WAXQ
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| WAXQ-FM | |
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| Broadcast area | New York City |
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| Branding | Q-104.3 |
| Slogan | New York's Only Classic Rock Station |
| First air date | 1956 |
| Frequency | 104.3 FM (MHz)  104.3-2 FM (WAXQ2 - Deep Classics) (HD Radio) |
| Format | Classic Rock |
| ERP | 6000 watts |
| Class | B |
| Owner | Clear Channel Broadcasting |
| Website | www.q1043.com |
WAXQ, known on-air as "Q-104.3" is a radio station with a classic rock format in New York City. It is located at 104.3 FM.
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[edit] WNCN
The station first signed on in 1956 as WNCN, where it was a part of a group of classical music stations in the northeastern United States. The station would retain a classical music format for many years, except for a short period during 1974-1975 when it took up a rock format with the call letters WQIV.
This brought loud protests from disgruntled listeners, who felt the loss of classical music was an action against the public interest as governed by the Federal Communications Commission. William F. Buckley was an influential figure backing the return to classical music and the WNCN call letters, which happened in 1975.
The station was owned by GAF for many years, until 1993, when Entercom would buy WNCN.
The WNCN call letters are now used on the NBC affiliate in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina.
[edit] WAXQ
In December of 1993, the station adopted a hard rock format, as they took the call letters WAXQ and the nickname "Q-104.3." Adam Curry, formerly of MTV, became the station's morning host. The playlist was split into 5-song blocks that focused on current hard rock favorites, but also mixed in classic rock tunes and cuts from bands not typically thought of as radio friendly (Type O Negative, Anthrax). However, ratings were low, as this format was not ideal during a time in which more people were listening to alternative rock than to heavy metal. Also, during the mid-1990s, other New York City radio stations were playing alternative rock music, as WXRK went from classic rock to alternative rock, and WNEW-FM was trying to go after a younger audience.
In 1996, thanks to a deal involving a swapping of various broadcast stations, Viacom would acquire WAXQ. After initial consideration was given for the station to turn to a country format, management decided that there was a need for a full-time classic rock station in New York City. As a result, the station went to its current format on July 1, 1996, with special attention being paid to the works of Led Zeppelin. Research indicated that if WNEW were to revert to an all-classic rock format, listeners would not return there due to the distrust for that station. As it turned out, WNEW would unsuccessully go back to a classic rock format in January 1997.
That same year, Viacom sold off its entire radio division (before its merger with CBS and Infinity) to Chancellor Media. Chancellor in turn merged with Capstar Broadcasting to form AM/FM, and that company was then swallowed up by Clear Channel.
WAXQ's airstaff includes several disc jockeys who were well-known from other New York City radio stations, such as morning show host Jim Kerr, Carol Miller, and Eddie Trunk. Legendary disc jockey Scott Muni also worked at the station, hosting a noon-hour show from late 1998 until his death in 2004. In sharp contrast to their respective tenures on other NYC area radio stations, the DJ's have little creative input into what music get played, as WAXQ is a Clear Channel Communications radio station. The playlist is much narrower than that of classic rock radio stations of the past, and songs that were once staples of classic rock radio, such as "Eight Miles High" by The Byrds, are now only played during infrequent segments devoted to "Deep Classics".
[edit] On Air Schedule
WEEKDAYS
- 1:00am-5:30am Jonathan Clarke (voice tracked)
- 5:30am-9:00am Jim Kerr with Shelli Sonstein
- 9:00am-2:00pm Maria Milito (she was previously the announcer on Make the Grade)
- 2:00pm-4:00pm Bob Buchmann
- 4:00pm-8:00pm(M-TH) Ken Dashow
- 8:00pm-1:00am (M-TU,TH) 8-11:30 (W)7-11 (F) Carol Miller
- 11:30pm Wednesdays Rockline
- 4:00pm-7:00pm(F) Friday Road Show with Gerry Martire
- 11pm-2am Fridays Friday Night Rocks wiih Eddie Trunk
WEEKENDS
- 3pm-7pm - Gerry Martire
- Various Shifts - Jonathan Clarke
- Various Shifts - Maria Milito
- Various Shifts - Marc "The Cope" Coppola
- Various Shifts - Ian O'Malley
- Various Shifts - Terri Carr
- Various Shifts - Karen Stewart
- 8am-10am Sundays Breakfast With The Beatles with Ken Dashow
- 9pm-10pm Sundays Out of the Box with Jonathan Clarke
- 10pm-12am Sundays Little Steven's Underground Garage with Steven Van Zandt
[edit] Popular Segments
- "Breakfast with the Beatles": Sundays 8:00am-9:45am; all Beatles music, together and solo, by fan request, often with emotional stories behind the chosen songs
- "Monday Night Metallica": Mondays 10:00pm-10:15pm; approximately 15 minutes of straight Metallica. Includes classic Metallica as well as rare renditions such as their cover of Black Sabbath's Iron Man
- "Twelve O'clock Beatles Block": Weekdays 12:00pm-12:20pm; "Keeping Scott's Promise to New York", Scott Muni, a disc jockey until his death in 2004, who after John Lennon's death promised to start his segments with a Lennon or Beatles song; The disc jockey plays three Beatles, together and solo, songs in a row, some chosen by listeners.
- "Workforce Blocks": Weekdays 12:20pm-1:00pm; listeners go online to enter suggestions for a set of songs (usually by a single artist) to be played in one of the two twenty minute time periods. Winners, chosen by disc jockey (perhaps weeks after entry) have their music played and receive a prize, occasionally their entire office gets to share a prize
- "Three at 3": Weekdays 3:00pm; contest where the first fan to call in with the connection between three songs chosen by disc jockey wins a prize
- "Top 1,043 of all time": Thanksgiving Wednesday 1:00pm-Sunday night; fans vote for their favorite rock songs in the preceding weeks, then the top 1,043 vote-getters are revealed in the order of a countdown to number one, with only occasional interruptions
[edit] HD Operations
Like other Clear Channel stations Q 104.3 has begun Multicasting in the late winter of 2006. On WAXQ HD 1 the Classic Rock format heard on the original analog station while WAXQ HD 2 plays a blend of Deep Classic Rock Hits including more hard rock and some current product by Classic Rock artists. HD stations can only be received with an HD Radio. HD Radios receive both the primary analog station, the duplicate HD Feed and the multicasting feeds. Stations can put as many as three sets of HD programming on one dial position plus their original analog broadcast
[edit] Management
- Rob Williams – Senior Vice President
- Bob Buchmann - Program Director
- Susan Bacich - Director of Marketing
- Stephanie Kresge - Local Sales Manager
[edit] External links
- WAXQ web site
- Q1043's TOP 1,043 CLASSIC ROCK SONGS OF ALL TIME
- Carol Miller Fans
- Jim Kerr Fans
- Q104.3 Fan Page
- Marc Coppola Fans
- Ken Dashow Fans
| Clear Channel Communications, Inc. |
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Corporate officers: Lowry Mays | Mark Mays | Randall Mays | Tom Hicks |
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Radio / Television stations:
Other major assets: Clear Channel Outdoor | Clear Channel UK | Premiere Radio Networks | FOX Sports Radio Network |
