Reno Media Goes Whole Hog

• Reno Media Group celebrated April 1 — no fooling — by transitioning KBZZ-AM 1270/Reno from Oldies to Classic Rock as The Hog, ably augmented by two translators — 92.5 FM serving the Reno-Sparks area and 106.5 FM in Carson City. Operating under the slogan “Reno’s Real Classic Rock,” The Hog is programmed by Mike Bushey, who also programs Classic Hits KODS (103.7 The River), KOLC (TEN Country 97.3) and Adult Hits KZTQ-AM (Bob 96.1).

Explaining the reason behind the flip, Bushey notes that Northern Nevada has been without “a pure Classic Rocker for a long, long time,” he said, adding, “This is an obvious opportunity to serve the community with a station that plays quality rock.” Key artists for the format include the expected subjects — AC/DC, Zeppelin, Seger, Bowie, Ozzy, Sabbath, Skynyrd, Foreigner, Van Halen, Floyd, Leppard, Boston, Priest, Tull, Rush, U2 and ZZ Top,

The Hog will be running jockless for the first month or so but plans to bring on some well-known Reno radio personalities in the near future, said Tom Quinn, President of Reno Media Group, who said, “We’re starting with 10,000 songs in a row without interruption as a way to introduce this new station to everyone in Northern Nevada who loves great rock music.”