WLZA

WLZA

City of license	Eupora, Mississippi
Broadcast area	Starkville and east-central Mississippi
Branding	96.1 WLZA
Slogan	Home of Today's Best Hits
Frequency	96.1 MHz
Format	Adult Contemporary
ERP	40,000 watts
HAAT	167 meters
Class	C2
Facility ID	67652
Former callsigns	WKEA (?-1978) WEXA (1978-1988)
Owner	Tri County Broadcasting
Website	961wlza.com

WLZA (96.1 FM is an adult contemporary radio station based in Eupora, Mississippi. WLZA serves Starkville and east-central Mississippi with an ERP of 40,000 watts. WLZA is owned by Tri County Broadcasting.

Broadcast history

Metro radio Inc., the broadcast company that owns WLZA LAZER 96.1 FM radio began with founder and Station Manager Harry Jackson and his wife Carolyn Jackson in May 1974 with “King Country” WEPA-AM 710. The station’s music format was modern country music with a sprinkle of Southern and Country Gospel music each day. Many of you remember the days when Harry and Carolyn hosted The Party Line Program Monday through Saturday at 8:30am. This program allowed listeners to call the radio station live on the air and list the items they had to buy, sell, or trade. This was the most popular program on WEPA and was one of the longest running programs on the air. In the later years Harry would host Party Line on a part-time basis. But Carolyn would remain co-host until March 1998 when WEPA signed off the air. Another program that shared Party Line’s many years on the air was The Sunday Morning Worship broadcast at First Baptist Church In Eupora. Sunday Gospel music was also very popular with listeners from 6am until 6pm every Sunday.

After a few years passed by Harry and Carolyn co-founded WLZA (Formerly WEXA 101.7 FM) radio in August 0f 1978 with a music format of Contemporary Rock along with MSU Football as well as Eupora Eagles football, baseball and basketball. Harry and Carolyn’s daughters Karen and Kathy both worked at the station at times through the years. Greg May joined the radio staff in June 1987. As the years went by the need for expansion came in 1997 with the building of new studios on Stark Road in Starkville and in March 1998 WEPA signed off the air and WLZA began broadcasting from the new studios. Harry would retire later in 1998 and Carolyn took over as station manager. Harry died May, 1999. In May 2005 the old radio building in Eupora burned. Carolyn remains the station manager today.

Here is a list of some of WLZA’s past employees:

Mackey Dozier (the station’s first announcer), Talley Barnes (he too was one of the station’s first anncouncers), Don Vaughn, Walter Fisher, Jan Braswell, Dalton Middleton, Lowell Hitt, Scott Watson, Randy Love, Randy Bell, Joey Traywick (Joey T.), Jonathan Cooper, Raymond Hall, Johnnie Sue Cooper, Michael Bianca, Fran Warmack, Jennifer Gunn, Allen Redmon, Glen James, Marcus Vowell, David Euer, Tess Graham, Will Ramsay, and Gary Boisoe (Gary O.)

The future looks bright for WLZA LAZER 96.1 FM. We began broadcasting The Rick and Bubba Show in July 2004. The move has brought the station even more success. Rick and Bubba broadcast their show from Birmingham, Alabama and WLZA broadcasts it via satellite. Rick and Bubba airs Monday through Friday from 6am until 10am and Saturday from 6am until 9am. WLZA also plays “Today’s Best Hits” Contemporary music.

WLZA still offers Christian Programming every Sunday from 7am until 1pm. WLZA broadcasts many programs and Gospel Music plus continues the tradition of The Sunday Morning Worship broadcast at First Baptist Church in Eupora At 11am as well as The Evening Worship Broadcast at 6pm. Plus the Business Men’s Bible Class at First Baptist Church in Starkville Sundays at 10am and the morning worship at The First Presbyterian Church in Starkville at 12noon. The station’s broadcast coverage spans from Carrollton, MS to Vernon, AL and from Tupelo, MS to Philadelphia, MS.

External links

• Query the FCC's FM station database for WLZA
• Radio-Locator information on WLZA
• Query Nielsen Audio's FM station database for WLZA