WRQK-FM
Encyclopedia
WRQK-FM — branded Rock 106.9 — is an American commercial radio station
licensed to Canton, Ohio
, and broadcasting a mainstream rock
format. The station is operated by Clear Channel Communications
, with sister stations WHLO
, WARF
, WKDD
and WHOF
, at the Clear Channel Akron/Canton complex in Jackson Township, Ohio
. Clear Channel is in the process of purchasing WRQK from previous owner Cumulus Media
.
The station was founded circa 1962 as WCNO(FM) by the Greer Group, which had purchased its sister station, WAND AM 900, later WCNS, now WCER. The stations became WNYN and WNYN-FM in the late 1960s.
Both stations were purchased in 1965 by Don Keyes, who had made his mark as a national programmer for legendary station owner Gordon McLendon
. In 1971, he sold the FM station to Susquehanna Radio Corporation
, the owners of WHLO
(AM) Akron, and it became WHLQ.
Susquehanna sold the station in 1978 to the owners of WINW, who applied to change the FM call letters to WHOF (for the "Hall of Fame" city of Canton) but were rebuffed by the owners of WTOF, another local FM station. (Coincidentally, WRQK now has a new Clear Channel sister station using the WHOF
call letters.) 106.9 adopted an automated Top 40 format and became WOOS-FM on June 1, 1979.
WOOS-FM changed its call sign to WRQK on August 3, 1985, taking on an album oriented rock music format. For a while, the station called itself "Goodrock 107," an apparent play on the name of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
in nearby Akron
. It formally changed from WRQK to WRQK-FM on February 14, 1989, when AM station WINW
changed its call sign to WRQK. The AM station changed back to WINW six months later, but the FM call sign has remained WRQK-FM.
In 1995, the station was sold by Jim Embrescia's Canton/Akron Radio, Inc. to Sabre Communications. Then In 1997, SabreComm sold to Connoisseur. Connoisseur sold their entire radio group to Cumulus Broadcasting in 2000 (at the about the peak of earnings multiples, when companies paid stupid money for stations). Then, on August 8, 2006, it was announced that WRQK would be sold to Clear Channel Communications
, pairing WRQK with former partner WHLO-AM, as well as WARF
, WKDD-FM, and WHOF-FM
. Clear Channel took over operations of WRQK on January 15, 2007, pending FCC approval of its purchase of the station from Cumulus.
In March 2007, WRQK changed its branding from ROCK 107 to ROCK 106.9 (possibly to avoid confusion with WMMS
, a rock station in Cleveland, with similar-sounding frequency 100.7). It also changed its slogan from "Canton's Rock Station" to "It Just Rocks!", in an effort to also serve the Akron market.
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 to Canton, Ohio
Canton, Ohio
Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, and broadcasting a mainstream rock
Mainstream rock
Mainstream rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada.-Format background:...
format. The station is operated by Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
, with sister stations WHLO
WHLO
WHLO is an AM radio station in Akron, Ohio, USA, operating on 640 kHz, and owned by Clear Channel Communications.The station has a news/talk format with Jim Quinn's program from WPGB in Pittsburgh, and a schedule of syndicated talkers during the day, headed by Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, with a...
, WARF
Warf
Warf or WARF may refer to:* WARF, a radio station in Akron, Ohio, USA* Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, technology transfer office of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, USA* Warf, an artificial dwelling hill...
, WKDD
WKDD
WKDD — branded The New 98.1 'KDD — is a commercial hot adult contemporary radio station licensed to Munroe Falls, Ohio serving the Akron and Canton metro areas. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications...
and WHOF
WHOF
WHOF — branded My 101.7 — is a commercial FM radio station serving Akron/Canton, Ohio, licensed to the suburb of North Canton. It is part of the Clear Channel Akron/Canton cluster, along with WARF, WHLO, WKDD, and WRQK-FM....
, at the Clear Channel Akron/Canton complex in Jackson Township, Ohio
Jackson Township, Stark County, Ohio
Jackson Township is one of the seventeen townships of Stark County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 37,744 people in the township, 37,484 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
. Clear Channel is in the process of purchasing WRQK from previous owner Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media, Inc. is the second largest Owner and Operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States, behind Clear Channel Communications, operating 570 stations in 150 markets as of September 16, 2011. The company also owns Cumulus Media Networks...
.
