WKRQ
Encyclopedia
WKRQ, known on-air as Q102, is a radio station located in the Cincinnati, Ohio
area and broadcasts at 101.9 FM. Its transmitter is located in Cincinnati. It carries an adult top 40 format and is owned by Hubbard Broadcasting.
to take the younger audience by default. Even though it is more top 40 than most adult top 40s, WKRQ is reported by Mediabase
& Nielsen BDS as a hot adult contemporary station.
In 1980, 16 Year-old Mary Wood won the first one-million-dollar prize ever awarded by any radio
or TV
station in the United States
in a joint contest with sister station WKRC-AM. The feat earned her and the station a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.
WKRQ was owned by CBS Radio
until 2006, when it was sold to Entercom. Entercom, in turn, announced in January 2007 that it would be swapping its entire Cincinnati cluster, including WKRQ, to Bonneville International
together with three radio stations in Seattle, Washington
, for all three of Bonneville's FM radio stations in San Francisco, California
, and $1 million cash. In May 2007, the station launched an online stream from its website at www.wkrq.com. Also that month, Bonneville officially took over the operations of Entercom's former Cincinnati radio cluster through a local marketing agreement
. Entercom officially closed on its acquisition of the stations on November 30. The sale of the Cincinnati cluster to Bonneville was conditionally approved in November 2007, with the remainder of the deal finally approved in March 2008. The official transfer of the Cincinnati stations to Bonneville took place on March 14.
WKRQ became the only hot adult contemporary station in Cincinnati since the flip of WNNF
to adult album alternative
in 2009
.
On January 19, 2011, it was announced that Bonneville International will sell WKRQ and several other stations to Hubbard Broadcasting for $505 million. The sale was completed on April 29, 2011.
(and format) are similar, some have wondered if the TV series WKRP in Cincinnati
is based on anything that happened at WKRQ. Creator Hugh Wilson has said that most of the episodes are based on his real-life experiences at an Atlanta radio station.
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
area and broadcasts at 101.9 FM. Its transmitter is located in Cincinnati. It carries an adult top 40 format and is owned by Hubbard Broadcasting.
History
WKRQ signed on the air in 1947 as WCTS which aired a classical format. WCTS would change its call letters to WKRC-FM in 1950 and for 20 years...WKRC-FM would air a classical music format. In 1970...WKRC-FM would become a top 40 station as "Stereo 102". In 1972...WKRC-FM became WKRQ and would become "Q102" in 1975. WKRQ's CHR format has been in place since 1975, making Q102 one of the longest-running currently broadcasting Top 40 stations in the United States, despite its shift towards an adult top 40 format most recently, leaving rival Top 40 WKFSWKFS
WKFS, better known by its brand name KISS 107, is an FM radio station in the Cincinnati, Ohio market. It broadcasts a CHR/Pop format. It is owned by Clear Channel Communications.- Station History :...
to take the younger audience by default. Even though it is more top 40 than most adult top 40s, WKRQ is reported by Mediabase
Mediabase
Mediabase is a music industry service that monitors radio station airplay in 180 US and Canadian markets. Mediabase publishes music charts and data based on the most played songs on terrestrial and satellite radio, and provides in-depth analytical tools for radio and record industry professionals...
& Nielsen BDS as a hot adult contemporary station.
In 1980, 16 Year-old Mary Wood won the first one-million-dollar prize ever awarded by any radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
or TV
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
station in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in a joint contest with sister station WKRC-AM. The feat earned her and the station a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.
WKRQ was owned by CBS Radio
CBS Radio
CBS Radio, Inc., formerly known as Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States, third behind main rival Clear Channel Communications and Cumulus Media. CBS Radio owns around 130 radio stations across the country...
until 2006, when it was sold to Entercom. Entercom, in turn, announced in January 2007 that it would be swapping its entire Cincinnati cluster, including WKRQ, to Bonneville International
Bonneville International
Bonneville International Corporation is a broadcasting company wholly owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through its for-profit arm, Deseret Management Corporation...
together with three radio stations in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, for all three of Bonneville's FM radio stations in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, and $1 million cash. In May 2007, the station launched an online stream from its website at www.wkrq.com. Also that month, Bonneville officially took over the operations of Entercom's former Cincinnati radio cluster through a local marketing agreement
Local marketing agreement
In U.S. and Canadian broadcasting, a local marketing agreement is an agreement in which one company agrees to operate a radio or television station owned by another licensee...
. Entercom officially closed on its acquisition of the stations on November 30. The sale of the Cincinnati cluster to Bonneville was conditionally approved in November 2007, with the remainder of the deal finally approved in March 2008. The official transfer of the Cincinnati stations to Bonneville took place on March 14.
WKRQ became the only hot adult contemporary station in Cincinnati since the flip of WNNF
WNNF
WNNF is a radio station currently airing an 80's/90's Hits-leaning Hot AC format. Licensed to Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, it serves the Cincinnati area. The station is currently owned by Cumulus Media. Cumulus also owns classic rocker WOFX-FM 92.5 and alternative rocker WFTK 96.5...
to adult album alternative
Adult album alternative
Adult album alternative is a radio format. A spinoff from the album-oriented rock format, its roots trace to the 1960s and 1970s from the earlier freeform and progressive formats....
in 2009
2009 in radio
The following events occurred in radio in 2009.- Events :* January 1: Kurdish TV starts broadcasting in Turkey.* January: Michael Smerconish, morning host at talk radio WPHT Philadelphia, begins syndication of his morning show to WHFS in Washington and WOR in New York City.* January 17: Two well...
.
On January 19, 2011, it was announced that Bonneville International will sell WKRQ and several other stations to Hubbard Broadcasting for $505 million. The sale was completed on April 29, 2011.
Allusions to "WKRP in Cincinnati"
Because the call lettersCall sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
(and format) are similar, some have wondered if the TV series WKRP in Cincinnati
WKRP in Cincinnati
WKRP in Cincinnati is an American situation comedy that featured the misadventures of the staff of a struggling fictional radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show was created by Hugh Wilson and was based upon his experiences working in advertising sales at Top 40 radio station WQXI in Atlanta...
is based on anything that happened at WKRQ. Creator Hugh Wilson has said that most of the episodes are based on his real-life experiences at an Atlanta radio station.