The Return of WZZQ

[bobrall]

WXLY came about to sound like WSLI.  A strange move - probably from an ad agency.
The Capitol Broadcasting people never understood FM.  Early on, Bill Tanner thought they should jump on CHR and do a 96X thing.
WSLI under Dick Voorhis leadership was a very successful AM. (It was also a great place to work.)
No one saw any potential for FM at the time.  Regardless of the format
they would have put on the air, it would probably not have been well executed.  I always felt that the FM was simply an annoyance to most of those involved.
Storz Broadcasting a good example.  After pioneering top 40 radio and with market leaders in Miami, St. Louis, Kansas City,
Oklahoma City and New Orleans, they passed up each opportunity to add FMs at dirt cheap prices.  The "bean counters" never saw it
coming.  (I worked with them in New Orleans at WTIX before going to KBOX in Dallas)
Back to Miss103.  It's reception far exceeded the "kick back" form the ZZQ fans.  The kick off was supported with television and an 80,000 home direct mail piece.  The "Country Store" at the studios did a brisk
business in station merchandise.  We sold and gave away everything - belt buckles, hats, t shirts.  If Kirby could have found Miss103 jock straps we'd have had them.  The frist Christmas, the Country Store did as much business a some small town radio stations.

[flytrap]

If I remember correctly, 96.3 was known as WJFR (Jackson Family Radio) which was mostly preachers and religon.  They were then WXLY as country.  After the country flopped, they changed it to WYYN (WYN 96) with mostly AC.  Walt (Grayson) and Wendy were on in the morning.  I think the call letters changed to WSLI FM whenever it became "Class FM".  Then they went to the simulcast of WJDX AM as Mix 96. then they swapped frequencies with 105.1 and went country. (Kicks 96?)  This stuff gets confusing.  As for ZZQ going country.  Shortly after Miss 103 came out, they wiped out nearly every country station within there coverage area.  Lets see. WCCL 1590 was one of the first. Along with WJQS 1400.  WPRL 1190 (Later WKKE "Kicker Country") 1180,  WKYV 106.7 (KY 107 Vicksburg)  WXLY 96.3.  That was just in the 80's. WSLI AM tried country briefly,Later on 98.7 tried country,  Katfish 95,  WQST Forrest, and even old WRKN in Brandon finally threw in the towel.  Plus I'm sure there were more that I don't remember.  Several of the small town country stations out in the sticks were also affected by Miss 103.

I was one of those people that were also mad that ZZQ went country, but knowing what I know now,  going country was the best things they ever did.  I would have done the same thing.

[tbarber]

as a mere bump on the ass of this discussion.... let me add that I think the smartest thing they did was the 10 in a row or $10,000 promotion. No one had been doing cash promotions at that level for any extended period. I think it later evolved to 3 in a row or $1,000- but it was a perfect promotion at the right time. I also remember the very succesful promotional tie in with Jitney. Not only the bingo game with cash prizes- but joint promotion with a retailer where most of your potential cume went once or twice every week.

BTW... my 10 year sleeps in a "I Love MS103" t-shirt most nights.... the shirt has got to be 25 years old and has been passed down two or three times.

[RadeoEngineer]

I was a part timer on air at ZZQ in 1975, and it was a great group of people and a wonderful radio station.  It was not maximizing its potential for revenue though.  How many hippies were there in the coverage area vs. how many pickup truck shotgun totin' necks?  Once FM really broke through, which was a big part of why ZZQ was such a momentum maker for it to happen, it became apparent that there was a much bigger audience out there in the metro and the boons that meant many more dead presidents for the sellers and managers.  Radio was only about exploring music to a small audience for a very short time once FM took off.  The dollars of a bigger audience and higher spot rates soon faded that dream into reality.  Those of us that experienced, and the few of us that participated in ZZQ at its hippest, finest moment were blessed to be there.  It was certainly one of the most memorable experiences of my life.  Hell, I was only a part timer and I had some of that "celebrity" thang going on.  Free records, concert tickets, movie passes, no cover for entry anywhere, free food at certain restaurants and THE CHICKS!  THE CHICKS!!!!

Ah, to make it a movie and have a cameo appearance as the greasy old engineer.  Damn, those were good times.

[robgrayson]

Maybe we could get Mr. Fitzhugh to work up the screnplay. 

[tzbarber]

Maybe we could get Mr. Fitzhugh to work up the screnplay. 

I say Brad Pitt to play the young JDX dj across the hall that went into sales for JDX/ZZQ.

[robgrayson]

I was hoping we could get the guy who plays Hurley on Lost for the role of Bobby Grey.

[tzbarber]

I was hoping we could get the guy who plays Hurley on Lost for the role of Bobby Grey.

 there is a resemblance,especially the t-shirts!

[Vandenbroek]

On July 4, 1981, ZZQ/102 went to sleep. On July 4, 2009, it woke up. Check out our new website at ZZQ102.com. While you're there, make sure you register to become a member. It's free and it will allow us to tell you when our new streaming Internet radio station will go live. It was a long rest. There were lots of dreams over the past 28 years. We're about to make some of them real.

[Vandenbroek]

But I don't think anyone can credibly disagree that switching WZZQ to country WMSI in 1981 was the smartest move ever made in Jackson radio.  Over the last 29 years, they would have to be the highest billing radio station in the state of Mississippi.  They would not hold that distinction if they had stuck with AOR all these years.

Well ... I can disagree. While MISS 103 had its hayday (or heyday, since it spent so much saying "Hey!" in promotional money), Jackson's cumulately dominant station over the past 30 + years has been JMI. Matter of fact, check out MSI's books of late. Ain't #1 no mo'.

And if you were to factor in billing with the inflated costs of the stations (s) as they changed ownership over the years, I dunno. I will agree though that Lamar Life's Ghost has been playing a lusty shell game since July 4, 1981.

I wonder what would have happened if the format didn't go country but the money spent to promote Twang 103 were used on ZZQ/102? I know in the last year I was there, the promotion money practically didn't exist.