The
WHIZ Media Group began as a 100 watt AM
radio station in July 1924.
Known then as WALR, the station
broadcast at 1210 on the AM dial with
studios and business office in the 300 block
of Main Street in downtown Zanesville.
In 1939, the call letters were changed to WHIZ,
the power raised to 250 watts, and the studios
and business office relocated to the Lind Arcade
Building on Fifth Street. The power was boosted
to 1,000 watts in 1950.
At about that time, the bold move to
television was being considered.
Following the lifting of an FCC
imposed freeze on new television stations,
construction began in 1952 at the
Downard Road site for Zanesville's first, and
only, television station. On May 23, 1953,
WHIZ-TV began broadcasting at 5:00pm
on Channel 50 with just enough power to
reach the 500 or so television sets in the
Zanesville area. A year and a half later,
the channel was changed to 18 with an increase
in power to 186,000 watts. The year 1986 saw
a new antenna a power boost to 589,000 watts and
stereo sound.
When FM radio started becoming a viable
medium, WHIZ-FM was established in 1961at
102.5 with a power rating of 20,000 watts.
In the mid-70's, the power was raised
to today's 50,000 watts stereo signal.
Today, the WHIZ stations are operating with
the latest digital technology.
On AM &FM radio, computer hard
drives have replaced the records and CD's
that used to provide the music.
Television commercials are now aired
from even larger capacity computer hard
drives with programming being delivered by
satellite feeds instead of videotape.
At the cutting edge of technology is
WHIZ-DT (Digital Television).
Broadcasting on Channel 40, WHIZ-DT
is delivering television unlike anything
seen before. High Definition television is on the
horizon.
