But in the 1980s, the beautiful music format was starting to attracting only older listeners, while most advertisers seek young to middle aged clients.

The format began with Twisted Sister's We're Not Gonna Take It, followed by Quiet Riot's Cum On Feel the Noize.

WLZW was then the only AC station in the Utica-Rome market until the spring of 1994 when WUUU (later WRNY & WUCL, now Air 1 affiliate WAWR) switched frequencies from 93.5FM to 102.5FM with WKDY (later WSKS & WRBY, now WUMX) the previous year, flipped format from oldies to adult contemporary to become "Warm 93.5".

This lasted over a year until WRBY flipped to hot AC and call sign to WUMX, identifying as Mix 102.5.

In order to compete with WUMX's popular "Christmix 102.5" holiday programming, WLZW began switching to a Christmas Music format in 2009.