WEZY-FM 94.1 Lakeland

Original Call Letters: WVFM

Originally Licensed: Sept 1967

Original City of License: Lakeland

Original Frequency: 94.1

Origin of Call Letters: Sounds like: Easy

Original Power: 100,000 watts

Original Location:

Original Format: Beautiful Music

Easy listening music could become even more of an endangered species in Central Florida.
The Orlando Sentinel
Feb 6, 1993
This week Paxson Broadcasting of Clearwater announced it had reached an agreement with Root Communications to buy WEZY-FM (94.1) in Lakeland. In his announcement, company chairman Lowell "Bud" Paxson praised WEZY's easy-listening format but said research later in the year would determine if the music should be changed. That could well mean the clock is ticking for this largely instrumental format that has been on the air for 25 years. The Federal Communications Commission will likely approve the sale in a few months, at which time Paxson plans to build a new tower that will, in effect, give the Tampa Bay area a new radio signal by the year's end. A number of people in the Orlando area can't pick up the Lakeland station, but for the older adults who do, it's been an FM haven away from the contemporary, often loud alternatives on other Central Florida radio stations. Easy listening formats have become a dying breed as more and more stations switched to formats targeted at adults aged 25 to 54 the group favored by advertisers. "We're kind of a dinosaur," said WEZY general manager, Leroy Bradley. The station is the No. 2 ranked station in Lakeland, but competing in Tampa and St. Petersburg will be a whole new ballgame. And the area already has one strong easy listening signal in WDUV-FM (103.3), which comes in from Sarasota. Orlando and Lakeland stand to suffer the greatest loss in radio options should Paxson decide to change the format. In the meantime, however, if you like listening to WEZY, you might let him know. Write Paxson at Paxson Broadcasting.

Names In WEZY History

Dave Lane-1985-1986-Production Manager/News-Root Communications

Dick Bennick-(Dr. Paul Bearer)-1987-Regional Sales Manager-Root Communications In Memory

Bob Crews-1990-Operations Director/Music Director-Root Communications

Joey Austin-1991-Promotions Director-Root Communications

Leroy Bradley-1993-General Manager-Root Communications

Bill Fowler-1994-General Manager

Drew Rashbaum-1995-General Manager-Paxson Communications

Alan Thompson

Bob Crews-Operations Manager

Owner(s):	1967-Lakeland FM Broadcasting, Inc
	1983-Root Communications
	1993-Paxson Communications
	1997-Commodore Media
	1997-Clear Channel
	1998-Capstar
	1998-AMFM
	1999-Infinity

History Of Call Letters and Formats:	WVFM-1967-Easy Listening
	WEZY-1988-Beautiful Music
	WEZY-1995-All-vocals Soft Adult Contemporary
	WSJT-1995-Smooth Jazz