WTQR
Encyclopedia
WTQR is a country music
station licensed to Winston-Salem, North Carolina
and serves the Piedmont Triad
region, including Greensboro
and High Point
. The Clear Channel Communications
outlet broadcasts at 104.1 MHz with an ERP of 100 kW. They are one of three Country music outlets in the market; WPAW and WBRF
are the others.
AM
.
WSJS-FM played classical
and semi-classical music
after the owners of WAAA purchased WYFS
, and offered an Easy listening
format until 1974.
WSJS-AM, WSJS-FM and WSJS-TV had been owned by Piedmont Publishing, owners of The Winston-Salem Journal and The Twin City Sentinel
, Winston-Salem's two newspapers, until 1969. Gordon Gray, who had owned the newspapers and the broadcast stations, wanted to sell the FM station. However, Roger Stockton believed in the future of FM while most people did not. Stockton spent 22 years at WSJS and WTQR, starting by selling commercials, and was WSJS sales manager by 1969. WSJS was number one in the Triad, and manangement feared losing that status if the FM became popular. Curly Howard
of WKBX
told Stockton he should do country on FM, and Summit Communications president Lee Wallenhaupt and executive vice president Richard Barron supported letting Stockton take the FM station in a new direction. For one thing, country music was changing from a "twangy" sound to one based on orchestras. Stockton sold national advertising but aired it for free at first, charging advertisers once the station proved itself. By 1976, WTQR was number one in the market, though WSJS held on to the top spot among AMs. Stockton became vice president and general manager of the radio stations in 1979, staying until the stations were sold.
In January 1987, Summit Communications Inc. was in the process of selling WSJS-AM and WTQR.
In Fall 1989, WTQR was still number one as usual in the Arbitron
ratings, but not by as large a margin as before.
Dale Mitchell and Aunt Eloise (revealed in 2008 to be Toby Young), morning hosts on WTQR for three years, were nominated for Country Music Association
Broadcast Personality of the Year in 1990. Before discussing "everything from politics to 'possums" they would bang pots and pans. Billy Buck was Aunt Eloise's partner before moving to WBIG
. "Big Paul" Franklin and Aunt Eloise, who teamed up in 1994, won the CMA Morning Show of the Year award (large markets) in 1997, and WTQR won Station of the Year (large markets) in 1998 and 2002. In March 1998, Big Paul and Aunt Eloise began airing their show on WSOC-FM
in Charlotte, North Carolina
. some shows were done from Winston-Salem, and some from Charlotte. The pairing lasted less than a year. Big Paul, whose real name was Paul Fuller Jr., died in a motorcycle crash May 16, 2002 on Highway 64
outside Asheboro, North Carolina
. "Brother Bill" Dotson and Aunt Eloise were nominated for a CMA award in 2005. Aunt Eloise was let go in 2008, replaced by Jeff Roper and Angie Ward, who were nominated for Academy of Country Music
and Country Music Association broadcast personalities of the year (large markets) in 2009. Jeff Roper in the Morning has successfully brought WTQR's audience back into the mainstream and led WTQR to beat local competitors and a nomination for 2009 CMA Radio station of the year.
NewMarket Media Corp. sold WSJS and WTQR to Radio Equity Partners of Norwalk, Connecticut
, in a deal completed in April 1994 and worth in excess of $100 million, as the Connecticut company expanded into the Southeast, looking for the best stations possible. Later in 1994, Radio Equity Partners also bought WNEU
, switching that station from country to modern rock
. Clear Channel bought WSJS, WTQR and WSML
. That company's purchase of AMFM Inc. added WMFR
, WMAG
and the market's other country radio station, WHSL
, in 2000, though Clear Channel sold WMFR, WSJS, and WSML to Infinity Broadcasting
. At the end of 2000, WHSL and WXRA traded frequencies, and WXRA became WWCC, a more classic-leaning station than WTQR; that station changed from country early in 2003. Also at the end of 2000, WTQR moved from Winston-Salem to Greensboro, the last commercial FM to do so.
