View source for WRNQ

{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2022}}
{{Primary sources|date=June 2008}}
{{Infobox radio station
| logo             = [[File:WRNQ Q92.1 2014 logo.png|250px]]
| name             = WRNQ
| city             = [[Poughkeepsie (city), New York|Poughkeepsie, New York]]
| area             = [[Hudson Valley]]
| branding         = ''Q92''
| frequency        = 92.1 [[MHz]]
| airdate          = {{start date and age|1989|6|30}}
| format           = [[Adult contemporary]]
| erp              = 520 [[watt]]s
| haat             = {{convert|314|m|ft|sp=us}}
| class            = A
| licensing_authority = [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]]
| facility_id      = 17771
| callsign_meaning = "Rockin' Easy, Q-92" (original branding)
| former_callsigns = WLMS (1985–89, [[Construction permit|CP]])
| affiliations     = [[Premiere Networks]]
| owner            = [[iHeartMedia, Inc.]]
| licensee         = iHM Licenses, LLC
| sister_stations  = [[WCTW]], [[WHUC]], [[WPKF]], [[WRWB-FM]], [[WRWD-FM]]
| webcast          = [https://www.iheart.com/live/q92-1489/ Listen Live]
| website          = [https://q92hv.iheart.com/ q92hv.iheart.com] 
}}

'''WRNQ''' (92.1 [[FM broadcasting|FM]] "Q92") is a [[commercial radio|commercial]] [[radio station]] licensed to [[Poughkeepsie (city), New York|Poughkeepsie, New York]] and serving the Mid-[[Hudson Valley]] of New York state. The station is owned by [[iHeartMedia, Inc.]] and broadcasts an [[adult contemporary]] [[radio format]], switching to [[Christmas music]] for much of November and December.

WRNQ has an [[effective radiated power]] of 520 [[watt]]s, [[transmitter|transmitting]] from the [[Marlboro Mountains|Illinois Mountain]] master tower in [[Highland, Ulster County, New York|Highland, New York]] to which it moved in 2000. Unlike other [[List of North American broadcast station classes|Class A]] stations on that tower, WRNQ's signal is [[directional antenna|directional]] to protect first adjacents 92.3 [[WINS-FM]] in [[New York City]] and 92.3 [[WFLY]] in [[Troy, New York]].

==History==
The original [[construction permit]] for what became WRNQ was awarded in December 1985, several years after the FCC amended the table of allotments to allow for the 92.1 frequency to become active in Poughkeepsie. Around 1987, the frequency was awarded to [[WKIP (AM)|WKIP]] owner Richard Novik, gained the WLMS ("Lite Music Station") calls and announced that the station would take on a format near-identical to that which hit the air. Due to potential ratings confusion with [[WLTW]] ("Lite FM") from [[New York City]] the call letters were replaced with WRNQ in 1989, a decision made by then-General Manager Don Verity. The difficulty obtaining a transmitter site in the market also was a problem and Novik eventually settled on a site in [[Lagrangeville, New York]], east of Poughkeepsie, unlike most stations which broadcast on mountain peaks in [[Ulster County, New York|Ulster County]].

WRNQ, better known as "Rockin' Easy, Q-92", hit the air on June 30, 1989, and made a splash with former WKIP morning man Van Ritshie anchoring an otherwise satellite-fed format (Unistar's "Format 41)."  With no real competition in the format ([[WHUD]] was still [[easy listening]] and WKIP had changed to all-talk programming), Q-92 reached top of the ratings its first year on the air. Eventually, the station added the hugely successful "Love Songs on Q" a locally hosted evening love songs program hosted by Pete Clark (currently at [[WVKR]] and [[WPDH]]) and later by Rick Buser, formerly of [[WPDH]].

In 1996, Novik sold WRNQ, WKIP, and new sister station [[WNSX]] ("Modern Rock, The X 96.1") to Straus Media (owned by Eric Straus, heir to former owner of [[WMCA (AM)|WMCA]] in [[New York City]]) who in turn replaced the satellite-fed time periods with all-local programming, much of which came from Straus stations in [[Ellenville, New York|Ellenville]] and [[Hudson, New York|Hudson]].  With this, the station picked up [[Delilah Rene|Delilah After Dark]] evenings. The pickup of Delilah, later picked up by rival WHUD, was allowed via a geographic loophole (WHUD and WRNQ are technically in different markets) which also allowed the two rivals to have the same jingle package for several years.

Eric Straus decided to leave radio ownership in 2000 to start two online ventures (Regional Help Wanted and Cupid.com), selling the cluster to [[Clear Channel Communications]]. The next year, Van Ritshie retired from radio, and was replaced by  Joe Daily (formerly of WBNR) in the morning slot. In 2002, WRNQ began airing Christmas music in the months before Christmas copying a programming move popular in other radio markets.

At the end of Christmas music in 2003, the station relaunched under the ''"LiteFM"'' brand of popular sister [[WLTW]] in New York City in a move of "branding unity" which also was ironic considering the station's pre-signon change done to minimize confusion with WLTW. Outside of some music refocusing and the addition of a Saturday night dance programming, no major changes were made until October 2011, when WRNQ switched to [[List of programming syndicated by Clear Channel#Premium Choice|Premium Choice]] and [[Premiere Networks]] for content outside of Joe Daily in Morning Drive.

A variation of WRNQ's format, without the [[simulcast]] and with different [[disc jockey]]s, had been broadcast on 98.5 [[WCTW]] in [[Catskill (town), New York|Catskill, New York]]. From March 2005 until November 2006, WRNQ's format and programming was "shadowcast" on 99.3 [[WRWB-FM|WFKP]] in [[Ellenville, New York]], which aired the same air talent as WRNQ (and carried WRNQ's "Joe Daily in the Morning").

On September 8, 2014, WRNQ returned to its original "Q92" branding.<ref>[http://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/90039/wrnq-returns-to-its-q92-roots/ WRNQ Returns to its Q92 Roots] Radioinsight - September 8, 2014</ref>

==Previous logo==
[[File:WRNQLogo.jpg]] (WRNQ's logo under previous "Lite FM" branding)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://q92hv.iheart.com/ Q92 website]
*{{FM station data|17771|WRNQ}}

{{Poughkeepsie Radio}}
{{Adult Contemporary Radio Stations in New York}}
{{IHeartMedia}}

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[[Category:Dutchess County, New York]]
[[Category:Radio stations in the Hudson Valley|RNQ]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1989]]
[[Category:IHeartMedia radio stations]]