 | |
| Broadcast area | Charleston metropolitan area andSouth Carolina Lowcountry |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 103.5MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | 103.5 WEZL |
| Programming | |
| Format | Country |
| Affiliations | Premiere Networks |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WRFQ,WSCC-FM,WXLY | |
| History | |
First air date | October 5, 1970 (55 years ago) (1970-10-05) |
Call sign meaning | WEaZeL forweasel, its original mascot. |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 2441 |
| Class | C1 |
| ERP | 100,000watts |
| HAAT | 201 meters (659 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 32°49′4.00″N79°50′9.00″W / 32.8177778°N 79.8358333°W /32.8177778; -79.8358333 |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | wezlfm.com |
WEZL (103.5MHz) is acommercialFMradio stationlicensed toCharleston, South Carolina, and serving theLowcountry. It broadcasts acountry musicradio format and is owned byiHeartMedia, Inc. WEZL carries twonationally syndicated programs:The Bobby Bones Show on weekday mornings andAfter Midnite withGranger Smith, heard overnights. Theradio studios and offices are on Houston Northcutt Boulevard inMount Pleasant.
WEZL has aneffective radiated power (ERP) of 100,000watts, the maximum for non-grandfathered FM stations. Thetransmitter is off Venning Road in Mount Pleasant, amid thetowers for other Charleston-area FM and TV stations.[2] WEZL broadcasts usingHD Radio technology. Its HD2digital subchannel formerly carriediHeartRadio'ssoft adult contemporary music service, known as "The Breeze." The HD2 subchannel has since been turned off.
On October 5, 1970; 55 years ago (October 5, 1970), WEZL firstsigned on the air.[3] It was owned by the Fine Arts Broadcasting with studios on Church Street. In its early days, it had an effective radiated power of 25,900 watts. It started with aneasy listening format, represented by the EZ in itscall sign.[4] After a couple of years, it flipped to country music. But it kept the same call letters, now pronouncing them as "Weasel."
The Weasel Morning Show consisted of longtime radio personalities TJ Phillips, Gary Griffin and Ric Rush. TJ, Gary and Ric were consistently the top rated morning show in Charleston. Griffin retired in 2012.[5] Phillips and Rush continued as the morning hosts before being moved to afternoons to make way for the syndicatedBobby Bones Show airing weekday mornings fromNashville.[6]
WEZL has been a country station in the Charleston market since 1972; 53 years ago (1972). In 2007, it started competing withCitadel Broadcasting's country station,WIWF 96.9 FM. WIWF later switched toclassic hits. Currently WEZL's country competition is 92.5WCKN, owned by Saga Communications.
"The Weasel" had the number one morning show for years prior to the arrival of Mike Tyler in January 1999. Tyler, Griffin and Janet Walsh fell to number 5 but regained the top spot in Fall 1999.[7] In the 2000s, the station stopped calling itself "The Weasel" most of the time, instead simply using its dial position and call letters.