WOOD-FM ("Star 105.7"), Grand Rapids, Michigan, is an adult contemporary radio station on the frequency of 105.7 FM. The station signed on for the first time in 1962. WOOD-FM aired a Beautiful Music format for decades, which in the early 1990s evolved into the current AC format.
   WOOD-FM is promoted as Star 105.7 FM. Prior to adopting the "Star" name on November 12, 2001, the station had been known as "EZ 105.7." Presumably the name change was made to help dispel the station's image of being an "elevator music" station. The station's playlist was tweaked to become a brighter, more upbeat AC, which also meant dropping songs by "MOR" or "easy listening" artists such as Barbra Streisand, Barry Manilow and the Carpenters. In recent months, WOOD-FM has brightened its music mix even more to incorporate more Hot AC material.
   WOOD-FM also picked up Delilah's syndicated love-songs show (replacing its locally based "EZ Love Songs") after Delilah was dropped by competitor WLHT. WLHT now airs John Tesh evenings to compete with Delilah on Star 105.7. Another popular WOOD-FM feature is the station's "Flashback Weekends" (similar to those of sister station WNIC in Detroit), featuring hits of the late 1970s through the early 1990s. For a time after the death of competing oldies station WODJ, WOOD-FM also heavily featured music of the 1960s and 1970s during weekends.
   Like many other AC stations around the country, Star 105.7 plays continuous Christmas music through the holiday season, a practice that began in 2001 with the station's changeover from "EZ 105.7" to "Star." At the time, it wasn't common for AC stations to adopt all-Christmas formats so early in the year, though WOOD-FM wasn't the first station to do so, nor was it even the first station in Grand Rapids to do so; competitor WTRV 100.5 FM had already done continuous Christmas music through the holiday season for a number of years, and still does today. However, Star 105.7 successfully promoted its holiday music marathon as musical "comfort food" after the catastrophic events of September 11, and the station has gone all-Christmas every holiday season since. As with many other stations that do the same, WOOD-FM generally experiences an uptick in ratings during their Christmas-music marathons.
   WOOD-FM competes for Grand Rapids' Adult Contemporary audience with the Regent Broadcasting-owned combo of mainstream AC WLHT and soft AC/MOR WTRV, the latter of which features an "easy"-sounding format similar to the old "EZ105.7."

Sources

• Michiguide.com - WOOD-FM History

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