The station was founded circa 1962 as WCNO(FM) by the Greer Group, which had purchased its sister station, WAND AM 900, later WCNS, now WCER. The stations became WNYN and WNYN-FM in the late 1960s.
Both stations were purchased in 1965 by Don Keyes, who had made his mark as a national programmer for legendary station owner Gordon McLendon
Gordon McLendon
Gordon Barton McLendon was a radio pioneer and pirate radio broadcaster. He has been coined the Maverick of Radio. McLendon is widely credited for perfecting, with great commercial success, the Top 40 radio format during the 1950s and 1960s which was first invented by Todd Storz and for developing...
. In 1971, he sold the FM station to Susquehanna Radio Corporation
Susquehanna Radio Corporation
The Susquehanna Radio Corporation was a media corporation which operated from 1941 to 2006 that was headquartered in York, Pennsylvania. The company was a unit of Susquehanna Pfaltzgraff, a conglomerate more widely known for the Pfaltzgraff kitchenware line than its broadcasting pursuits.Some of...
, the owners of WHLO
WHLO
WHLO is an AM radio station in Akron, Ohio, USA, operating on 640 kHz, and owned by Clear Channel Communications.The station has a news/talk format with Jim Quinn's program from WPGB in Pittsburgh, and a schedule of syndicated talkers during the day, headed by Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, with a...
(AM) Akron, and it became WHLQ.
Susquehanna sold the station in 1978 to the owners of WINW, who applied to change the FM call letters to WHOF (for the "Hall of Fame" city of Canton) but were rebuffed by the owners of WTOF, another local FM station. (Coincidentally, WRQK now has a new Clear Channel sister station using the WHOF
WHOF
WHOF — branded My 101.7 — is a commercial FM radio station serving Akron/Canton, Ohio, licensed to the suburb of North Canton. It is part of the Clear Channel Akron/Canton cluster, along with WARF, WHLO, WKDD, and WRQK-FM....
call letters.) 106.9 adopted an automated Top 40 format and became WOOS-FM on June 1, 1979.
WOOS-FM changed its call sign to WRQK on August 3, 1985, taking on an album oriented rock music format. For a while, the station called itself "Goodrock 107," an apparent play on the name of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company was founded in 1898 by Frank Seiberling. Goodyear manufactures tires for automobiles, commercial trucks, light trucks, SUVs, race cars, airplanes, farm equipment and heavy earth-mover machinery....
in nearby Akron
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
. It formally changed from WRQK to WRQK-FM on February 14, 1989, when AM station WINW
WINW
WINW was an AM radio station that was licensed to Canton, Ohio. For its entire history the station broadcast at 1520 kHz during daytime hours only...
changed its call sign to WRQK. The AM station changed back to WINW six months later, but the FM call sign has remained WRQK-FM.
In 1995, the station was sold by Jim Embrescia's Canton/Akron Radio, Inc. to Sabre Communications. Then In 1997, SabreComm sold to Connoisseur. Connoisseur sold their entire radio group to Cumulus Broadcasting in 2000 (at the about the peak of earnings multiples, when companies paid stupid money for stations). Then, on August 8, 2006, it was announced that WRQK would be sold to Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
, pairing WRQK with former partner WHLO-AM, as well as WARF
Warf
Warf or WARF may refer to:* WARF, a radio station in Akron, Ohio, USA* Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, technology transfer office of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, USA* Warf, an artificial dwelling hill...
, WKDD-FM, and WHOF-FM
WHOF
WHOF — branded My 101.7 — is a commercial FM radio station serving Akron/Canton, Ohio, licensed to the suburb of North Canton. It is part of the Clear Channel Akron/Canton cluster, along with WARF, WHLO, WKDD, and WRQK-FM....
. Clear Channel took over operations of WRQK on January 15, 2007, pending FCC approval of its purchase of the station from Cumulus.
In March 2007, WRQK changed its branding from ROCK 107 to ROCK 106.9 (possibly to avoid confusion with WMMS
WMMS
WMMS — branded 100.7 WMMS: The Buzzard — is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, widely recognized as one of the most influential rock stations in America throughout much of the history of FM broadcasting...
, a rock station in Cleveland, with similar-sounding frequency 100.7). It also changed its slogan from "Canton's Rock Station" to "It Just Rocks!", in an effort to also serve the Akron market.