KNCQ
Encyclopedia
KNCQ is a commercial radio station
in Redding, California
. KNCQ has aired a country music
format since 1985. KNCQ broadcasts all the way from Medford, Oregon
to Sacramento, California
KNCQ-FM 97.3 (Q97), is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?list=0&facid=40828 as a Class "C" signal with a maximum permissible radiated signal of 100,000 watts at an elevation at no more than 2,000 feet height above average terrain (HAAT). Since the transmitter is actually at close to 3,570 feet HAAT, the effective radiated power output is capped at 28,000 watts which produces Equivalent Effective Radiated Power (EERP) of a full 100,000 watts. KNCQ-FM is among the top 25 strongest FM signals in the United States and reaches all or part of 17 counties in California and Oregon.
Q97 has been billed many ways over the last 22 years. It has been called "KNCQ-FM," "Q97FM," "The Country Giant," and "Today's Country Q97." The station currently plays "Today's Country Variety". Gary Popejoy helmed the Q97 morning show as well as serving as operation manager and program director for about 9 years, from the very beginning in 1985 to about 1994, when he came off the air and turned the morning show over to Dave Tappan. Dave Tappan was later joined by Bob Thomas (Dave & Bob). In 1999 Dave and Bob jumped ship to upstart Country station B103, and later ended up at Star 107.1. Billy Pilgrim and Patrick John, as "Billy & Patrick Mornings" were tapped to move their show to Q97. Dave & Bob later split up due to medical issues with Bob. Bob Thomas later re-joined the Q97 staff as the weekend host. Bob Thomas died of natural causes on May 26, 2007. Dave Tappan went on to host further morning shows on Star 107.1 & Red 103.1 & 93.3. Dave also co-hosted a mid-morning TV show called "Your Show Live" on KNVN (NBC) & KHSL (CBS) with former Mrs. California, Shaye Leeper. On March 3, 2010, Dave Tappan returned to KNCQ as the afternoon host on Q97. The popular "Billy & Patrick Mornings on Q97" has been very successful, and KNCQ continues to rank number one in the market's 12+ ratings according to the Arbitron Company http://www.radioandrecords.com/RRRatings/DetailsPage.aspx?MID=212&RY=2008&RQ=2&MP=0&OTHER=2&MN=Redding&MS=CA&MR=222&12P=158500&UP=7/25/2008%2012:00:00%20AM&SU=C&BPER=1.5&HPER=6.6&OPER=&NSD=&CE=0. Having worked together for over 16 years, "Billy & Patrick Mornings" is the longest running morning show team in Redding. Q97 has always had a strong local presence in Northern California due to its massive signal and continued belief in a local, live staff, as most stations now air mostly pre-recorded or syndicated programs.
to Dolly Parton
, Tim McGraw
, Carrie Underwood
, Reba McEntire
, George Strait
, Taylor Swift
, Sugarland, Zac Brown Band
, Kenny Chesney
, Martina McBride
, Lady Antebellum
, Wynonna, Brad Paisley
, Jason Aldean
, Joe Nichols, Rascal Flatts
and Keith Urban
. The station Program Director is Patrick John.
, Sacramento
, and Yuba City
, all in California. Q97's sister stations in Redding are KHRD-FM/RED 103.1 & 93.3(Classic Rock), KEWB-FM/Power 94(Rhythmic CHR), KESR-FM/BOB 107.1, and KKXS-FM/XS SPORTS 96.1 ESPN RADIO. All five stations are in the same broadcasting complex in north Redding.
At 55 years old, longtime Q97 personality Bob Thomas
died of natural causes on Saturday May 26, 2007. He started at former rock/country station B-94.7 back in 1984, and also worked at KRDG and Q102, then landed a job on the former Dave & Bob show on Q97 in 2000. Most recently, Bob had returned to Q97 as the weekend host.
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...
in Redding, California
Redding, California
Redding is a city in far-Northern California. It is the county seat of Shasta County, California, USA. With a population of 89,861, according to the 2010 Census...
