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KZZP (104.7 FM broadcasting) is a United States commercial radio radio station licensed to Mesa, Arizona, and serving the Phoenix metropolitan area. The station airs a top 40 (CHR) radio format and is owned and operated by iHeartMedia. Studios and offices are on East Van Buren Street in Phoenix near Sky Harbor International Airport.
The transmitter is off Road D in South Mountain Park, amid other towers for Phoenix-area FM and TV stations. Radio-Locator.com/KZZP KZZP has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 100,000 , broadcasting from a tower at 472 meters (1,549 ft) in height above average terrain (HAAT). FCC.gov/KZZP
In 1958, the radio stations were acquired by Greater Phoenix Broadcasting, under president Sherwood R. Gordon. Broadcasting Yearbook 1960 page A-111 The following year, the stations switched call letters to KBUZ-AM-FM, and flipped to a beautiful music format.
In late 1976, the stations were sold to Southwestern Media, Inc.. On January 1, 1977, KBUZ-FM split from the AM, changed call letters to KIOG, and flipped to a syndicated soft rock format from TM Programming in Dallas called "Beautiful Rock". During this time, studios were located at the Thomas Mall in Phoenix. The station was branded as "K-104 FM".
Morning host Jonathon Brandmeier, also known as Johnny B., later became a star at WLUP-FM in Chicago. While in Phoenix, his KZZP show featured prank phone calls, parody songs which Brandmeier himself usually wrote, sang and recorded, along with a cast of regular characters. When Brandmeier left for Chicago, Western Cities won an injunction to keep him off the air in that market until his contract with KZZP had expired. In 1991, Brandmeier hosted a national late night TV show, "Johnny B. on the Loose," syndicated by Viacom.
KZZP, also known as "Hitmusic 104" or "FM 104" in the 1980s, was considered one of America's leading Top 40 radio stations. It was led by Program Director Guy Zapoleon, and owned by Nationwide Communications, who bought the station in 1985. During Zapoleon's era, the station played mass appeal hits along with some adventurous dance and alternative releases. Zapoleon hired morning man Bruce Kelly from Boston in July 1985.
DJs during this era include Valerie Knight, Kevin Weatherly, Jimmy Kimmel, Dave Otto, Kevin Ryder and Gene Baxter (of Kevin and Bean fame), Todd Fisher, Clarke Ingram, John Machay, Nick Sommers, Michelle Santosuosso, William "Bill Stu" Stewart, Carey Edwards, Steve Goddard, Scott Thrower, Kent Voss, William "Buddy" LaTour, Mike Elliot, John O'Rourke, Steve Grosz, Susan Karis, Dave Ryan, Laurie Michaels, Brandon Scott, and Christopher Lee.
In December 1989, Bruce Kelly signed a lucrative five-year contract with the station, but was released just weeks later. Kelly sued for wrongful termination and won. Years later, Kelly went to KKFR and teamed with former WLUP Chicago DJ Maggie Brock to host "Bruce & Maggie in the Morning".
Brandmeier made a brief return, via syndication, in mornings, in 1996, but ratings were not strong, and after six months, he was replaced with a local morning show.Charlie Van Dyke, "Brandmeier's last day as Chicago/Valley DJ was unexpected, ugly", The Arizona Republic, September 14, 1996.Charlie Van Dyke, "New voice in the morning", The Arizona Republic, October 5, 1996. The station returned to #1 in the ratings for a couple of periods during this time. Jacor bought Nationwide's radio stations, including KZZP, in 1997.
Bruce Kelly returned in September 1998, for a brief run in mornings.Michael Clancy, "Bruce Kelly comes full circle at KZZP", The Arizona Republic, September 12, 1998.Michael Clancy, "KZZP fires Bruce Kelly, cites steady declining ratings", The Arizona Republic, July 1, 1999. The new modern AC KZZP was competing with the similarly-formatted KMXP, and would later become its sister station with the merger of Jacor and Nationwide. KMXP had the better ratings so, in February 1999, KZZP began evolving back to mainstream Top 40 by including more rhythmic and upbeat tracks in its playlist; the shift was completed that April.Michael Clancy, "KZZP changes are odd in light of target audience", The Arizona Republic, February 27, 1999. In June, KZZP rebranded as "104-7 'ZZP - Arizona's Hit Music Channel". The station made even more changes, including in its air staff and playlist.Michael Clancy, "'NewShow' fluff count still high", The Arizona Republic, September 4, 1999. The station briefly aired Los Angeles-based Rick Dees in syndication for a few months in 2000.Mike Clancy, "KZZP bids Ron and Don goodbye", The Arizona Republic, August 19, 2000. With all of these changes, however, KZZP was usually ranked in the mid-2 to low-3 share range of the media market.
KZZP, under Clear Channel and Program Director Tom Caloccoci, went in a rhythmic-leaning Top 40 direction that included some dance crossovers. Although KZZP broadened to include mainstream pop songs by 2004, KZZP's playlist still leaned rhythmic, similar to many Top 40 stations in the Southwest. On September 16, 2014, Clear Channel renamed itself iHeartMedia, to bring its corporate name in line with its iHeartRadio internet platform. Around the same time as the corporate name change, KZZP repositioned to a mainstream Top 40 direction, along with several other leading rhythmic Top 40 stations, such as KYLD San Francisco, WBBM-FM Chicago and XHITZ San Diego.
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