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WZND-LP

Normal, Illinois
Broadcast area	Bloomington-Normal, Illinois
Frequency	103.3 MHz
Branding	WZND Fuzed Radio
Programming
Format	College radio, top 40
Ownership
Owner	Illinois State University Foundation
Sister stations	WGLT
History
First air date	1965 (1965) (WILN) 1981-03-28 (1981-03-28) (WZND) 2004-09-21 (2004-09-21) (WEWT-LP) 2011-09-27 (2011-09-27) (WZND-LP)
Former call signs	WEWT-LP (2004–2011)
Technical information
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	126023
Class	L1
ERP	23 watts
HAAT	61.6 m (202.1 ft)
Transmitter coordinates	40°30′29″N 88°59′16″W / 40.508186°N 88.987766°W / 40.508186; -88.987766
Links
Public license information	LMS
Website	wznd.com

WZND-LP (103.3 MHz FM) is a low-power FM radio station licensed for Bloomington, McLean County, Illinois, United States. The station is staffed by students of Illinois State University and airs music from genres including rock, hip-hop, classic, pop, and country. WZND has received many awards including the 2018 BEA Best College Station in the Nation award.

History

ISU student radio

Student broadcasting at Illinois State University began in 1935 in a partnership with McLean County radio station WJBC. WILN, a campus radio station, was started in 1965 with the assistance of Ruth Yates and broadcast to the dorms.

On March 18, 1981, WILN changed its name to WZND and began broadcasting via carrier current on 106.1 FM and 540 AM. At first branded "The Sound" and later in 1983 "Cable’s Hot Music FM, The New WZND", the station reached five thousand to ten thousand people. WZND broadcast progressive rock, new wave sound, soul, and aired local soul, jazz, and spot band music. In 2001 WZND rebranded to Z106 and broadcast alternative and hip hop music. On April 4, 2007, WZND switched formats to include 90s music in addition to alternative rock. In January 2010, WZND changed to a college shuffle format, playing a wide variety of genres. The station was rebranded "WZND Fuzed Radio".

WZND has had several locations on campus. Its original location was in Cook Hall in 1981, but moved to Old Union (then called the Media Services Building) in 1985. In the spring of 1994, WZND relocated to its current location in the basement of Fell Hall.

103.3

Rock In Victory Ministries, Inc., a Catholic ministry, received a license for WEWT-LP on 103.3, and began broadcasting on September 21, 2004, airing a Christian contemporary music format.

The Illinois State University Foundation acquired the 103.3 broadcast license on September 14, 2011. Truth 103 shut down FM broadcasting in the early morning hours of September 16, 2011 for financial reasons, but Truth 103 continued as an Internet streaming program afterwards.

WZND-LP

103.3 came back on the air at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, September 27, 2011, broadcasting the existing Illinois State University campus radio station, WZND. The 103.3 call sign officially changed from WEWT-LP to WZND-LP on October 12, 2011.

In 2013, WZND was featured nationally on mtvU.

See also

• Campus radio
• List of college radio stations in the United States

References

1. ^ "About Us: Our Broadcast/Our History/Our Future". Truth 103. June 6, 2005. Archived from the original on July 8, 2008. Retrieved January 13, 2008.
2. "Facility Technical Data for WZND-LP". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
3. ^ "About Us". WZND. Archived from the original on February 13, 2015. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
4. "WZND continues to impress with national awards". News. December 15, 2020. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
5. "Timeline Photos". Facebook. WZND Fuzed Radio. March 29, 2015. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
6. ^ Steinbacher, Michele (March 3, 2006). "WZND-FM celebrating 25 years on the air". The Pantagraph. The Pantagraph. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
7. Baughan, Ann P. (September 14, 2011). "Consummation Notice". Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
8. Cinda (September 16, 2011). "Truth 103". Facebook. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
9. Cinda (September 15, 2011). "Truth 103". Facebook. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
10. Rumbold, Katlyn (September 27, 2011). "WZND switches to FM dial". Daily Vidette. The Vidette. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
11. "WZND-LP". FCCInfo.com. Manassas, Virginia: Cavell Mertz & Associates, Inc. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
12. Sallen, James (April 6, 2017). "WZND On MTV-U". TV 10. Illinois State University. Archived from the original on February 13, 2015. Retrieved February 13, 2015.

External links

• College radio stations in Illinois
• Contemporary hit radio stations in the United States
• Low-power FM radio stations in Illinois
• Radio stations in Bloomington, Illinois
• Illinois State University
• Radio stations established in 2004
• 2004 establishments in Illinois