The station was founded as WJZR in January 1993 by North Coast Radio, Inc., and broadcast a smooth jazz format for 29 years before it was taken silent in July 2022 upon the owner's retirement.

In November 1988, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) designated a series of 14 applications for comparative hearing in order to determine who should be awarded a construction permit to build a new radio station on 105.9 MHz in Rochester.

[5] Rust's own personal music collection set the tone for WJZR; he categorized songs by such factors as attitude and so-called "thump".

[6] Rust also took the name North Coast Radio—which had been initially intended to refer only to the licensee—and used it as the station's overall brand instead of a set of call letters, feeling that it "makes Rochester sound more attractive, not just a cold, nondescript place".

[17] WXXI-FM going live with a strong FM signal allowed WRUR-FM, which was airing afternoon programming from WXXI due to a lack of a strong FM signal for the all news station, to drop Connections with Evan Dawson and All Things Considered and go in a full time music direction.