WQKS-FM

WQKS-FM
City of license Montgomery, Alabama
Broadcast area Montgomery, Alabama
Branding Q-96.1
Slogan The Greatest Hits of All Time
Frequency 96.1 MHz (also on HD Radio)
Translator(s) 100.5 W263BX (Montgomery, relays HD2)
107.1 W296AI (Montgomery, relays HD3)
103.9 W280EI (Montgomery, relays HD4)
First air date 1990 (as WLNE-FM)
Format FM/HD1: Classic Hits
HD2: Classic hip-hop "Yo! 100.5"
HD3: Album Oriented Rock "107.1 The Vault"
HD4: Classic Country "103.9 The Possum"
ERP 900 watts
HAAT 250 meters (820 feet)
Class A
Facility ID 43628
Transmitter coordinates 32°22′03″N 86°15′42″W / 32.36750°N 86.26167°W
Former callsigns WLNE-FM (1990-1995)
WRWO (1995-1999)[1]
Owner Bluewater Broadcasting Company, LLC
(Bluewater Broadcasting Company, LLC)
Sister stations WACV, WGMP, WBAM, WJWZ
Webcast Q 96.1 Webstream
Yo! 100.5 Webstream (HD2)
107.1 The Vault Webstream (HD3)
103.9 The Possum Webstream (HD4)
Website q961fm.com
yomontgomery.com (HD2)
1071thevault.com (HD3)
1039thepossum.com (HD4)

WQKS-FM, also known as Q 96.1, is a classic hits formatted radio station that serves the Montgomery Metropolitan Area, broadcasting on the FM band at a frequency of 96.1 MHz and licensed to Montgomery, Alabama. The station is locally owned and operated by Bluewater Broadcasting Company, LLC. The station's transmitter is located in Montgomery. The station's studios are located on Wall St. in Midtown Montgomery.

WQKS-FM also participates in Montgomery rating survey by Arbitron (Market #150).

Programming

WQKS-FM broadcasts an oldies music format.[2] It adopted its current oldies format in 2008 after broadcasting as classic hits "Alice 96.1" since early 2000. The station's "Q-96.1" imaging is very much like radio station identifications of the 1960s and 1970s, the heyday of Top 40 and MOR radio.

WQKS-FM has an extensive playlist of nearly two thousand songs that draws from five decades of rock and pop history. Notable on-air personalities include former Miami market morning disc jockey Greg Budell, local songstress Susan Woody, and longtime Montgomery personality Ben Haggler. Budell hosts the morning show; Woody takes requests during her midday shift; and Ben Haggler anchors the afternoon drive shift and features the "Forgotten 45" of the day, typically a low-charting single or one-hit wonder. On the weekends, the programming shifts to an "All 80's Weekend".

WQKS-FM also features news and weather updates from CBS 8 WAKA, national news updates from Fox News Radio, and traffic from Montgomery Skywatch Traffic.

WQKS-HD2

On August 17, 2011 WQKS-HD2 launched a soft AC format, branded as "Lite 100.5", using the frequency of FM translator W263BX in its branding. On December 26th, 2014, 100.5/96.1 HD2 flipped to classic hip hop, with the old format and name of 107.1/96.1 HD, as "Yo! 100.5".

WQKS-HD3

On August 17, 2011 WQKS-HD3 launched a classic hip hop format branded as "Yo! 107.1", using the frequency of FM translator W296AI in its branding. On September 25, 2013, the station changed formats to album oriented rock as "107.1 The Vault".

WQKS-HD4

On June 5, 2013 WQKS-HD4 launched a classic country format branded as "103.9 The Possum", using the frequency of FM translator W280EI in its branding.

History

WQKS-FM has featured several sets of call letters and various formats over the past two decades. This station received its original construction permit from the Federal Communications Commission on December 4, 1990.[3] The new station was assigned the call letters WLNE-FM by the FCC on December 21, 1990.[1] WLNE-FM received its license to cover from the FCC on February 1, 1991.[4]

From its origins in the early 1990s, the station was created and owned by Al Stroh and the now-defunct Montgomery Broadcast Properties.[4] This frequency began as WLNE-FM ("We're Light N Easy") with beautiful music and standards in 1991. Later, 96.1 moved towards Lite AC as "Lite FM 96".

In March 1995, the station switched to the popular "Arrow" (All Rock and Roll Oldies) format and changed the calls to WRWO.[1] The station dropped oldies in 1997 and became known as "Kiss 96" with an urban contemporary format. The station debuted another new format in late 1998, this time all 1980s music with the slogan "The 80's Channel, Kiss 96.1". In June 1999, the call letters officially changed to WQKS-FM to match the "Kiss" branding.[1]

WQKS-FM made yet another format tweak in early 2000 into "Rockin' hits of the 80's, 90's and 70's" with the slogan "Alice 96.1". Alice was a successful station for most of its eight years, particularly on weekends with its popular "Alice Shuffle" format -- the musical predecessor of Q 96.1.

On August 26, 2008 WQKS-FM dropped its rockin' hits format for oldies, adopting the moniker "Q 96.1".

On July 2, 2010 WQKS-FM shifted their format from oldies to classic hits.

Ownership

In March 2004, Montgomery Broadcast Properties Ltd. (Allan Stroh, CEO) reached an agreement to sell this station to Bluewater Broadcasting LLC.[5] The sale was part of a four-station deal valued at a reported $15.3 million.[5] The deal was approved by the FCC on April 21, 2004, and the transaction was consummated on June 21, 2004.[6] At the time of the sale, WQKS-FM was broadcasting a classic hits music format.[5]

Technical information

WQKS broadcasts in HD with a 2.5 kW Nautel transmitter into an Dielectric DCRM-2 non-directional antenna. The antenna is multi-station capable and also broadcasts FM translators W285AJ, W280EI and W263BX.

Translators

WQKS-FM programming is also carried on a broadcast translator station to extend or improve the coverage area of the station.

Broadcast translators of WQKS-HD2
Call sign Frequency
(MHz) 		City of license ERP
W 		Class FCC info
W263BX 100.5 Montgomery, Alabama 80 D FCC
Broadcast translators of WQKS-HD4
Call sign Frequency
(MHz) 		City of license ERP
W 		Class FCC info
W280EI 103.9 Montgomery, Alabama 250 D FCC
Broadcast translators of WQKS-HD3
Call sign Frequency
(MHz) 		City of license ERP
W 		Class FCC info
W296AI 107.1 Montgomery, Alabama 70 D FCC

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Call Sign History". FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database.
  2. ↑ "Station Information Profile". Arbitron.
  3. ↑ "Application Search Details (BPH-19870415KO)". FCC Media Bureau. December 4, 1990.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Application Search Details (BLH-19901220KB)". FCC Media Bureau. February 1, 1991.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Changing Hands - 2004-03-07". Broadcasting & Cable. March 7, 2004.
  6. ↑ "Application Search Details (BAL-20040302ABH)". FCC Media Bureau. June 21, 2004.

External links