 | |
| Broadcast area | Dayton metro area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 103.9MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | Dayton's New Country 103-9 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Country music |
| Affiliations | Premiere Networks |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WCHD,WIZE,WMMX,WONE,WTUE | |
| History | |
First air date | June 18,1962 (as WHBM) |
Former call signs | WHBM (1962–1978) WDJX (1978–1981) WDJX-FM (1981–1983) WYMJ-FM (1983–1994) WRVF (1994–1995) WXEG (1995–2015) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 67689 |
| Class | A |
| ERP | 2,900watts |
| HAAT | 146 meters (479 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 39°43′19.00″N84°12′33.00″W / 39.7219444°N 84.2091667°W /39.7219444; -84.2091667 |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | newcountry1039fm |
WZDA (103.9FM) is a commercialradio station licensed toBeavercreek, Ohio, serving theDayton metro area, owned byiHeartMedia, Inc. As of December 27, 2021, it broadcastscountry music on its standardanalog transmission, using the "New Country 103.9" moniker, after previously being analternative rock station called "Alt 103.9."[2] The WZDA studios are located inDayton, while the station transmitter resides in the neighboring suburb ofMoraine. Besides a standardanalog transmission, WZDA broadcasts inHD Radio,[3] and is available online viaiHeartRadio.[4]
WZDA began as WHBM on June 18, 1962, under license toXenia, Ohio; the WHBM call letters stood for "Harry B. Miller", the station's owner and general manager.[5] WHBM was the FM sister station to AM stationWELX in Xenia and WERM inWapakoneta.[citation needed] WELX and WHBM began operations in the late 1960s with amiddle of the road format, then switching in the early 1970s toprogressive jazz and soul gospel. WHBM_FM, began operations first in 1962 from the second floor above "The Dutch Oven" bakery on North Detroit St., in Xenia. WELX began operations several years later. Both stations eventually operated from the WELX transmitter site adjacent toU.S. Route 35 off June Drive in Xenia. Both stations miraculously survived theApril 3, 1974, tornado which ravaged Xenia and nearby Beavercreek. However, a fire destroyed the small studio/transmitter building around 1977, thus WELX and WHBM both went silent.
Both stations along with WERM were sold in 1978 to separate owners with WELX (nowsouthern gospelWGNZ) owned by L&D Broadcasting and WHBM sold to Ohio Broadcast Associates becomingTop-40 formatted WDJX, using the "Xenia/Fairborn/Beavercreek" top of hour ID giving FM competition to Dayton'sWING (AM).
In 1982 WDJX moved its studios (and eventually its city of license) to Beavercreek, later becomingHot A/C-formatted "Majic 104" WYMJ-FM. In 1989 WYMJ was purchased by Alan Gray's Dayton Radio, Inc and switched to "Oldies 104".
By 1992, the station became WRVF "The River" with acountry format before being overshadowed by the former WHIO-FM becoming WHKO "K-99.1 FM",[citation needed].
In late August 1995, the station became "103.9 The Edge",[6] WXEG introducing the Alternative format to Dayton and moving the studios to Dayton's HistoricOregon District. During this time, WXEG with sister stationsWONE (AM) andWTUE (FM) went through several ownerships after being sold by Group One to Stoner Broadcasting,American Radio Systems,Entercom and finallyJacor before its merger with Clear Channel.
On January 1, 1998, "103.9 The Edge" became "103.9 The X", retaining the Alternative format but rebranding due to a dispute with a consultant who owned the trademark of "The Edge."
By2010, WXEG changed formats toactive rock as it was moved to theMediabase active rock panel, but by 2015, it returned to the Alternative panel after phasing out the harder rock product.
On August 28, 2015, WXEG completed the move back to alternative rock, rebranding as "Alt 103-9".[7] The station changed its call sign to the current WZDA on September 28, 2015.
On November 24, 2021, at 6 a.m., after playing a block of "goodbye"-themed songs (specifically "In The End" byLinkin Park, "Closing Time" bySemisonic, and "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" byR.E.M.), WZDA dropped their rock format after 26 years and beganstunting with Christmas music as "Christmas 103.9"; a new format is expected after the holidays. The first song on "Christmas" wasFrank Sinatra's cover of "Jingle Bells". WZDA replaces former sisterWRZX-FM as iHeart's Christmas music brand in the Dayton market, as WRZX-FM was donated from iHeart’s Aloha Stations Trust along withWYDB and flipped to conservative talk in August. The change comes as the now-former "Alt" format had a 2.0 share in the October 2021 Nielsen Audio ratings.[10] On December 27, 2021, at Midnight, WZDA flipped to country as "103.9 The Bull", with the first song being "Buy Dirt" byJordan Davis andLuke Bryan.[11] On January 14, 2022, WZDA rebranded as "New Country 103.9".[12]
The station started broadcasting inHD Radio on February 2, 2006.[13]
WXEG held an annualX-Fest every year from 1996 to 2012. The X-Fest was cancelled in 2012 just weeks before the event was to take place[14] and has not taken place since.