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WQXI (AM)
Encyclopedia
WQXI, "790 The Zone", is a radio station
licensed to the city of Atlanta
broadcasting at a frequency
of 790 kHz. The station has a power of 28,000 watt
s in the daytime, and 1,000 watt
s at night. WQXI's signal is non-directional during the daytime, and directional at night. As of 2009, the station broadcasts in the IBiquity
HD Radio AM hybrid digital mode during daytime hours.
". Among the stations personalities was Dr. Don Rose in the late 1960s, who went on to near legendary status at KFRC
in San Francisco.
For a time, it was owned by Esquire Inc.
When Atlanta hosted the 1996 Olympic Games
, the station simulcast the French radio news channel France Info
for several hours a day. During the mid-1990's, WQXI-AM also aired Spanish music for several hours a day as "La Pantera" (The Panther).
The former WQXI-FM is now WSTR-FM (94.1), and WQXI-TV is now WXIA-TV
(11).
The station is now a local sports radio
talk format owned by Lincoln Financial Media
, but operated by Big League Broadcasting under an LMA
. WQXI is the flagship station of the Georgia Tech
Yellow Jackets
and is the AM radio flagship of the Atlanta Falcons
. The station broadcasts the syndicated Yahoo! Sports Radio during the overnight hours.
WQXI is broadcast in HD Radio
on WSTR-FM's HD3 subchannel. WQXI's audio is also broadcast on Channel 18 of the Georgia Tech Cable Network
.
WQXI was the inspiration for the television sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati
. Series creator Hugh Wilson dealt with the station when he worked in advertising. WKRP episodes which included dropping turkeys from a helicopter and the "dancing ducks promotion," with ducks dancing on hot plates, were actually done by Jerry Blum at WQXI. Blum leased an 18-wheeler and tossed hundreds of live turkeys from a suburban Atlanta shopping center.
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 the city of Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
broadcasting at a frequency
Frequency
Frequency is the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit time. It is also referred to as temporal frequency.The period is the duration of one cycle in a repeating event, so the period is the reciprocal of the frequency...
of 790 kHz. The station has a power of 28,000 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 in the daytime, and 1,000 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 at night. WQXI's signal is non-directional during the daytime, and directional at night. As of 2009, the station broadcasts in the IBiquity
IBiquity
iBiquity Digital Corporation is a company formed by the merger of USA Digital Radio and Lucent Digital Radio, with the goal of creating an in-band on-channel digital radio system for the United States and around the world...
HD Radio AM hybrid digital mode during daytime hours.
History
WQXI first went on the air in 1948 as an all music station, playing pop standards. Their independent status was unique programming as the established stations, 590 WCON, 750 WSB, and 920 WGST, were all network affiliates. By the 1960's WQXI was Top 40 with the moniker "Quixie in DixieDixie
Dixie is a nickname for the Southern United States.- Origin of the name :According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the origins of this nickname remain obscure. According to A Dictionary of Americanisms on Historical Principles , by Mitford M...
". Among the stations personalities was Dr. Don Rose in the late 1960s, who went on to near legendary status at KFRC
KFRC (defunct)
KFRC was a radio station in San Francisco, California in the United States, which made its first broadcast on Wednesday, September 24, 1924, from studios in the Hotel Whitcomb 1231 Market Street. KFRC originally broadcast with 50 watts on the 270 meter wavelength , then moved to 660 kHz. in...
in San Francisco.
For a time, it was owned by Esquire Inc.
Esquire (magazine)
Esquire is a men's magazine, published in the U.S. by the Hearst Corporation. Founded in 1932, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich.-History:...
When Atlanta hosted the 1996 Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, the station simulcast the French radio news channel France Info
France Info
France Info is a major French public news radio station, part of the Radio France group. The station is available across the country broadcasting world news 24 hours...
for several hours a day. During the mid-1990's, WQXI-AM also aired Spanish music for several hours a day as "La Pantera" (The Panther).
The former WQXI-FM is now WSTR-FM (94.1), and WQXI-TV is now WXIA-TV
WXIA-TV
WXIA-TV, virtual channel 11.1 , is the NBC-affiliated television station in Atlanta, Georgia. Popularly known by its 11 Alive moniker, WXIA is owned by the Gannett Company in a duopoly with MyNetworkTV affiliate WATL...
(11).
The station is now a local sports radio
Sports radio
Sports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...
talk format owned by Lincoln Financial Media
Lincoln Financial Media
Lincoln Financial Media is a subsidiary of Lincoln National Corporation that owns radio stations in the United States.-History:In April 2006, Lincoln Financial acquired Jefferson-Pilot's television and radio operations, which were renamed Lincoln Financial Media. The group owns 14 radio stations in...
, but operated by Big League Broadcasting under an LMA
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...
. WQXI is the flagship station of the Georgia Tech
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
Yellow Jackets
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
The Yellow Jackets is the name used for all of the intercollegiate athletic teams that play for the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. The teams have also been nicknamed the Ramblin' Wreck, Engineers, Blacksmiths, and Golden Tornado. There are 8 men's and 7 women's teams that...
and is the AM radio flagship of the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The station broadcasts the syndicated Yahoo! Sports Radio during the overnight hours.
WQXI is broadcast in HD Radio
HD Radio
HD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...
on WSTR-FM's HD3 subchannel. WQXI's audio is also broadcast on Channel 18 of the Georgia Tech Cable Network
Georgia Tech Cable Network
The Georgia Tech Cable Network is the on-campus television provider of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1995, GTCN serves the on-campus buildings, especially Georgia Tech Housing.-Content:...
.
WQXI was the inspiration for the television sitcom 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...
. Series creator Hugh Wilson dealt with the station when he worked in advertising. WKRP episodes which included dropping turkeys from a helicopter and the "dancing ducks promotion," with ducks dancing on hot plates, were actually done by Jerry Blum at WQXI. Blum leased an 18-wheeler and tossed hundreds of live turkeys from a suburban Atlanta shopping center.