WMZQ-FM
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WMZQ-FM (98.7 MHz) is a commercial radio station in Washington, D.C. owned by iHeartMedia, it has had a country music radio format since 1977. The station's studios and offices are on Rockville Pike in Rockville, Maryland,[1] and its transmitter is on Tower Street in Falls Church, Virginia.[2] WMZQ-FM has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 50,000 watts, the maximum power for radio stations in the Washington area.
WMZQ-FM broadcasts in the HD Radio format.[3] Its HD2 digital subchannel airs a conservative talk format, known as "Freedom 104.7." It feeds FM translator W284CQ at 104.7 MHz.[4]
History
This station signed on the air on April 2, 1947 as WWDC-FM, originally on 100.9 MHz, moving to 101.1 MHz a few months later.[5] It was owned by the Capital Broadcasting Company with its studios at 1000 Connecticut Avenue NW. The station originally simulcast its sister station, WWDC, then on AM 1450.
Meanwhile, WOL-FM signed on at 98.7 MHz in 1947, simulcasting its sister station, WOL 1260 kHz. In 1950, WWDC and WOL came under common ownership; that February 20, WWDC moved to the far higher-powered 1260 kHz allocation, and WOL was shifted to 1450 kHz to be resold. WWDC-FM also swapped callsigns and facilities with WOL-FM on the same day, and each simply modified their licenses to continue operating on their same frequencies.[6][7] As the actual licenses were not exchanged, WMZQ-FM is the legal successor of the original WWDC-FM.
WOL-AM-FM aired a full service Rhythm and blues format, featuring personalities, news and talk for the African-American community. It was owned by the Peoples Broadcasting Company, relocated to the 1000 Connecticut Avenue NW studios and offices.
In 1965, WOL-AM-FM were acquired by the Sonderling Broadcasting Company.[8] In 1968, Sonderling switched the FM station to an Oldies format, as WMOD, while the AM continued as an R&B station. WMOD played the rock-era hits of the 1950s and early 60s, including doo-wop music. By the mid-1970s, the format shifted to classic rock.
In 1977, Sonderling switched 98.7 to country music as WMZQ-FM.[9] Although press reports at the time attributed the call sign as a simple abbreviation of "music", then-program director Bill Figenshu claims to have chosen it in homage to WMAQ Chicago, which was at the time a successful large-market country station. A since-repealed FCC rule also required stations to notify their competitors of a call sign change, and Figenshu suspected the "Q" – then as now, a common branding for contemporary music stations – might fool them into thinking a Top 40 format was about to launch.[10][11]
The Washington market already had one FM station playing modern country, but it was based in Northern Virginia, 105.9 WXRA (today WMAL-FM) licensed to Woodbridge, Virginia. Its signal had a hard time reaching the D.C. suburbs north of Washington, while WMZQ-FM covered the entire D.C. radio market. The change proved a success for WMZQ-FM and the station at 105.9 eventually switched to classic rock.
Viacom acquired WMZQ-FM a few years after the switch to the country format. In 1987, Viacom began simulcasting WMZQ-FM on AM station WMZQ in Arlington, Virginia.[12][13]
In 1997, WMZQ-FM switched hands again, this time acquired by Chancellor Media.[14] In 2000, Chancellor was acquired by Clear Channel Communications, which a few years later became iHeartMedia, the current owner.
HD Radio and Translator
On July 10, 2023, WMZQ-HD2 dropped its simulcast with Black Information Network affiliate WUST (1120 AM), and launched a conservative talk format on its HD2 subchannel, branded as "Freedom 104.7".[15]
WMZQ rebroadcasts its HD2 format on the following translator:
References
External links
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- ↑ http://hdradio.com/station_guides/widget.php?id=8 Template:Webarchive HD Radio Guide for Washington D.C.
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Broadcasting Yearbook 1950 page 108
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Broadcasting Yearbook 1952 page 105
- ↑ Broadcasting Yearbook 1969 page B-33
- ↑ Broadcasting Yearbook 1979 page C-40
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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- ↑ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2000 page B-84
- ↑ Freedom Rings on 104.7 Washington DC Radioinsight - July 10, 2023