Technical Profile: DWZZX

AM Technical Profile: DWZZX

Frequency:: 780
Format:: Classic Urban
Transmitter Location:: [map] Down Knight Street, just off Blakes Ferry Road on the east side of Lineville.
Power (ERP):: Day: 5 kW
Antenna:: Day: 1 tower, omnidirectional
Other Information:: [FCC]; [Radio-Locator]; [Wikipedia]; Owned by Williams Communications
History:: The owners of WEYY-AM in Talladega (Robert E. Hayes, Jimmy E. Woodward, Dendy L. Jackson, as Clay County Broadcasters) were granted a new construction permit for a station in Lineville in August 1967. The station, which had transmitter and studios approximately 7/10ths of a mile southeast of downtown Lineville and about halfway down AL-9 to Ashland, transmitted on 1540 kHz, with 1 kW daytime. A license to cover for this facility was granted by the FCC in October 1967; the station was reported to be using a Gates Vanguard II transmitter. The original call sign was WANL. It was Clay County's first radio station.

In the summer of 1984, the station was granted a major modification to move to 780 kHz, with 5 kW but still daytime only. A license to cover for this change was granted in May 1986. Around this time, the station was listed as having a Country music format according to the Broadcasting Yearbook. In June 1986 the station was acquired by Robert A. Perry (owner of WASZ Ashville-Lineville) for $82,715.43. He changed the calls to WZZX and flipped the format to a mix of Oldies and Adult Contemporary. By the early 90's, the station was doing Classic Country and Gospel music. In 1995, the station was granted a permit to move to the current/final site, listed above. By the end of the 90's the station appears to have tried a (short-lived) News format.

By 2000, it was back to Country. A license to cover for the move to the Knight Street facility was granted in May 2001.

The station was acquired by Williams Communications in the summer of 2002 for $2.86 million, although this price most likely included other stations in the region.

The station was reported as off the air at the start of May 2010. It wasn't confirmed back on the air until March 2012, airing a Classic Rhythm and Blues format. It was also noted to be frequency either off the air or on with a dead carrier. In subsequent years the station had a social media presence advertising it as "The Beat Jamz", implying a more contemporary Urban format, but it was never able to be confirmed as on the air by any site contributors. The station was confirmed off the air again in late 2015 or early 2016. The owners turned in the station's license in August 2016.