KNRJ – Energy 92-7 & 101-1 – Payson/Phoenix, AZ – 6/21/02

In January 2001, Big City Radio launched all-Dance formatted “Energy 92-7 & 5” on a trio of signals in suburban Chicago.  A year and a half later (13 years ago today), Sierra H Broadcasting debuted the very similar “Energy 92-7 & 101-1” on KAZL (eventually KNRJ) in Payson, AZ — with a simulcast on 10-watt K224CJ in Phoenix.

With Big City Radio in financial dire straits, Energy 92-7 & 5 ended in early January 2003. But its Arizona spinoff managed to survive for 6 years — which is about 5 1/2 years longer than most people would probably have predicted.

This aircheck represents the first 35 minutes of the station, following the debut; please visit this page on the Format Change Archive (our sister site) to hear the actual sign-on (including the stunting that preceded it), along with more details on the history of the 101.1 frequency.