In Spring 1995, although still number one with all listeners 12 and over, WTQR lost to WKZL
among listeners ages 25 to 54 in the morning. A year later, WKZL did it again, this time also winning with the same age group for all daytime hours. In Fall 1996, WTQR lost to WQMG
among the 25-to-54 audience. WTQR finally lost its top position (to WJMH
) among all listeners in Fall 1998, for the first time since Greensboro
, High Point
and Winston-Salem became one market in the 1970s. In Spring 2008, WTQR was no longer the number one country station among all listeners, having been replaced by WPAW, which went country in October 2006.
On August 5, 2011 at exactly 1:04 PM EST
, WTQR relaunched as Q104.1, with the commitment to play more contemporary country music. The station had been "under construction" for most of the summer, and a relaunch/rebranding had been in the works.
NEXTEL Cup Series/Sprint Cup Series racing, carrying MRN
programs.
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...
station licensed to Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to...
and serves the Piedmont Triad
Piedmont Triad
The Piedmont Triad, or Triad, is a north-central region of the U.S. state of North Carolina that consists of the area within and surrounding the three major cities of Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and High Point. This close group or "triad" of cities lies in the Piedmont geographical region of the...
region, including Greensboro
Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...
and High Point
High Point, North Carolina
High Point is a city located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina. As of 2010 the city had a total population of 104,371, according to the US Census Bureau. High Point is currently the eighth-largest municipality in North Carolina....
. The 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...
outlet broadcasts at 104.1 MHz with an ERP of 100 kW. They are one of three Country music outlets in the market; WPAW and WBRF
WBRF
WBRF is a Classic Country/Bluegrass/Americana formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Galax, Virginia.WBRF's powerful signal covers the Piedmont Triad area of North Carolina, along with the New River Valley area of Virginia, and the Bluefield-Beckley area of West Virginia...
are the others.
History
By 1958 WSJS-FM moved to its current frequency and became the sister station to WSJS-TV &WXII-TV
WXII-TV is the NBC television station licensed for the Greensboro–High Point–Winston-Salem, North Carolina designated market area with Parts of SWVA. It is licensed to Winston-Salem and is currently owned by the Hearst Corporation. Its transmitter is located on Sauratown Mountain in...
AM
WSJS
WSJS is a radio station based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina that broadcasts at 600 AM. It has a news/talk radio format and its slogan is "The Triad's News Radio", where "Triad" refers to the Piedmont Triad.-Programming:...
.
WSJS-FM played classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
and semi-classical music
Beautiful music
Beautiful music is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in American radio from the 1960s through the 1980s...
after the owners of WAAA purchased WYFS
WKZL
WKZL is a [Bottom 40 Mainstream|Mainstream Top 40]] station licensed to Winston-Salem, North Carolina and serves the Piedmont Triad area, which also includes Greensboro and High Point...
, and offered an 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...
format until 1974.
WSJS-AM, WSJS-FM and WSJS-TV had been owned by Piedmont Publishing, owners of The Winston-Salem Journal and The Twin City Sentinel
Twin City Sentinel
The Twin-City Sentinel was the name of the afternoon newspaper published in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The Sentinel's masthead was dropped in 1985 when operations were absorbed into its sister paper, the morning Winston-Salem Journal....
