Z-93 makes format swap, name change to Fly 92.9

By Dave Larsen

Radio station Z-93 at noon Friday became Fly 92.9, flipping from a Pop Contemporary Hits to Adult Hits format.

WGTZ-FM’s format change wasn’t music to the ears of Karen Thomas, who listened to Z-93 commuting from Huber Heights to Centerville.

“I want Top 40 to and from work,” Thomas said. “That’s how I wake up; that’s how I relax going home.”

Fly 92.9 has a Jack FM format, said Robert Riggsbee, president of Cincinnati-based Inside Media.

Jack FM stations play a mix of hits from 1960s-1990s, plus some hot adult contemporary singles. “I call it a jukebox,” Riggsbee said.

Such stations can have 1,000 songs on their play list, randomly selected by computer.

“We believe former Z-93 listeners will find the new Fly 92.9 more compelling,” said Jim Beard, market manager for Main Line Broadcasting Dayton, in a media release.

Jack FM doesn’t require an air staff, Riggsbee said. “You just need someone who can insert weather, traffic, breaking news, that sort of thing.”

Scott Mallory, Z-93’s morning show co-host, is no longer employed at WGTZ-FM. He was prohibited from discussing the station with the media.

“If you want to listen to shuffle mode, use your iPod,” Mallory said. “Because it’s at least your favorite songs instead of random songs that you could care less about.”

Z-93 changed Dayton radio when it launched in 1984, said veteran broadcaster Kim Faris. “It was a fun station and I hate to see it go away,” she said. Faris left WGTZ-FM in December 2006 after 28 years.

Jack FM spans adult contemporary, classic rock, country and hip-hop. In Dayton, it will compete with a broad array of stations that include WMMX-FM, WTUE-FM, WHKO-FM and WDKF-FM.