WQLT-FM
Encyclopedia
WQLT-FM is a radio station
licensed
to serve Florence, Alabama
, USA. The station is owned by Big River Broadcasting Corporation. Operated by the family of Sam Phillips
, WQLT serves the city of Florence, Northwest Alabama
, parts of northeast Mississippi
, and parts of southern middle Tennessee
with an ERP
of 93,000 watt
s.
format. In addition to its usual music programming, WQLT-FM is an affiliate of the Tennessee Titans
football radio network.
s of effective radiated power
on 107.3 MHz as WOWL-FM. Owned by Radio Muscle Shoals, Inc., it was the FM sister station
of WOWL (1240 AM, now known as WBCF).
On August 15, 1965, the station began broadcasting with 25,000 watt
s of effective radiated power as WJOI-FM. Owned by WJOI Radio, Inc., it was the FM sister station
of WJOI (1340 AM, now known as WSBM
). On May 29, 1967, the station's call letters were changed again, this time to WQLT.
WQLT and its AM sister were acquired by Big River Broadcasting Corporation on February 21, 1973. Big River Broadcasting is owned by the family of Sam Phillips, the legendary record producer
and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
member most notable for founding Sun Records
and discovering Elvis Presley
.
The station's signal was boosted to 100,000 watts in 1978 and the station was assigned the current WQLT-FM call letters by the Federal Communications Commission
on December 1, 1978.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
licensed
City of license
A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator....
to serve Florence, Alabama
Florence, Alabama
Florence is the county seat of Lauderdale County, Alabama, United States, in the northwestern corner of the state.According to the 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the city's population was 36,721....
, USA. The station is owned by Big River Broadcasting Corporation. Operated by the family of Sam Phillips
Sam Phillips
Samuel Cornelius Phillips , better known as Sam Phillips, was an American businessman, record executive, record producer and DJ who played an important role in the emergence of rock and roll as the major form of popular music in the 1950s...
, WQLT serves the city of Florence, Northwest Alabama
Northwest Alabama
Northwest Alabama is a subdivision of the North Alabama region, and includes the cities of Decatur, Florence, Russellvile, and their surrounding areas in the state of Alabama. The county inclusion varies, usually only consisting of the Decatur Metropolitan Area and Florence-Muscle Shoals...
, parts of northeast Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, and parts of southern middle Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
with an ERP
Effective radiated power
In radio telecommunications, effective radiated power or equivalent radiated power is a standardized theoretical measurement of radio frequency energy using the SI unit watts, and is determined by subtracting system losses and adding system gains...
of 93,000 watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
s.
Programming
WQLT-FM broadcasts an adult contemporary musicAdult contemporary music
Adult contemporary music is a broad style of popular music that ranges from lush 1950s and 1960s vocal music to predominantly ballad-heavy music with varying degrees of rock influence, as well as a radio format that plays such music....
format. In addition to its usual music programming, WQLT-FM is an affiliate of the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
football radio network.
History
This station began regular broadcasting on August 8, 1962, with 4,600 wattWatt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
s of effective radiated power
Effective radiated power
In radio telecommunications, effective radiated power or equivalent radiated power is a standardized theoretical measurement of radio frequency energy using the SI unit watts, and is determined by subtracting system losses and adding system gains...
on 107.3 MHz as WOWL-FM. Owned by Radio Muscle Shoals, Inc., it was the FM sister station
Sister station
In broadcasting, sister stations or sister channels are radio and/or television stations operated by the same ownership....
of WOWL (1240 AM, now known as WBCF).
On August 15, 1965, the station began broadcasting with 25,000 watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
s of effective radiated power as WJOI-FM. Owned by WJOI Radio, Inc., it was the FM sister station
Sister station
In broadcasting, sister stations or sister channels are radio and/or television stations operated by the same ownership....
of WJOI (1340 AM, now known as WSBM
WSBM
-External links:...
). On May 29, 1967, the station's call letters were changed again, this time to WQLT.
WQLT and its AM sister were acquired by Big River Broadcasting Corporation on February 21, 1973. Big River Broadcasting is owned by the family of Sam Phillips, the legendary record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
member most notable for founding Sun Records
Sun Records
Sun Records is a record label founded in Memphis, Tennessee, starting operations on March 27, 1952.Founded by Sam Phillips, Sun Records was known for giving notable musicians such as Elvis Presley , Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, and Johnny Cash...
and discovering Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
.
The station's signal was boosted to 100,000 watts in 1978 and the station was assigned the current WQLT-FM call letters by the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
on December 1, 1978.