Happy 15th Anniersary Hot 93.7 Hartford, Connecticut

[ynkeesfn82]

At 5PM Friday March 16, 2001 Infinity Broadcasting launched Hartford's first commercial FM Hip-Hop Radio Station HOT 93.7 WZMX. This has been WZMX's longest running format ever and the most successful one. Until then Hip-hop fans in Harrtford had to listen to 2 AM stations JAMZ 910 which was Urban Contemporary station (which was hip-hop heavy at night not so much during the day) and BLAZE 990 a lower power station in Southington.

In 1991 American Radio Systems purchased WLVH 93.7 which for more than 18 months was simulcasting NOAA Weather Radio. They upgraded the station and launched MIX 93.7 WZMX. In 1994 with 2 other stations playing the same music - Star 104.1 WYSR and future sister station 96.5 WTIC-FM, ARS flipped WZMX to Classic Hits/Classic Rock. During the next 4 years they kept tweaking WZMX's format. Some branding including "93.7 The 70s Station" and "Classic Hits 93.7." In 1998 Infinity Broadcasting relaunched WZMX as 93-7 The Point. (Nicknamed by radio geeks as 93-7 The Pointless). 93.7 The Point was horrible. They were playing Rock & Roll from the Beginning to the Present. (From 1955-1998). So they were trying to grab listeners from 4 other stations - Oldies WDRC, Classic Rocker WHCN, Modern Rocker WMRQ, and Main Stream Rocker WCCC-FM. In 1999 Infinity flipped 93-7 The Point to a fad format called Jammin' Oldies which more or less was mostly Disco Music. Rival AM-FM Broadcasting owned the trademark to Jammin' Oldies so Infinity called the format Dancin' Oldies. "Dancin' Oldies Z-93.7". Z-93.7 lasted until 5PM March 16, 2001.

[Scrabbleship]

I seem to remember two things from this period. That this flip nearly happened two years earlier but Infinity had a severe case of cold feet at the last minute and that Blaze 990 was a unfocused mess.

[ynkeesfn82]

I seem to remember two things from this period. That this flip nearly happened two years earlier but Infinity had a severe case of cold feet at the last minute and that Blaze 990 was a unfocused mess.

Right in both counts. We had heard about the rumored flip in 99 at my high school and we (well not me) were disappointed they went with Jammin' Oldies instead.

As for Blaze 990 it was run by Phillip Duncan. The only reason it existed was for him to get revenge on JAMZ 910 for firing him. The stories Charlie Profit told me about Duncan when I was involved at WNTY back in 2002 are crazy. He told me if Duncan was on the phone with an advertiser he would make the DJ cut off the song that was playing and play the advertiser's commercial. Duncan also wasn't paying his DJs with money. He was paying them with CDs, concert tickets, and t-shirts. And several times Duncan tried to sell the station even though he didn't own it. He claimed he didn't know you couldn't sell what you didn't own. Last I heard Duncan was involved with the unlicensed Caribbean Station called Busy 103.3 FM. Today WNTY plays 60s-80s Oldies and is known as Kool Radio. Programming originates at WACM in West Springfield and they're owned by Red Wolf Broadcasting owners of Radio 104.1 in Hartford and Soft Rock 106.5/Jammin 107.7/94.9 News Now in New London County.