WQBW
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| Broadcast area | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
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| Branding | "97.3 The Brew" |
| Slogan | "The Biggest Variety of Rock Hits" |
| Frequency | 97.3 (MHz) |
| Format | 80s classic rock |
| ERP | 15,500 watts |
| Class | B |
| Callsign meaning | W Q Bre W |
| Owner | Clear Channel Communications |
| Website | www.973thebrew.com |
WQBW (97.3 FM) is a classic hits/adult-oriented rock radio station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The station's music is very 80s-oriented. They are known on-air as "97.3 The Brew", and are owned by Clear Channel Communications.
WQBW went on-air with its current format in 2004, displacing WLTQ, which aired a light adult contemporary format since 1985. Prior to that, they were WBTT (B97), playing a CHR format, and were also AOR-formatted WLPX for many years until 1983.
Clear Channel had long wanted to compete with Saga's two successful rock stations, WKLH and WLZR. They even tweaked their oldies station, WRIT to better take on WKLH. In 2004, after watching WLTQ's ratings drop further and further, they made their move. WLTQ went into stunting mode on August 17, 2004, replacing the adult contemporary songs with songs featuring the words "air" and "America", along with sound bites of Air America Radio host Al Franken. The ruse was in response to Clear Channel's flipping of an FM station in Madison to a progressive talk radio, which featured shows from Air America's radio network. Come Monday morning, August 20, the real format revealed itself, and "The Brew" was born.
Their slogan was "Rock Of '80s and More", and the new station experienced notable ratings success out of the gate, as they quickly became the top FM station in Milwaukee, second only to longtime market leader WTMJ-AM overall. The Brew was effective in taking away listeners from WKLH, and the station's heavy dose of 1980s-era hard rock bands helped steal highly desired older listeners away from WLZR after their popular Bob and Brian morning show signed off for the day. WKLH tweaked their on-air imaging in response, and WLZR did a complete makeover, dropping much of the newer hard rock, expanding the playlist, and rechristening the station as "102.9 The Hog" (WHQG). WHQG was also a success from the start, and along with WKLH, stole listeners back from The Brew. The situation was helped as well by the heavy repetition of The Brew's tight playlist. WQBW's ratings were virtually cut in half.
In response, The Brew went in a slightly different direction. They added more 80s pop music from artists like Richard Marx and more recent songs from bands such as Nickleback and Santana, as the station went in a slight Hot AC direction. The slogan changed to "The Biggest Variety of Rock Hits". Their television and on billboard advertising features an overweight shirtless man named "Dancin' Kevin", inspired by commercials for Chicago's WLUP from the 1980s.
[edit] WQBW HD2
On April 25, 2006, Clear Channel announced that WQBW's HD2 subchannel will carry a format focusing on classic and retro Alternative hits.
[edit] External links
- 97.3 The Brew
- Audio and background of The Brew's sign-on
- "New format is going to party like it's 1989" (JSonline.com)
- "WLTQ-FM changed on its own, honest" (JSonline.com)
- Query the FCC's FM station database for WQBW
- 93QFM, WLPX, WZMF Rock DJ story blog
| FM radio stations in the Milwaukee market (Arbitron #36) | |
|---|---|
| By frequency: |
87.7¹ | 88.1 | 88.9 | 89.7 | 90.7 | 91.7 | 92.1 | 92.5 | 93.3 | 94.1 | 94.5 | 95.1 | 95.7 | 96.5 | 96.9 | 97.3 | 98.3 | 99.1 | 100.1 | 100.7 | 102.1 | 102.9 | 103.7 | 104.5 | 104.7 | 104.9 | 105.3 | 106.1 | 106.9 | 107.7 |
| By callsign: |
WBWI | WCCX | WDDW | WEZY | WFMR | WFZH | WHAD | WHQG | WIIL | WITI¹ | WJJO | WJMR | WJZI | WKKV | WKLH | WKTI | WLUM | WPJP | WMIL | WMSE | WMWK | WMYX | WQBW | WRIT | WTKM | WUWM | WVCY | WWDV | WXSS | WYMS ¹Audio for TV Channel 6 (Fox) |
