WTQR
| Broadcast area | Piedmont Triad |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 104.1 MHz |
| Programming | |
| Format | Country |
| Affiliations | Motor Racing Network |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Clear Channel Communications |
| WGBT, WMAG, WMKS, WVBZ | |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 58392 |
| Class | C |
| Power | 100,000 Watts |
| HAAT | 443 meters |
Transmitter coordinates | 36°22′28″N 80°22′31″W / 36.37444°N 80.37528°W |
| Links | |
| Website | http://www.wtqr.com |
WTQR is a Country music station licensed to Winston-Salem, North Carolina and serves the Piedmont Triad region, including Greensboro and High Point. The Clear Channel Communications outlet broadcasts at 104.1 MHz with an ERP of 100 kW. Its current slogan is "Today's Best Country And Your All-Time Favorites." They are now one of three Country music outlets in the market, WPAW and WIST-FM are the others.
History
By 1958 WSJS-FM moved to its current frequency and became the sister station to WSJS-TV & AM and offered an Easy listening format until 1973[citation needed].
WSJS-AM, WSJS-FM and WSJS-TV had been owned by Piedmont Publishing, owners of The Winston-Salem Journal and The Twin City Sentinel, Winston-Salem's two newspapers, until 1969. Gordon Gray, who had owned the newspapers and the broadcast stations, wanted to sell the FM station, but consultants recommended the change to country music, and WTQR became the city's top radio station[1].
In January 1987, Summit Communications Inc. was in the process of selling WSJS-AM and WTQR[2].
In Fall 1989, WTQR was still number one as usual in the Arbitron ratings, but not by as large a margin as before[3].
Dale Mitchell and Aunt Eloise, morning hosts on WTQR for three years, were nominated for Country Music Association Broadcast Personality of the Year in 1990. Before discussing "everything from politics to 'possums" they would bang pots and pans[4]. Billy Buck was Aunt Eloise's partner before moving to WBIG[5]. "Big Paul" Franklin and Aunt Eloise, who teamed up in 1994, won the CMA Morning Show of the Year award (large markets) in 1997[6], and WTQR won Station of the Year (large markets) in 1998[7]. In March 1998, Big Paul and Aunt Eloise began airing their show on WSOC-FM in Charlotte, North Carolina. some shows were done from Winston-Salem, and some from Charlotte.[8]. The pairing lasted less than a year[9].
NewMarket Media Corp. sold WSJS and WTQR to Radio Equity Partners of Norwalk, Connecticut, in a deal completed in April 1994 and worth in excess of $100 million, as the Connecticut company expanded into the Southeast, looking for the best stations possible[10]. Later in 1994, Radio Equity Partners also bought WNEU, switching that station from country to modern rock[11].
In Spring 1995, although still number one with all listners 12 and over, WTQR lost to WKZL among listeners ages 25 to 54 in the morning[12]. A year later, WKZL did it again, this time also winning with the same age group for all daytime hours[13]. In Fall 1996, WTQR lost to WQMG among the 25-to-54 audience[14]. WTQR finally lost its top position (to WJMH) among all listeners in Fall 1998, for the first time since Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem became one market in the 1970s[15]. In Spring 2008, WTQR was no longer the number one country station among all listeners[16].
Sports programs
WTQR is the local affiliate for NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series racing, carrying MRN programs.
References
- ^ Roger Moore, "WSJS, City's First Radio Station Was Born and Raised in the Journal Newsroom," Winston-Salem Journal, April 3, 1997.
- ^ "The Carolinas," The Charlotte Observer, January 14, 1987.
- ^ Andy Duncan, "WTQR Stays at Top, But Others Gaining," Greensboro News & Record, January 26, 1990.
- ^ "Two from WTQR in Contest Finals," Greensboro News & Record, July 23, 1990.
- ^ Andy Duncan, "He's a Little Bit Country, and Billy Buck Plans to Stay That Way," Greensboro News & Record, May 18, 1990.
- ^ "Local Radio Personalities Win Country Music Award," Greensboro News & Record, August 21, 1997
- ^ Jeri Rowe, "WTQR Wins the Oscar of Country Music," Greensboro News & Record, September 3, 1998.
- ^ Dean Smith, "Country Radio Rivals Team Up on Hot Show," The Charlotte Observer, February 22, 1998.
- ^ Mark Washburn, "WSOC's Fall From Radio Grace: Top Dog to Underdog," The Charlotte Observer, April 1, 2001.
- ^ Sheila Long, "Top Triad Radio Stations to Be Sold; WTQR and WSJS Won't Change Formats," Greensboro News & Record, December 29, 1993.
- ^ Mark Folk, "Ex-Country Station Ready to Rock 'n' Roll," Greensboro News & Record, September 23, 1994
- ^ Leigh Pressley, "The Eagle Glides to Ratings Summit," Greensboro News & Record, August 5, 1995.
- ^ Ethan Pines, "Radio Stations Scramble for Ratings Points," Greensboro News & Record, August 20, 1996.
- ^ Jeri Rowe, "Changes on Radio Dial Pay Off in High Ratings," Greensboro News & Record, February 1, 1997.
- ^ Jeri Rowe, "Hip-Hopping 102 JAMZ Knocks Off WTQR," Greensboro News & Record, February 18, 1999.
- ^ http://www.radio-info.com/content/arbitron.php?market=045, Retrieved on 2008/08/21.
External links
- WTQR in the FCC FM station database
- Template:FML
- WTQR in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
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