WRCQ
Encyclopedia
WRCQ is a radio station
broadcasting an Active Rock
music format. Licensed to Dunn, North Carolina
, USA, it serves the Fayetteville area. The station is currently owned by Cumulus Media
.
, helped start WQTI, which played easy listening
music. In 1976, Robie Butler and his mother, Mrs. Walton Baggett, sold WQTI to Rev. Gardner Altman and his son, Gardner Altman, Jr. The elder Altman would later own several Fayetteville-area stations, including WFLB
and WFAI
. The Gardners sold WQTI to William Belche, which complemented his AM daytimer, a Gospel and Urban Contemporary station licensed to Fayetteville.
William Belche Sr. changed the letters from WQTI to WIDO ("D-103") in 1982. In 1985, Belche sold WIDO to Maurie Webster and Dean Landsman, who changed the letters to WDKS. The studios and transmitter were in Dunn, but sales and management offices were in Fayetteville in 1989. The format was urban contemporary
. Landsman had been the Program Consultant to Belche's stations. Upon taking over the FM, the sales tripled in the first year, and the station went on to score the highest Arbitron ratings in market history.
Metropolitan Broadcasting of North Carolina Inc., a partnership of real estate
developers, bought WDKS in 1989 for $2 million from Landsman Media of New York City
, which had already applied for a power increase from 3000 watts to 50,000 and a frequency change from 103.1 to 103.5.
Late in 1989, WDKS increased its power, changed to the letters WRCQ, and began playing classic rock
. WRCQ aired the same programming as WZNS
briefly in 1993.
Metropolitan Broadcasting sold WRCQ to Kinetic Communications Inc. of Florida, in a $2.8 million deal announced in 1994, to focus on real estate. The new owners focused more on new artists and less on the classics. As general manager Howard Johnson explained it, "It was sitting here next to a military base with all these men, and this station wasn't doing well. ... My station is doing well. The station is profitable."
In March 1997, WRCQ added Howard Stern
. Former morning hosts Mad Max, Bogie and Matt Patrick moved to afternoons.
In 1998, Cape Fear Broadcasting, owner of three area stations, announced its purchase of WRCQ, which was describing its format as modern rock
.
In 1999, Cape Fear Broadcasting announced the sale of its stations to Cumulus. This sale was challenged by Ocean Broadcasting of Wilmington, North Carolina
because it would give Cumulus 6 FMs and an AM in Wilmington, and about 55 percent of market revenue. Even before Cumulus owned WRCQ, Stern was dropped December 31, 1999 first for music and then Lex and Terry
. The sale was completed in May 2001 and when WFNC stopped doing daily editorial
s, WRCQ was one of the stations that aired taped editorials instead.
John Boy and Billy
replaced Lex and Terry when WKQB, also purchased by Cumulus, dropped classic rock in 2002.
Weekend programming includes a Saturday morning replay of John Boy and Billy, The House of Hair w/ Dee Snider, Harddrive w/ Lou Brutus, and a local rock show entitled HomeGrown.
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...
broadcasting an Active Rock
Active rock
Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across the United States and Canada. Active rock plays contemporary rock artists with a mix of songs common in the classic rock radio format.-Format background:...
music format. Licensed to Dunn, North Carolina
Dunn, North Carolina
Dunn is a city in Harnett County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 9,196 at the 2000 census.It is the birthplace of early an rock and roll guitar player, Link Wray, and General William C. Lee, father of the American Army Airborne. The city's slogan is "It's all right here." The...
, USA, it serves the Fayetteville area. The station is currently owned by 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...
.
History
Lincoln "Uncle Linc" Faulk, a longtime general manager and announcer at WCKBWCKB
WCKB, 780 AM, is a radio station in Dunn, North Carolina. It has a Southern gospel music format.The locally-owned outlet airs church services and other related programming on Sundays in addition to the musical shows....
