Original Call Letters: WINT

Originally Licensed: Nov 1958

Original City of License: Winter Haven

Original Frequency: 1360

Origin of Call Letters: 

Original Power:  5,000 Watts/2,500 Watts

Original Location:

Original Format: Oldies

Owner(s):

History Of Call Letters and Formats:

WZNG Asks To Boost Power, Longer Hours 
Tampa Tribune Mar. 6, 1979
By RALPH GOLDEN Tribune Staff Writer 
Winter Haven 
Radio station WZNG has applied to the Federal Communications Commission for permission to boost its power and go to a 24-hour program schedule. The federal agency said last week it had received Vantage Broadcasting Co.'s application. " WZNG is on State Road 540 just east of Winter Haven and plays primarily what its owners call "contemporary or soft rock music." Station Manager Diane Buerger said Monday the fact the Federal Communications Commission accepted the station's application is a good sign. She explained that with the acceptance of the application, federal officials have indicated they see no reason not to grant permission pending a complete investigation. Buerger said if the application is approved, WZNG would go to a 24-hour program format with 5,000 watts daytime and 2,500 at night. "It would make us the biggest AM radio station in Polk County," Buerger said. She added the station would also begin aiming its programming and news coverage more toward Cypress Gardens than Winter Haven. "We will be called WZNG Cypress Gardens' instead of WZNG Winter Haven," she said. She said WGTO, located in Cypress Gardens would still be the strongest daytime station, but WZNG would have more power at night. Vantage Broadcasting is also looking at two pieces of property on which to build two new radio towers if the FCC approves the application. "The programming will remain basically the same," Buerger said, "but we will be adding about $100,000 more in equipment and probably increase our staff." She said the station is going to gear more toward the Cypress Gardens community than Winter Haven because she and her husband, ' David Buerger, who is the station's general' manager, believe that area has been neglected. Buerger said the station has a team of at-; torneys in Washington, D.C. handling the application. It takes between three and six months for the FCC to give formal approval,' Buerger said, and if it comes "we will be on the air 24 hours sometime before Christmas."- If the station's application is approved, its. radio signals will be broadcast more directly; toward Tampa than Orlando. Buerger said; this is not meant to mean WZNG is going tcr compete with radio stations in the Tampa Bay" area, but it will make the station more competitive with radio stations in Lakeland.

Names In WZNG History

Dan Hogan-1980-Sales/Fill-In Talk Show Host-Vantage Broadcasting  Biography

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Nancy Lauderdale

Bill Sigler

Rosie Harker

Lori Edwards

Lawrence Behr-Engineer

Dave Wright (David Lee Wright)  In Memory