| Broadcast area | Central Florida |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 88.3 MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | Z88.3 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Contemporary Christian music |
| Subchannels |
|
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| |
| History | |
First air date | August 9, 1995, as WEAZ in Union Park, Florida |
Former call signs | WAEZ (1993-1994) WEAZ (1994-1998) |
Call sign meaning | POZitive Hits [sic] |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 9876 |
| Class | C |
| ERP | 100,000 watts |
| HAAT | 452 meters (1,483 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 28°36′08″N 81°05′36″W / 28.60234°N 81.09330°W |
| Translator(s) | See § Frequencies |
| Repeater(s) | See § Frequencies |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | zradio |
WPOZ (88.3 MHz) is a non-commercial, listener-supported FM radio station licensed to Orlando, and serving Central Florida. It is owned by Central Florida Educational Foundation, Inc., and operated by Z Ministries, inc. It broadcasts a Contemporary Christian radio format. The radio studios are in Altamonte Springs.
WPOZ has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 100,000 watts. The transmitter is in east Orange County, Florida. WPOZ is simulcast on several other owned stations in Central Florida. The station broadcasts using HD Radio technology. There are other Christian music formats on WPOZ's three digital subchannels, which feed several FM translators in Central Florida.
On August 9, 1995, the station signed on.[1] diplexed into then-WCPX(TV) channel 6 in Orlando (now WKMG-TV) and the power limited to 2,500 watts to eliminate viewer interference from a closely spaced FM station. The call sign at the beginning was WEAZ and the city of license was Union Park, Florida. The owner was Central Florida Educational Foundation and the studios were on Lake Brantley Road in Altamonte Springs.
In 1998, the call letters switched to WPOZ, to stand for "Positive Hits," in contrast to the secular Top 40 charts. The city of license changed to Orlando with the increase in power to 100,000 watts.
In addition to 88.3 MHz, this station also broadcasts on other frequencies in different areas of Central Florida:[2]
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | Facility ID | ERP W |
Height m (ft) |
Class | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WHYZ | 91.1 FM (HD) | Palm Coast, Florida | 92508 | 9,200 | 49 m (161 ft) | C3 | FCC |
| WDOZ | 91.7 FM | Pierson, Florida | 176311 | 5,000 | 108 m (354 ft) | C3 | FCC |
| WMYZ | 88.7 FM (HD) | The Villages, Florida | 27291 | 35,000 | 82 m (269 ft) | C2 | FCC |
| WCYZ | 99.7 FM | Ocala, Florida | 191546 | 2,200 | 168 m (551 ft) | A | FCC |
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | HAAT | Class | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W274BB | 102.7 FM | Haines City, Florida | 142441 | 38 | 66 m (217 ft) | D | LMS |
| W237FO | 95.3 FM | Lakeland, Florida | 142414 | 55 | 59 m (194 ft) | D | LMS |
| W298BO | 107.5 FM | Winter Haven, Florida | 142420 | 27 | 92 m (302 ft) | D | LMS |
WPOZ, WMYZ and WHYZ also broadcast in HD Radio.
In late 2008, WPOZ was granted authorization by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to increase its signal strength to 100,000 watts; this was accomplished when WKMG-TV acquired channel 26 from Entravision Communications as part of the Digital television transition in the United States. This meant that TV channel 6 would go vacant and therefore interference was no longer possible to viewers of WKMG-TV from the present or enhanced operation of WPOZ.
Central Florida Educational Foundation acquired a station in Lecanto, Florida, WLMS, from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Petersburg. As that station also broadcast on 88.3 FM, Central Florida Educational Foundation closed down WLMS, enabling WPOZ to increase its signal strength without that station interfering. After the upgrade, WPOZ's main signal would sufficiently cover areas already served by some of its translators, making them redundant. Those were moved into Orlando to rebroadcast the HD offerings.
WPOZ had a repeater in Daytona Beach, WEAZ 88.1 MHz, licensed to Holly Hill; this station was permitted in 1995 as WANX, signed on as a simulcast of WPOZ as WEAZ in 1998. The operation of WEAZ (like WLMS in Lacanto) would also interfere with the WPOZ power increase, as it operated on the first adjacent 88.1 FM channel of WPOZ. Therefore it signed off permanently in December 2008, and its license was soon cancelled to make room for WPOZ's power increase application for 100,000 watts. [3]
On its website, it was announced that the FCC had approved a move of WMYZ 88.7 from Clermont to The Villages, with listeners in the Clermont area redirected to the now-more-powerful 88.3 signal.[4]
WPOZ-HD2, WHYZ-HD2, and WHGV broadcast a Christian rhythmic contemporary format as Hot 95.9; for those without HD radio receivers, it is heard on the following translators:[5]
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | Facility ID | ERP W |
Height m (ft) |
Class | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WHGV | 99.5 FM | La Crosse, Florida | 76433 | 2,200 | 144 m (472 ft) | A | FCC |
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | HAAT | Class | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W250BH | 97.9 FM | Melbourne, Florida | 142447 | 250 | 121 m (397 ft) | D | LMS |
| W240BV | 95.9 FM | Orlando, Florida | 157091 | 99 | 141 m (463 ft) | D | LMS |
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | HAAT | Class | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W278BP | 103.5 FM | Palm Coast, Florida | 157073 | 54 | 65 m (213 ft) | D | LMS |
WMYZ-HD2 broadcasts a Christian oldies format as "ZRewind.com." It is also heard on the following translator:
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | HAAT | Class | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W245AZ | 96.9 FM | The Villages, Florida | 142461 | 250 | 97 m (318 ft) | D | LMS |
WPOZ-HD3 broadcasts an urban gospel format as GPraise; this station also relays to the following translators:
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | HAAT | Class | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W292DZ | 106.3 FM | Orlando, Florida | 40157 | 215 | 141 m (463 ft) | D | LMS |
| W257BZ | 102.9 FM | Port Orange, Florida | 142468 | 250 | 84 m (276 ft) | D | LMS |
| W227CP | 93.3 FM | Sanford, Florida | 143886 | 250 | 117 m (384 ft) | D | LMS |
WPOZ-HD4 used to broadcast a Christian rock format as 103.7 The Rock and had a low-powered repeater in Clermont, W279CT. That facility was traded to RDA Broadcast Holdings, LLC for stations WCYZ 99.7 Ocala and WHGV 99.5 La Crosse / Gainesville.
W240BV, W273CA and W292DZ used to be low-powered repeaters that rebroadcast WPOZ in the Lake County area but were moved to Orlando.
Central Florida Educational Foundation resumed control of W273CA following the expiration of the lease with iHeartMedia in September 2018. It now broadcasts a Spanish Christian contemporary format, "La Z" (Pronounced "La Zeta") via WPOZ-HD4 at 102.5 FM in Orlando and 104.7 FM in Kissimmee
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | HAAT | Class | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W273CA | 102.5 FM | Orlando, Florida | 157099 | 250 | 141 m (463 ft) | D | LMS |
| W284DU | 104.7 FM | Kissimmee, Florida | 156212 | 250 | 123 m (404 ft) | D | LMS |