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WQPO is a radio station in Harrisonburg, Virginia broadcasting at FM 100.7 MHz) playing a diverse range of top 40 music, including rock and hip-hop. It is owned and operated by VerStandig Broadcasting, which owns 5 radio stations in the Harrisonburg, Virginia area. Q101's studio and transmitter is located just west of Harrisonburg. The station identifies as "Harrisonburg/Waynesboro/Staunton" on-air, referring to the major cities of the Shenandoah Valley.
Due to elevation, Q101 can only be heard in parts of Pendleton, Hardy and Grant counties of West Virginia.
[edit] History
WQPO went on the air in 1946 as WSVA-FM, it was the third FM on in the state. It was automated with a variety of music formats as from the start. The last before changing call letters was "Country Sunshine". Call letters changed in 1972 to WQPO, Stereo 101 - using Drake Chenault's Solid Gold format (4 reels and a bunch of cart decks) - a solid sound, but FM had not taken off yet. Around 1982, then-owner Gilmore Broadcasting decided to try to make money with it, taking out the automated format and hired a full staff and hosted an Adult Contemporary format. They changed the name to Q-101 and built out the facility to its fully licensed 50KW signal. Prior to that they ran at 7200w from one of the AM towers of sister WSVA. A new 500-ft tower was built in the field next to the studios on Rt. 33 West. Station took off in the ratings, quickly outpacing the dominant WSVA-AM during the '80s. Gilmore sold the AM-FM combo in 1987 to VerStandig.
[edit] Format Change
In 1998, Q101 switched from a hot adult contemporary format to a mainstream top 40 (CHR) format.
[edit] External links
