At noon on January 12, 2005, 99.1 WHFS was switched to a Tropical Latin music format. Its call letters were soon changed to WZLL for a few days, and then again to WLZL, and the station was rebranded as “El Zol 99.1 FM”. Although a format change had been rumored to some extent for years–due to slipping ratings (22nd) in its primary market of Washington (although its ratings in Baltimore remained high)–the switch was not publicized beforehand and took many long-time fans, and even most of the station’s staff, by surprise. Most of the station’s staff were not told of the change until less than an hour before it happened, and new management presided in the air studio as the former format was playing its last few songs.
Aircheck Courtesy of HFStival.com.
Summary from Wikipedia.
Donnie Shue
This still makes me very angry. Hopefully with the low ratings WLZL has had for some time there will be a clip of 99.1 WHFS returning to this frequency posted here.
Nightman
In reality WHFS dies twice once when owner Jake Einstien sold the original one at 102.3 to Outlet who was going to either simulcast or move WTOP to FM, instead after the station signed off for a month became a beautiful music station, getting clobbered by the top rated station of that format WGAY, they tried soft a/c as WMMJ, Cathy Hughes bought them and as part of the sale had to keep the format which tanked in the rating and then switched to Older Urban Comtemporary.
Jake Einstein was going to move the Progressive rock format to 1390 am, but had some trouble and bought WNAV and WLOM FM instead. He left WNAV alone and flipped WLOM to the familiar progressive format. Around thanksgiving of that year WLOM Progressive 99, reverted back to the WHFS call letters.