WWNQ
Encyclopedia
WWNQ is a classic country
radio station licensed to Forest Acres, South Carolina
and serves the Columbia, South Carolina
market. The Double O Radio
outlet is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) to broadcast at 94.3 MHz with an effective radiated power
(ERP) of 2.25 kW. The station goes by the name Country Legends 94.3 on-air.
The station is owned by Double O Radio
of South Carolina, which also owns AC WWNU
in the Columbia radio market.
, changed its frequency from 94.3 to 102.7 in 1998.
After several years of planning and delays, WWNQ finally signed on under test authority in the fall of 2004 with a mixture of various songs from different genes of music in order to not tip off other stations in the market the true format for the new station. After testing was completed, the station signed on in November with the Classic Country
format.
The station was Classic Country
until late November 2008, when it was abruptly dropped for an all-Christmas format, a style that has not been done since former AC WLTY
flipped its format to Adult Hits
.
On December 30, 2008, after stunting with full length movies, the station flipped to Classic Hits
as "Flashback 94.3." The first song was "Let the Good Times Roll
" by The Cars
. Unlike Fox 102
, WWNQ played just hits, and the music was delivered by satellite. Artists included Billy Joel
, Queen
, The Beatles
, Tom Petty
, and Electric Light Orchestra
.
On July 30, 2010 WWNQ rebranded as "94.3 The River", taking the station off the satellite and programmed locally, playing the top 40 hits of the rock era. Local on-air personalities were Mike Lockaby mornings, Lona Steele middays and Marty Hall afternoons. WWNQ promoted "Columbia's Most-Music Mornings" weekday mornings with 94 minutes of commercial-free Classic Hits. WWNQ also featured a locally-produced Beatles specialty program, "The Beatles Radio Magazine," hosted by Marty Hall Sunday mornings at 10 A.M.
On June 28, 2011 at 3 pm WWNQ began stunting
with a ticking clock. On June 29, 2011 at 6 am WWNQ changed their format to contemporary hits, branded as "Q94.3", which turned out to be a stunt. On June 30, 2011 at 6 pm WWNQ resumed stunting with a ticking clock and changed their format to classic country, branded as "Country Legends 94.3" at 12 noon on Friday, July 1, 2011.
Classic country
Classic country is a music radio format that specializes in playing mainstream country hits from past decades.This genre generally follows one of two formats: those specializing in hits from the 1920s through the early 1970s, and focus primarily on innovators and artists from country music's Golden...
radio station licensed to Forest Acres, South Carolina
Forest Acres, South Carolina
Forest Acres is an upscale city in Richland County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 10,558 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Columbia, South Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
and serves the Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...
market. The Double O Radio
Double O Radio
Double O Radio is a privately held media corporation with corporate headquarters in Charleston, South Carolina. The chief executive officer is Terry Bond. Double O Radio owns several radio stations in the United States....
outlet is licensed 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...
(FCC) to broadcast at 94.3 MHz with an 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...
(ERP) of 2.25 kW. The station goes by the name Country Legends 94.3 on-air.
The station is owned by Double O Radio
Double O Radio
Double O Radio is a privately held media corporation with corporate headquarters in Charleston, South Carolina. The chief executive officer is Terry Bond. Double O Radio owns several radio stations in the United States....
of South Carolina, which also owns AC WWNU
WWNU
WWNU is a soft adult contemporary radio station licensed to Irmo, South Carolina and serves the Columbia, South Carolina market. The Double O Radio outlet is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to broadcast at 92.1 MHz with an effective radiated power of 15 kW...
in the Columbia radio market.
History
The frequency for 94.3 was allocated to Forest Acres by the FCC in the fall of 1996. In order to make way for the new station, WPUB, located in nearby Camden, South CarolinaCamden, South Carolina
Camden is the fourth oldest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina and is also the county seat of Kershaw County, South Carolina, United States. The population was an estimated 7,103 in 2009...
, changed its frequency from 94.3 to 102.7 in 1998.
After several years of planning and delays, WWNQ finally signed on under test authority in the fall of 2004 with a mixture of various songs from different genes of music in order to not tip off other stations in the market the true format for the new station. After testing was completed, the station signed on in November with the Classic Country
Classic country
Classic country is a music radio format that specializes in playing mainstream country hits from past decades.This genre generally follows one of two formats: those specializing in hits from the 1920s through the early 1970s, and focus primarily on innovators and artists from country music's Golden...
format.
The station was Classic Country
Classic country
Classic country is a music radio format that specializes in playing mainstream country hits from past decades.This genre generally follows one of two formats: those specializing in hits from the 1920s through the early 1970s, and focus primarily on innovators and artists from country music's Golden...
until late November 2008, when it was abruptly dropped for an all-Christmas format, a style that has not been done since former AC WLTY
WLTY
WLTY is a variety hits radio station licensed to Cayce, South Carolina and serves the Columbia, South Carolina market. The Clear Channel Communications outlet is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to broadcast at 96.7 MHz with an effective radiated power of 9 kW...
flipped its format to Adult Hits
Adult hits
Adult hits is a radio format, popular in the early 2000s, that does not adhere to a specific music genre, but instead draws from a wider playlist...
.
On December 30, 2008, after stunting with full length movies, the station flipped to Classic Hits
Classic hits
Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes rock and pop music from 1964 to 1989. The term is sometimes erroneously used as a synonym for the adult hits format, but is more accurately characterized as a contemporary style of the oldies format...
as "Flashback 94.3." The first song was "Let the Good Times Roll
Good Times Roll
"Good Times Roll" is a song by American rock band The Cars. It is the first track from their 1978 debut album The Cars, produced by Roy Thomas Baker...
" by The Cars
The Cars
The Cars are an American rock band that emerged from the early New Wave music scene in the late 1970s. The band consisted of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Ric Ocasek, lead singer and bassist Benjamin Orr, guitarist Elliot Easton, keyboardist Greg Hawkes and drummer David Robinson...
. Unlike Fox 102
WMFX
WMFX is a Classic rock radio station licensed to St. Andrews, South Carolina and serves the Columbia, South Carolina market. The Inner City Broadcasting outlet is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to broadcast at 102.3 MHz with an effective radiated power of 6 kW...
, WWNQ played just hits, and the music was delivered by satellite. Artists included Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
, Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
, The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, Tom Petty
Tom Petty
Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
, and Electric Light Orchestra
Electric Light Orchestra
Electric Light Orchestra were a British rock group from Birmingham who released eleven studio albums between 1971 and 1986 and another album in 2001. ELO were formed to accommodate Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne's desire to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones...
.
On July 30, 2010 WWNQ rebranded as "94.3 The River", taking the station off the satellite and programmed locally, playing the top 40 hits of the rock era. Local on-air personalities were Mike Lockaby mornings, Lona Steele middays and Marty Hall afternoons. WWNQ promoted "Columbia's Most-Music Mornings" weekday mornings with 94 minutes of commercial-free Classic Hits. WWNQ also featured a locally-produced Beatles specialty program, "The Beatles Radio Magazine," hosted by Marty Hall Sunday mornings at 10 A.M.
On June 28, 2011 at 3 pm WWNQ began stunting
Stunting (broadcasting)
In radio broadcasting, stunting occurs when a station abruptly airs programming that is seemingly uncharacteristic compared to what they normally play...
with a ticking clock. On June 29, 2011 at 6 am WWNQ changed their format to contemporary hits, branded as "Q94.3", which turned out to be a stunt. On June 30, 2011 at 6 pm WWNQ resumed stunting with a ticking clock and changed their format to classic country, branded as "Country Legends 94.3" at 12 noon on Friday, July 1, 2011.