lives'". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on April 9, 2016. Retrieved May 15, 2015. Seith's WSDR-AM and WSSQ-FM in Sterling and WZZT-FM in Morrison will be acquired by LH&S Communications...
^ "Radio News Network Sold to Missouri Company". Wisconsin State Journal. February 28, 1996. Archived from the original on April 9, 2016. Retrieved May 15, 2015. LH&S Communications, which is owned by Larry Sales and Howard Murphy, purchased WRN in September of 1994. LH&S also owns the Illinois Radio Network and radio stations WSDR, WSSQ and WZZT, which are all in Illinois.
^ "Broadcasting Pioneer W. Russell Withers, Jr. Passes Away". WDTV.com. Withers Broadcasting Company of West Virginia. January 17, 2014. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 15, 2015. Withers Broadcasting Companies key milestones include the existing acquisitions: ... 1998 - WZZT 102.7 FM, Sterling, IL...
^ Woessner, Dan (November 12, 2009). "Challenge dealt in Cards: Stillman's speed a tall order for Comets". SaukValley.com. Shaw Media. Archived from the original on May 26, 2016. Retrieved May 26, 2016. ... Radio: WZZT-FM (102.7), WLLT-FM (107.7)
^ Reynolds, Ty (October 27, 2011). "Comets' offense built around big boys". SaukValley.com. Shaw Media. p. 2. Archived from the original on May 26, 2016. Retrieved May 26, 2016. ... Radio: WZZT-FM (102.7)
^ "WZZT - 102.7 FM". RockRiverRadio.com. WSDR-WSSQ-WZZT Radio. 2011. Archived from the original on September 6, 2011. Retrieved September 1, 2011. The Morning Rock Show... offers a wide variety of rock 'n roll music... Classic Hits are played throughout the day... The Late Night Rock Show... offers a healthy balance of rock 'n roll...