, Winston-Salem's two newspapers, until 1969. Gordon Gray, who had owned the newspapers and the broadcast stations, wanted to sell the FM station. However, Roger Stockton believed in the future of FM while most people did not. Stockton spent 22 years at WSJS and WTQR, starting by selling commercials, and was WSJS sales manager by 1969. WSJS was number one in the Triad, and manangement feared losing that status if the FM became popular. Curly Howard
Curly Howard (DJ)
Howard Sisk , known on the air as Curly Howard, was a disc jockey on several North Carolina radio stations....
of WKBX
WSMX
WSMX is a radio station broadcasting a Religious format. Licensed to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA. The station is currently owned by Gospel Media, Inc..-History:...
told Stockton he should do country on FM, and Summit Communications president Lee Wallenhaupt and executive vice president Richard Barron supported letting Stockton take the FM station in a new direction. For one thing, country music was changing from a "twangy" sound to one based on orchestras. Stockton sold national advertising but aired it for free at first, charging advertisers once the station proved itself. By 1976, WTQR was number one in the market, though WSJS held on to the top spot among AMs. Stockton became vice president and general manager of the radio stations in 1979, staying until the stations were sold.
In January 1987, Summit Communications Inc. was in the process of selling WSJS-AM and WTQR.
In Fall 1989, WTQR was still number one as usual in the Arbitron
Arbitron
Arbitron is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio audiences. It was founded as American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by merging with L.A. based Coffin, Cooper and Clay in the early 1950s...
ratings, but not by as large a margin as before.
Dale Mitchell and Aunt Eloise (revealed in 2008 to be Toby Young), morning hosts on WTQR for three years, were nominated for Country Music Association
Country Music Association
The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
Broadcast Personality of the Year in 1990. Before discussing "everything from politics to 'possums" they would bang pots and pans. Billy Buck was Aunt Eloise's partner before moving to WBIG
WJMH
WJMH is an Entercom-owned mainstream urban FM radio station serving the Piedmont Triad region. It broadcasts at 102.1 MHz with 100,000 watts of power and is licensed to serve Reidsville, North Carolina.-Early history :...
. "Big Paul" Franklin and Aunt Eloise, who teamed up in 1994, won the CMA Morning Show of the Year award (large markets) in 1997, and WTQR won Station of the Year (large markets) in 1998 and 2002. In March 1998, Big Paul and Aunt Eloise began airing their show on WSOC-FM
WSOC-FM
WSOC-FM 103.7 is a country radio station in Charlotte, North Carolina. The station is owned by New York City-based CBS Radio. Its primary competitor in the country format is 96.9 The Kat...
in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
. some shows were done from Winston-Salem, and some from Charlotte. The pairing lasted less than a year. Big Paul, whose real name was Paul Fuller Jr., died in a motorcycle crash May 16, 2002 on Highway 64
U.S. Route 64
U.S. Route 64 is an east–west United States highway that runs for 2,326 miles from eastern North Carolina to just southwest of the Four Corners in northeast Arizona. The western terminus is at U.S. Route 160 in Teec Nos Pos, Arizona. The highway's eastern terminus is at NC 12 and U.S. Route...
outside Asheboro, North Carolina
Asheboro, North Carolina
Asheboro is a city in Randolph County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 21,672 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Randolph County, and is the home of the state-owned North Carolina Zoo.-Geography:...
. "Brother Bill" Dotson and Aunt Eloise were nominated for a CMA award in 2005. Aunt Eloise was let go in 2008, replaced by Jeff Roper and Angie Ward, who were nominated for Academy of Country Music
Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
and Country Music Association broadcast personalities of the year (large markets) in 2009. Jeff Roper in the Morning has successfully brought WTQR's audience back into the mainstream and led WTQR to beat local competitors and a nomination for 2009 CMA Radio station of the year.
NewMarket Media Corp. sold WSJS and WTQR to Radio Equity Partners of Norwalk, Connecticut
Norwalk, Connecticut
Norwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the city is 85,603, making Norwalk sixth in population in Connecticut, and third in Fairfield County...
, in a deal completed in April 1994 and worth in excess of $100 million, as the Connecticut company expanded into the Southeast, looking for the best stations possible. Later in 1994, Radio Equity Partners also bought WNEU
WPTI
WRKA is a radio station broadcasting a Classic Country music format. Licensed to Louisville, Kentucky, USA, the station serves the greater Louisville area. The station is currently owned by Cox Radio, Inc.-History:...