, helped start WQTI, which played easy listening
Easy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
music. In 1976, Robie Butler and his mother, Mrs. Walton Baggett, sold WQTI to Rev. Gardner Altman and his son, Gardner Altman, Jr. The elder Altman would later own several Fayetteville-area stations, including WFLB
WAZZ
WAZZ is an adult standards radio station in Fayetteville, North Carolina, owned by Beasley Broadcast Group, playing "Radio the way it WAZZ".-Programming:...
and WFAI
WFAY
WFAY is a radio station licensed to serve Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA. The station is owned by CRS Radio Holdings Inc. WFAY broadcasts a Sports radio format that serves the Fayetteville area.-History:WFAI signed on in 1947....
. The Gardners sold WQTI to William Belche, which complemented his AM daytimer, a Gospel and Urban Contemporary station licensed to Fayetteville.
William Belche Sr. changed the letters from WQTI to WIDO ("D-103") in 1982. In 1985, Belche sold WIDO to Maurie Webster and Dean Landsman, who changed the letters to WDKS. The studios and transmitter were in Dunn, but sales and management offices were in Fayetteville in 1989. The format was urban contemporary
Urban contemporary
Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music...
. Landsman had been the Program Consultant to Belche's stations. Upon taking over the FM, the sales tripled in the first year, and the station went on to score the highest Arbitron ratings in market history.
Metropolitan Broadcasting of North Carolina Inc., a partnership of real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
developers, bought WDKS in 1989 for $2 million from Landsman Media of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, which had already applied for a power increase from 3000 watts to 50,000 and a frequency change from 103.1 to 103.5.
Late in 1989, WDKS increased its power, changed to the letters WRCQ, and began playing classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
. WRCQ aired the same programming as WZNS
WZNS
WZNS is a radio station serving the Fort Walton Beach, Florida area with a contemporary hit radio format. This station broadcasts on FM frequency 96.5 MHz and is under ownership of Cumulus Media.-External links:*...
briefly in 1993.
Metropolitan Broadcasting sold WRCQ to Kinetic Communications Inc. of Florida, in a $2.8 million deal announced in 1994, to focus on real estate. The new owners focused more on new artists and less on the classics. As general manager Howard Johnson explained it, "It was sitting here next to a military base with all these men, and this station wasn't doing well. ... My station is doing well. The station is profitable."
In March 1997, WRCQ added Howard Stern
Howard Stern
Howard Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
. Former morning hosts Mad Max, Bogie and Matt Patrick moved to afternoons.
In 1998, Cape Fear Broadcasting, owner of three area stations, announced its purchase of WRCQ, which was describing its format as modern rock
Modern rock
Modern rock is a rock format commonly found on commercial radio; the format consists primarily of the alternative rock genre...
.
In 1999, Cape Fear Broadcasting announced the sale of its stations to Cumulus. This sale was challenged by Ocean Broadcasting of Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
because it would give Cumulus 6 FMs and an AM in Wilmington, and about 55 percent of market revenue. Even before Cumulus owned WRCQ, Stern was dropped December 31, 1999 first for music and then Lex and Terry
Lex and Terry
Lex and Terry is a syndicated morning radio hosted by Lex Staley and Terry Jaymes. Currently based in Dallas, Texas, the show is distributed by United Stations Radio Networks. It is heard during weekday mornings on 30 radio stations in the U.S. and on XM 165....
. The sale was completed in May 2001 and when WFNC stopped doing daily editorial
Editorial
An opinion piece is an article, published in a newspaper or magazine, that mainly reflects the author's opinion about the subject. Opinion pieces are featured in many periodicals.-Editorials:...
s, WRCQ was one of the stations that aired taped editorials instead.
John Boy and Billy
John Boy and Billy
John Isley and Billy James, known as John Boy & Billy, named after "John-Boy Harris and brother Bross Harris", are American radio hosts based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Their comedic morning program The John Boy & Billy Big Show broadcasts from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m...
replaced Lex and Terry when WKQB, also purchased by Cumulus, dropped classic rock in 2002.
Weekend programming includes a Saturday morning replay of John Boy and Billy, The House of Hair w/ Dee Snider, Harddrive w/ Lou Brutus, and a local rock show entitled HomeGrown.