WZRR

WZRR is an FM radio station licensed to Birmingham in the U.S. state of Alabama. The station is owned by Cumulus Media. Other stations in the market that Cumulus owns include WJOX-FM (94.5), WJQX (100.5), WUHT-FM (107.7), WJOX-AM (690) and WAPI-AM (1070). The station has studios in Homewood and its transmitter is west of Red Mountain.

History

The station broadcasting at 99.5 FM in Birmingham first signed on in 1977 as WVOK-FM. "K-99", as the station was called, was Birmingham's first full-time album rock station; previously, WJLN-FM (now WZZK) and WERC-FM (now WBPT) dabbled in that format on a part-time basis. K-99 played an eclectic mix of rock songs from artists of the 1960s and 1970s, and was a ratings success. When its AM sister station WVOK (now WJOX) was sold in 1978, the call letters of the FM station were changed to WRKK, but the K-99 handle was retained.

In 1981, WAPI-FM (now WJOX-FM) changed its format from easy listening to album rock, thus giving Birmingham two stations in the same format. This continued until the next year, when the new owners of WRKK changed the station's format to country music. The on-air name of the station was modified to "K-99 Country". Competing against market leader WZZK, the new WRKK was not successful. In an attempt to change K-99's fortunes, in 1984, the call letters were changed to WQUS, and the on-air name of the station was changed to "U.S. 99". Neither the new name nor the hiring of the popular Birmingham morning drive team of Tommy Charles and John Ed Willoughby improved the fortunes of the station.