WZBA

---

title: "WZBA" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1959-establishments-in-maryland", "classic-rock-radio-stations-in-the-united-states", "radio-stations-established-in-1959", "radio-stations-in-maryland", "westminster,-maryland"] topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WZBA" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox radio station"]

Field	Value
name	WZBA
logo	1007thebaylogo.jpg
logo_upright	.8
city	Westminster, Maryland
country	US
area	Baltimore metropolitan area
branding	100.7 The Bay
frequency
translator	See § Translators
airdate
languages	English
format	Classic rock
affiliations	Westwood One (HD3)
subchannels	HD3: Adult hits "Backtracks USA"
erp
haat	210 m
class	B
facility_id	59985
licensing_authority	FCC
coordinates
callsign_meaning	"Bay"
former_callsigns
owner	Times-Shamrock Communications
licensee	Shamrock Communications, Inc.
webcast
website
::

| name = WZBA | logo = 1007thebaylogo.jpg | logo_upright = .8 | city = Westminster, Maryland | country = US | area = Baltimore metropolitan area | branding = 100.7 The Bay | frequency =
| translator = See § Translators | airdate = | languages = English | format = Classic rock | affiliations = Westwood One (HD3) | subchannels = HD3: Adult hits "Backtracks USA" | erp = | haat = 210 m | class = B | facility_id = 59985 | licensing_authority = FCC | coordinates = | callsign_meaning = "Bay" | former_callsigns = | owner = Times-Shamrock Communications | licensee = Shamrock Communications, Inc. | webcast = | website = WZBA (100.7 FM, "100.7 The Bay") is a commercial radio station licensed to serve Westminster, Maryland. The station is owned by Times-Shamrock Communications and broadcasts a classic rock format. Its studios are in Hunt Valley and its broadcast tower is located near Owings Mills at ().

The station's service contour covers the Baltimore metropolitan area and southern portions of South Central Pennsylvania. The station markets itself as the only station in the Baltimore market dedicated to the classic rock format.

History

Engineer Russ Morgan signed on the station for the first time on November 1, 1959, as WTTR-FM.

Shamrock Communications purchased the station on April 7, 1981, and changed the format to easy listening. The station's call sign was changed to WGRX in 1984, with a format change to "Eclectic Oriented Rock", The format changed to classic rock in May 1987.

WGRX changed its format to modern rock on December 2, 1994, branded as The X. In April 1996, the station fired its program director and six DJs, then aired a weekend-long stunt of disco music as "Polyester 101" before switching to a country music format on May 6, 1996, branded as "Froggy 100.7". The station later rebranded as "New Country 100.7".

On December 1, 1999, due to declining ratings, the station switched its call sign to WZBA, rebranded as 100.7 The Bay and changed formats to "Rock AC" (Rock Adult Contemporary), similar to WMMO in Orlando with the slogan "Rock Without the Hard Edge".

In 2001, WZBA relocated its transmitter closer to Baltimore.

The station changed its format to classic rock when WXFB changed formats from classic rock to smooth jazz on September 5, 2003.

Jefferson Ward, the station's general manager, retired in 2021. DJ Mike Brilhart has been with the station since September 2003.

Signal note

WZBA is short-spaced to two other Class B stations operating on 100.7 MHz: WLEV 100.7 WLEV (licensed to serve Allentown, Pennsylvania) and WZXL 100.7 ZXL (licensed to serve Wildwood, New Jersey). The distance between WZBA's transmitter and WLEV's transmitter is only 105 mi, while the distance between WZBA's transmitter and WZXL's transmitter is only 110 mi, as determined by FCC rules. The minimum distance between two Class B stations operating on the same channel according to current FCC rules is 150 miles.

Translators

WZBA programming is broadcast on the following translator:

| call1 = W261CD | freq1 = 100.1 | city1 = Baltimore, Maryland | fid1 = 59981 | watts1 = 2 | haat1 = 93 | class1 = D | coord1 = | notes1 =

References

References

1. (March 4, 2025). "Full Power FM Digital Notification Application [WZBA]". [[Federal Communications Commission]].
2. "FM Query Results for WZBA". Federal Communications Commission.
3. "54 dBu Service Contour for WZBA, 100.7 MHz, Westminster, MD". [[Federal Communications Commission]].
4. Rollye James (Borenstein). (1989). "Mediatrix Market Profile". Mediatrix, Inc..
5. Rollye James (Borenstein). (1989). "Mediatrix Market Profile". Mediatrix, Inc..
6. (June 22, 2015). "Interview with Radio Consultant John Sebastian".
7. McKerrow, Steve. (December 17, 1994). "2 rock stations seek same audience in format changes". The Baltimore Sun.
8. Kaltenbach, Chris. (April 27, 1996). "WGRX, switching formats, fires DJs". The Baltimore Sun.
9. "22 Things You'll Never See In Baltimore Again".
10. . ["Baltimore's WGRX Leaps To Country"](https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1996/R&R-1996-05-10.pdf). *R&R The Industry's Newspaper*.
11. Kaltenbach, Chris. (May 18, 1996). "WGRX-FM goes country". The Baltimore Sun.
12. (July 19, 1999). "Danny Carlisle & Roy Sampson, New Country 100.7 WGRX Westminster/Baltimore July 19, 1999".
13. Lance. "COUNTRY 100.7 WGRX BECOMES ROCK AC "THE BAY" WZBA".
14. "Baltimore Radio".
15. Ink, Radio. (September 15, 2021). "Jefferson Ward WZBA GM Retiring".
16. "Reference points and distance computations. 47 CFR § 73.208".
17. "Minimum distance separation between stations. 47 CFR § 73.207 (1)".
18. "Station Search Details, W261CD". [[Federal Communications Commission]].

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