WIZR


WIZR is a radio station that broadcasts a Hot AC format. Licensed to Johnstown, New York, United States, the station serves the Mohawk Valley area. The station is owned by the Cranesville Radio Network and features hit songs from the '90s, 2000s, and 2010s.

History

WIZR signed on in 1964, airing a middle of the road format; four years later, sister station WIZR-FM 104.9 signed on as a simulcast of the AM station's programming. In 1973, the stations flipped to a top 40 simulcast; with the FM side flipping to oldies in 1980.
With the decline of top 40 formats on AM, WIZR flipped to Music of Your Life under the call letters WMYL in 1981; WIZR-FM signed off in 1982 and returned after a one-year absence, simulcasting the AM's adult standards format. In 1984, Joe Caruso acquired the stations, and reinstated the WIZR call letters on the AM side while the FM took on a new format and the WSRD call letters.
In early 1998, Joe Caruso sought to move FM 104.9 closer to the Albany market by securing a construction permit to move WSRD to Altamont, New York; later that year, Pamal Broadcasting acquired both stations for $2.2 million, upon the closure of the sale, former sister station WSRD moved to its new transmitter site and is now WINU, while WIZR began to carry ABC's now-defunct Timeless radio network.
In December 2008, WIZR went silent as Pamal Broadcasting prepared for a sale of the radio station; eventually, Dr. Thomas J. Kuettel would purchase the station in early 2010, who installed a country music format under Dial Global's True Country satellite format on March 15, 2010. On June 1, 2011, the station changed formats to Dial Global oldies. In March 2013 WIZR changed FM translator frequencies to 102.9, also adopting a new slogan "Your Home For Classic Hits" as Dial Global had changed and updated the format.
In April 2014, the sale of WIZR began, with the Cranesville Radio Network of Amsterdam, NY purchasing. The station was flipped to an AC format, with a minor Hot AC change coming in July 2014. The license transfer for WIZR and W243CV Translator was consummated on October 31, 2014, at a price of $150,000.
WIZR becomes the 4th station in the Cranesville Amsterdam cluster, which is flagshipped by WCSS AM 1490, and includes WKAJ AM1120, and WYVS 96.5FM.