On this first day of May 63 years ago, what is now known as WIZS signed on to the airwaves in a full-time capacity for the first time. The station has been on the air continuously ever since bringing the community local news, sports, music and entertainment.
The Rose family, who purchased the radio station from legislator and Oxford native Stan Fox in 1989, are the fourth owners of the station and are very honored to serve the community.
“We are very thankful to be here in the community and to be able to continue a passion that my dad, John D. Rose, III had,” said WIZS Owner/Operator John Charles Rose. “He was fascinated by the radio and the notion that you could talk in one place and someone could hear you in another.”
In speaking of his father, who has been deceased ten years, Rose said, “I miss him very much. It’s unbelievable that much time has gone by.”
John D. Rose, III was just 10 years old in 1955 when Harold V. Harrell, a tv and radio repairman from Oxford, started the station under the call letters WHVH. Lawrence Brandon, the owner of WWCO in Connecticut purchased the station from Harrell a few years later. The call letters were changed to WIZS around 1959, shortly after the station was sold to Stan Fox and his business partners Irv Fox and Seymour Dworsky.
In celebration of WIZS’ 50th anniversary in 2005, The Daily Dispatch in Henderson printed a publication in honor of the station that included a more detailed history and special memories from local citizens and businesses.
Today, WIZS is still in business, thanks in part to the focus on bringing concise, local news to the community. Recent changes to the programming structure were made with this in mind. Exciting things are happening at WIZS, including a new Beach Music Blast segment. Stay tuned…