WPOZ (88.3 MHz) is a non-commercial, listener-supported FM radio station licensed to Orlando, and serving all of Central Florida. It is owned by Central Florida Educational Foundation, Inc., and operated by Z Ministries, inc. It broadcasts a Christian Adult Contemporary radio format. The radio studios are in Altamonte Springs.

WPOZ
Z88.3 FM Orlando Logo
Broadcast areaCentral Florida
Frequency88.3 MHz (HD Radio)
BrandingZ88.3
Programming
FormatChristian Adult Contemporary
Subchannels
Ownership
Owner
  • (Central Florida Educational Foundation, Inc.)
OperatorZ Ministries, Inc.
  • WDOZ
  • WHYZ
  • WMYZ
  • WCYZ
  • WHGV
History
First air date
August 9, 1995; 28 years ago (1995-08-09)
Former call signs
WEAZ (sign on -1998)
Call sign meaning
WPOZ POsitive Hits Z88.3
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID9876
ClassC
ERP100,000 watts
HAAT452 meters (1,483 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
28°36′08″N 81°05′36″W / 28.60234°N 81.09330°W / 28.60234; -81.09330
Translator(s)See § Frequencies
Repeater(s)See § Frequencies
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen Live
Websitezradio.com

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 Orlando and other cities in Central Florida.

History

On August 9, 1995 (1995-08-09), the station signed on.[2] 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 is Central Florida Educational Foundation. The studios at sign on was on Lake Brantley Road in Altamonte Springs, just north of Orlando.

In 1998, the call letters switched to WPOZ, to stand for "Positive Hits Z88.3," in contrast to the secular Top 40 charts. The city of license changed to Orlando with the increase in power to 100,000 watts.

Frequencies

In addition to 88.3 MHz, this station also broadcasts on other frequencies in different areas of Central Florida:[3]

Call signFrequencyCity of licenseFacility IDERP
W
Height
m (ft)
ClassFCC info
WHYZ91.1 FM (HD)Palm Coast, Florida925089,20049 m (161 ft)C3FCC (WHYZ)
WDOZ91.7 FMPierson, Florida1763115,000108 m (354 ft)C3FCC (WDOZ)
WMYZ88.7 FM (HD)The Villages, Florida2729135,00082 m (269 ft)C2FCC (WMYZ)
WCYZ99.7 FMOcala, Florida1915462,200168 m (551 ft)AFCC (WCYZ)
WHGV99.5 FM
(HD-2)
Gainesville, Florida764332,300133 m (436 ft)AFCC (WHGV)
Broadcast translators for WPOZ (FM/HD1)
Call signFrequencyCity of licenseFIDERP (W)HAATClassFCC info
W274BB102.7 FMHaines City, Florida1424413866 m (217 ft)DLMS
W237FO95.3 FMLakeland, Florida1424145559 m (194 ft)DLMS
W298BO107.5 FMWinter Haven, Florida1424202792 m (302 ft)DLMS

WPOZ, WMYZ, WHYZ and WHGV 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. [4]

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.[5]

WPOZ & WHYZ HD2

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 station and translators:[6]

Call signFrequencyCity of licenseFacility IDERP
W
Height
m (ft)
ClassFCC info
WHGV99.5 FM (HD)Gainesville, Florida764332,300133 m (436 ft)AFCC (WHGV)
Broadcast translators for WPOZ-HD2
Call signFrequencyCity of licenseFIDERP (W)HAATClassFCC info
W250BH97.9 FMMelbourne, Florida142447250121 m (397 ft)DLMS
W240BV95.9 FMOrlando, Florida15709199141 m (463 ft)DLMS
Broadcast translator for WHYZ-HD2
Call signFrequencyCity of licenseFIDERP (W)HAATClassFCC info
W278BP103.5 FMPalm Coast, Florida1570735465 m (213 ft)DLMS

WMYZ HD2

WMYZ-HD2 broadcasts a Christian oldies format as "ZRewind.com." It is also heard on the following translator:

Broadcast translator for WMYZ HD2
Call signFrequencyCity of licenseFIDERP (W)HAATClassFCC info
W245AZ96.9 FMThe Villages, Florida14246125097 m (318 ft)DLMS

WPOZ HD3

WPOZ-HD3 broadcasts an urban gospel format as GPraise; this station also relays to the following translators:

Broadcast translators for WPOZ HD3
Call signFrequencyCity of licenseFIDERP (W)HAATClassFCC info
W292DZ106.3 FMOrlando, Florida40157215141 m (463 ft)DLMS
W249EH99.7 FMDaytona Beach, Florida14246825084 m (276 ft)DLMS
W227CP93.3 FMSanford, Florida143886250117 m (384 ft)DLMS

WPOZ HD4

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 Gainesville, Florida.

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

Broadcast translators for WPOZ HD4
Call signFrequencyCity of licenseFIDERP (W)HAATClassFCC info
W273CA102.5 FMOrlando, Florida157099250141 m (463 ft)DLMS
W284DU104.7 FMKissimmee, Florida156212250123 m (404 ft)DLMS


Z88.3® FM, WPOZ Coverage Map - Serving Central Florida and surrounding areas and nationwide on the ZRadio App.

References

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