WZZA Radio, a division of Muscle Shoals Broadcasting, Inc., began broadcasting on July 4th, 1972 to northwest Alabama on the AM dial, and later on the FM dial, and worldwide at www.WZZARadio.com. This heritage station was founded, owned, and operated by Robert “Bob” Carl and Odessa Bailey to establish a voice for the Black Community of Northwest Alabama to answer an unmet need for entertainment, education, and enlightenment (dubbed “info-tainment”) for an audience that had long been underserved. WZZA Radio has answered this need for more than half a century of continuous programming, with a hybrid format consisting of news and talk, and both sacred and secular music.
WZZA Radio is the only Black-owned and FCC licensed station serving northwest Alabama. WZZA’s coverage also includes a large portion of Franklin County to the south, Lawrence County to the east, north to southcentral Tennessee, and west to Tishomingo County, Mississippi. WZZA’s target demographic is Black, aged 25-54, and has a significant disposable income. This is good news for advertisers because Black consumer power was projected to reach $1.8 trillion by 2024. While the management of WZZA intentionally schedules programming to appeal to that demographic, the station has many listeners who are younger, older, and of other socio-economic backgrounds. WZZA Radio’s longevity is due to loyal listeners who support the station by patronizing its advertisers.
Known as the “Soul of the Shoals”, WZZA Radio not only provides programming that is informative and entertaining, but also serves as a catalyst for action in the areas of health, education, finance, politics and voting. WZZA’s public affairs programming provides voter education and encourages registration, teaches about finance and promotes economic empowerment, raises public awareness about health challenges – especially those which disproportionately affect Black people – and addresses disparities, has hosted annual Radio-thon fundraisers for worthy causes, and serves as a forum for discussion of many issues of particular interest to African Americans. The public service performed by WZZA Radio, particularly for its target demographic, far surpasses any other offered in the Shoals area.
The station’s format features gospel, blues, hip-hop, jazz, and R&B, day-parted to most effectively serve the market with the best in Soul music, a daily public affairs program during which a wide variety of guests, including attorneys, judges, elected officials, teachers, business owners, health care providers, financial advisors, religious leaders, non-profit agencies, civic and social organizations, and concerned citizens appear to discuss topics ranging from education, recreation, health, welfare, religion, relationships, law, politics, finance, economics, and hot topics in today’s news.
WZZA has been designated as Stop #25 on the Roots of America Music Trail, has hosted tour groups during the Alabama Historical Association’s annual conference held in the Shoals, was featured in the “Moments In Alabama Radio” exhibit at the Alabama Department of Archives and History in 2022/2023 (seen on the Department’s website), and conducts guided tours to visitors from around the world.
As a result of effective programming and consistently loyal listenership, WZZA Radio continues to be one of the longest running and continuously owned stations in the Muscle Shoals area. For more information about WZZA Radio, please contact our office at 256-381-1862 or to take a tour and see what makes this station a great advertising partner
©Tori Bailey
Soul of the Shoals® is a registered trademark