City Bowdon, Georgia Format Regional Mexican | Branding 105.3 El Patrón | |
Broadcast area Atlanta metropolitan area
Midwest Georgia Frequency 105.3 MHz (also on HD Radio)
105.3 HD-2 Mia First air date May 1994 (as WYAI at 105.5) | ||
WBZY FM 105.3 ("105-3 El Patrón") is a radio station that plays Regional Mexican music. The station's transmitter is located in Newnan, Georgia and targets metro Atlanta, also covering its city of license of Bowdon, Georgia. It is owned by iHeartMedia and operates from studios located at the Peachtree Palisades building in the Brookwood Hills district of Atlanta.
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Early years (1994-2004)
The station began in May 1994 as country-music "Y 105.5" WYAI-FM, a class-A serving Carrollton to the west-southwest of metro Atlanta. Having co-channel RF interference with station WCHK-FM 105.5 in Canton, Georgia (north-northwest of Atlanta), both stations changed radio frequencies (the other station now being WRDA 105.7) and moved closer to Atlanta. In late February 2002, the station upgraded to a class C1 as an Atlanta move-in. To create hype, the station stunted with classical music and comedy bits. 105.3 officially debuted as WMAX-FM "105.3 The Max", playing all 80s music, on February 18, 2002, with "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles being the first song played. On January 30, 2004, at 6 p.m., after playing "It's The End of the World" by R.E.M., it became a hot talk station known as "Real Radio 105.3" that aired talk on weekdays and '80s music on weekends. The WMAX-FM callsign now resides on another iHeartMedia station in Holland, Michigan, which is currently branded as 9-6-1 ESPN.
Viva to 105.3 The Buzz (2004-2006)
On September 15, 2004, at 10 a.m., following "The Schnitt Show" (in which Schnitt said goodbye to Atlanta listeners and asked them to enjoy the new format, giving part of his signoff in Spanish while doing so), the station began stunting with a heartbeat sound effect and Spanish-language liners promoting the upcoming launch of the new format. At 11 p.m. that evening, the station changed to Latin Top 40 as WWVA-FM "Viva 105.3", as part of efforts by owner iHeartMedia (then Clear Channel Communications) to expand into Hispanic radio markets. During the last quarter of 2004, it was the second-top-rated radio station in Atlanta.
On May 5, 2005, WVWA and WBZY switched frequencies, turning WBZY into "105.3 the Buzz", while "Viva" moved to WBZY's previous home at 96.7 FM, as well as 105.7 FM, displacing oldies-formatted "Cool 105.7" (WLCL). For two weeks, the calls of 105.3 were changed to WLCL, so the local media wouldn't be able to predict the move. After the switch, the calls were changed to WBZY.
The Buzz to El Patrón to Groove (2006-2013)
On November 17, 2006, at 9 a.m. EST, The Buzz ceased operations. Some of the on-air staff were fired and others moved down the dial to sister station WKLS FM 96.1, which was changed from "96 Rock" to "Project 9-6-1". For several days, WBZY-FM simulcasted the new station until it began a loop telling listeners to tune into the new station, as well as advertising the new format of the station. The 105.3 frequency debuted a new Regional Mexican format under the name El Patrón on November 26 at 9 a.m. EST.
On October 19, 2009, sister station WWVA-FM (then known as Viva 105.7), who had been broadcasting a Spanish AC format, flipped to Rhythmic AC as "Groove 105.7", thus leaving WBZY as Atlanta's only FM Spanish-language station. This move prompted Clear Channel to merge 105.7's Spanish adult contemporary format with 105.3's regional Mexican format. The "Viva" format has moved to El Patrón's HD-2 channel.
WBZY HD-2 as Mia from iHeartRadio (2013-present)
Near the end of September 2013, Clear Channel’s iHeartRadio online, commercial-free Spanish Contemporary Hit Music formatted station known as Mia, began broadcasting on WBZY HD-2. Previously, Mia was an online-only station on iHeartRadio with no local origin. However, with its beginning on WBZY HD-2, it began to identify itself as "WBZY HD-2, Bowdon, Georgia" at the top of every hour, even when listened to on iHeartRadio. Radio personalities on Mia originate from other iHeartMedia-owned stations like Humberto "El Gato" Rodríguez Calderón from WZTU in Miami and Paula Andrea from WBZY itself.