. KNCQ has aired a country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
format since 1985. KNCQ broadcasts all the way from Medford, Oregon
Medford, Oregon
Medford is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 US Census, the city had a total population of 74,907 and a metropolitan area population of 207,010, making the Medford MSA the 4th largest metro area in Oregon...
to Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
History
KNCQ (Q97FM) signed "on-the-air" on October 29, 1985. The station was built from the ground up by the late Craig McCarthy along with his brother and father as partners of McCarthy Wireless, Inc. The station's original studios and offices were located at 2551 Park Marina Drive in the old circular Daniels Furniture Building, in Redding. Craig McCarthy was the first "weather man" the station had. In an effort to add more voices to the station's airwaves, McCarthy would pre-record weather updates in the morning that would air throughout the day. Circa 1990, Q97 relocated to studios in a building McCarthy constructed at 1588 Charles Drive in North Redding. The station, along with its sister stations, remain at this location.KNCQ-FM 97.3 (Q97), is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?list=0&facid=40828 as a Class "C" signal with a maximum permissible radiated signal of 100,000 watts at an elevation at no more than 2,000 feet height above average terrain (HAAT). Since the transmitter is actually at close to 3,570 feet HAAT, the effective radiated power output is capped at 28,000 watts which produces Equivalent Effective Radiated Power (EERP) of a full 100,000 watts. KNCQ-FM is among the top 25 strongest FM signals in the United States and reaches all or part of 17 counties in California and Oregon.
Q97 has been billed many ways over the last 22 years. It has been called "KNCQ-FM," "Q97FM," "The Country Giant," and "Today's Country Q97." The station currently plays "Today's Country Variety". Gary Popejoy helmed the Q97 morning show as well as serving as operation manager and program director for about 9 years, from the very beginning in 1985 to about 1994, when he came off the air and turned the morning show over to Dave Tappan. Dave Tappan was later joined by Bob Thomas (Dave & Bob). In 1999 Dave and Bob jumped ship to upstart Country station B103, and later ended up at Star 107.1. Billy Pilgrim and Patrick John, as "Billy & Patrick Mornings" were tapped to move their show to Q97. Dave & Bob later split up due to medical issues with Bob. Bob Thomas later re-joined the Q97 staff as the weekend host. Bob Thomas died of natural causes on May 26, 2007. Dave Tappan went on to host further morning shows on Star 107.1 & Red 103.1 & 93.3. Dave also co-hosted a mid-morning TV show called "Your Show Live" on KNVN (NBC) & KHSL (CBS) with former Mrs. California, Shaye Leeper. On March 3, 2010, Dave Tappan returned to KNCQ as the afternoon host on Q97. The popular "Billy & Patrick Mornings on Q97" has been very successful, and KNCQ continues to rank number one in the market's 12+ ratings according to the Arbitron Company http://www.radioandrecords.com/RRRatings/DetailsPage.aspx?MID=212&RY=2008&RQ=2&MP=0&OTHER=2&MN=Redding&MS=CA&MR=222&12P=158500&UP=7/25/2008%2012:00:00%20AM&SU=C&BPER=1.5&HPER=6.6&OPER=&NSD=&CE=0. Having worked together for over 16 years, "Billy & Patrick Mornings" is the longest running morning show team in Redding. Q97 has always had a strong local presence in Northern California due to its massive signal and continued belief in a local, live staff, as most stations now air mostly pre-recorded or syndicated programs.
Programming
Q97 plays a variety of country music, from local legend Merle HaggardMerle Haggard
Merle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, fiddler, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies,...
to Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
, Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw
Samuel Timothy "Tim" McGraw is an American country singer and actor. Many of McGraw's albums and singles have topped the country music charts with total album sales in excess of 40 million units in the US, making him the eighth best-selling artist, and the third best-selling country singer, in the...
, Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood
Carrie Marie Underwood is an American country singer-songwriter and actress who rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, in 2005...
, Reba McEntire
Reba McEntire
Reba Nell McEntire is an American country music artist and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band , on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos. As a solo act, she was invited to perform at a rodeo in Oklahoma...
, George Strait
George Strait
George Harvey Strait is an American country music singer, actor, and music producer. Strait is referred to as the "King of Country," and critics call Strait a living legend. He is known for his unique style of western swing music, bar-room ballads, honky-tonk style, and fresh yet traditional...
, Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
, Sugarland, Zac Brown Band
Zac Brown Band
Zac Brown Band is an American country music, southern rock, and folk band based in Atlanta, Georgia. The lineup consists of Zac Brown , Jimmy De Martini , John Driskell Hopkins , Coy Bowles , Chris Fryar and Clay Cook...
, Kenny Chesney
Kenny Chesney
Kenneth "Kenny" Arnold Chesney is an American country music singer and songwriter. Chesney has recorded 15 albums, 14 of which have been certified gold or higher by the RIAA. He has also produced more than 30 Top Ten singles on the U.S...
, Martina McBride
Martina McBride
Martina McBride is an American country music singer and songwriter. McBride has been called the "Céline Dion of Country Music" for her big-voiced ballads and soprano range....
, Lady Antebellum
Lady Antebellum
Lady Antebellum is an American country pop music group formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 2006. The trio is composed of Charles Kelley , Dave Haywood and Hillary Scott .The group made its debut in 2007 as guest vocalists on Jim Brickman's single "Never Alone", before signing to Capitol...
, Wynonna, Brad Paisley
Brad Paisley
Brad Douglas Paisley is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His style crosses between traditional country music and Southern rock, and his songs are frequently laced with humor and pop culture references....
, Jason Aldean
Jason Aldean
Jason Aldine Williams is an American country music singer, known professionally as Jason Aldean. Since 2005, Aldean has recorded for Broken Bow Records, an independent record label for which he has released four albums and twelve singles...
, Joe Nichols, Rascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts is an American country music band that originated in Columbus, Ohio, United States of America. Since its inception, Rascal Flatts has been composed of three members: Gary LeVox , Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney...
and Keith Urban
Keith Urban
Keith Lionel Urban is a New Zealand-born Australian, country music singer, songwriter and guitarist whose commercial success has been mainly in the United States and Australia. Urban was born in New Zealand and began his career in Australia at an early age...
. The station Program Director is Patrick John.
Parent Company
"Results Radio LLC" of Redding is Q97's parent company. The company is small by radio standards and owns licenses from the FCC to operate a total of 11 radio stations in Redding, ChicoChico, California
Chico is the most populous city in Butte County, California, United States. The population was 86,187 at the 2010 census, up from 59,954 at the time of the 2000 census...
, Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, and Yuba City
Yuba City, California
Yuba City is a Northern California city, founded in 1849. It is the county seat of Sutter County, California, United States. The population was 64,925 at the 2010 census....
, all in California. Q97's sister stations in Redding are KHRD-FM/RED 103.1 & 93.3(Classic Rock), KEWB-FM/Power 94(Rhythmic CHR), KESR-FM/BOB 107.1, and KKXS-FM/XS SPORTS 96.1 ESPN RADIO. All five stations are in the same broadcasting complex in north Redding.
Notable staff
Station Alumni include original staff members Gary Popejoy, Terri Ann Clark, Randall Whitney (Chapman), Paul Baker, Jim Morris, Sue Sandifer (Kerr), Steve Thomas, and Jan McCaleb. Others that have called Q97 home; Rick Healy, Jim Davison, Dave D'Angelo, Kevin McFarland, Helen Chambers, Mike Jones, Dave Tappan, and Bob Thomas. Current On-Air staff includes Billy Pilgrim and Patrick John (Billy & Patrick Mornings), Ryan O'Brien, Dave Tappan and Lia. Weekend hosts include Robert Christopher and Chellie Lynn.At 55 years old, longtime Q97 personality Bob Thomas
Bob Thomas
Bob Thomas is a radio personality, actor, and writer. He was one of the top radio announcers in Knoxville, Tennessee for 25 years. During his tenure at radio station WIVK, he had the highest-rated midday radio show in the United States for over 16 years. As an actor, he has appeared in many...
died of natural causes on Saturday May 26, 2007. He started at former rock/country station B-94.7 back in 1984, and also worked at KRDG and Q102, then landed a job on the former Dave & Bob show on Q97 in 2000. Most recently, Bob had returned to Q97 as the weekend host.