KZZP. During the 80’s, those call letters were synonymous with what was great about Phoenix radio. KZZP was the market’s legendary CHR during that decade. However, in April 1991, like many CHRs across the country, KZZP was forced to make big changes due to declining ratings and the polarization of the CHR format; they flipped to Hot AC as KVRY. Almost 5 years later, with KVRY on its death bed, owner Nationwide Communications decided to bring back the KZZP calls. But the format, while positioned as a CHR (the slogan was “Your Hit Music Station”), was actually a Modern AC — one of the first Modern ACs in the country. At the time, the move made sense. KKFR (Power 92) was a broad Rhythmic CHR that played a lot of the songs that KZZP as a CHR would have played. Instead of competing with KKFR directly, KZZP carved out its own niche and tried to appeal to the audience that grew up with the station in the 80’s.
