105.7 switches from sports to classic rock

The Zone is out and The Brew is back.

The iheart Media Columbus sports talk station WZXZ (105.7 FM) flipped back to classic rock format at 3 p.m. Friday, a little more than two years after going to the sports format.

The Brew’s programming will include rock music from the 1980s into the 2000s, including such artists as AC/ DC, Foo Fighters, Tom Petty, Soundgarden, Van Halen, Metallica, Motley Crue and Guns N’ Roses, according to a statement from the station.

The music mix is “unique,” said Michael Mccoy, vice president of programming for iheartmedia Columbus, in a statement. “The Brew’s mission is to provide one great rock song after another and that’s why we call it the new generation of classic rock.”

The Brew’s local program hosts will include broadcasters who gained prominence on other rock stations, including Mark Blazor, who gained prominence at WRKZ (99.7 FM), and two former WLVQ (96.3 FM) hosts, Daveman and Bodhi.

The move sends “Spielman and Hooley” and other sports programming to the curb.

The Zone format, launched in November 2016, was designed to be an all-sports competitor to WBNS (97.1 FM) The Fan. Among its personalities were sports broadcaster Bruce Hooley and former Ohio State and NFL linebacker Chris Spielman.

One of The Zone’s broadcasters, Matt Mccoy, who hosted the afternoon program called “The Drive” with former Ohio State quarterback Stanley Jackson, on Friday posted a send-off tribute to the station on Twitter.

“Unfortunately, the decision has been made to change directions,” wrote Mccoy, who noted that he will return to his long-time station WTVN (610 AM).

“We built a faithful audience of passionate sports and Buckeye fans on 105.7,” Mccoy noted. “The feedback we received as overwhelming. I thank all of you for listening and for participating.” Spielman