, switching that station from country to modern rock
Modern rock
Modern rock is a rock format commonly found on commercial radio; the format consists primarily of the alternative rock genre...
. Clear Channel bought WSJS, WTQR and WSML
WSML
WSML is located in Graham, North Carolina and broadcasts at 1200 AM. The station is part of a sports trimulcast with WCOG from Greensboro and WMFR from High Point. The station is owned by Curtis Media Group. Studios are located in downtown Graham.-History:...
. That company's purchase of AMFM Inc. added WMFR
WMFR
WMFR is a radio station broadcasting a sports radio format. Licensed to High Point, North Carolina, USA, the station serves the Piedmont Triad area. The station is currently owned by Curtis Media Group and features programing from ESPN Radio.-History:WMFR signed on October 15, 1935 by the Lambeth...
, WMAG
WMAG
WMAG is an adult contemporary music formatted radio station licensed to High Point, North Carolina and serves the Piedmont Triad region, including Greensboro and Winston-Salem...
and the market's other country radio station, WHSL
WVBZ
WVBZ , known as "The Buzz", is an active rock radio station licensed to High Point, North Carolina, that serves the Piedmont Triad region, including Greensboro and Winston Salem. The Clear Channel Communications outlet broadcasts at 100.3 MHz with an ERP of 100 kW.-History:This station...
, in 2000, though Clear Channel sold WMFR, WSJS, and WSML to Infinity Broadcasting
CBS Radio
CBS Radio, Inc., formerly known as Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States, third behind main rival Clear Channel Communications and Cumulus Media. CBS Radio owns around 130 radio stations across the country...
. At the end of 2000, WHSL and WXRA traded frequencies, and WXRA became WWCC, a more classic-leaning station than WTQR; that station changed from country early in 2003. Also at the end of 2000, WTQR moved from Winston-Salem to Greensboro, the last commercial FM to do so.
In Spring 1995, although still number one with all listeners 12 and over, WTQR lost to WKZL
WKZL
WKZL is a [Bottom 40 Mainstream|Mainstream Top 40]] station licensed to Winston-Salem, North Carolina and serves the Piedmont Triad area, which also includes Greensboro and High Point...
among listeners ages 25 to 54 in the morning. A year later, WKZL did it again, this time also winning with the same age group for all daytime hours. In Fall 1996, WTQR lost to WQMG
WQMG
WQMG is an Urban Adult Contemporary station licensed to Greensboro, North Carolina and serves the Piedmont Triad region, which also includes High Point and Winston-Salem...
among the 25-to-54 audience. WTQR finally lost its top position (to WJMH
WJMH
WJMH is an Entercom-owned mainstream urban FM radio station serving the Piedmont Triad region. It broadcasts at 102.1 MHz with 100,000 watts of power and is licensed to serve Reidsville, North Carolina.-Early history :...
) among all listeners in Fall 1998, for the first time since Greensboro
Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...
, High Point
High Point, North Carolina
High Point is a city located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina. As of 2010 the city had a total population of 104,371, according to the US Census Bureau. High Point is currently the eighth-largest municipality in North Carolina....
and Winston-Salem became one market in the 1970s. In Spring 2008, WTQR was no longer the number one country station among all listeners, having been replaced by WPAW, which went country in October 2006.
On August 5, 2011 at exactly 1:04 PM EST
Eastern Standard Time
Eastern Standard Time may refer to:*North American Eastern Time Zone, UTC-5*Australian Eastern Standard Time, UTC+10*An album by Hip Hop group Kooley High...
, WTQR relaunched as Q104.1, with the commitment to play more contemporary country music. The station had been "under construction" for most of the summer, and a relaunch/rebranding had been in the works.
Sports programs
WTQR is a local affiliate for NASCARNASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
NEXTEL Cup Series/Sprint Cup Series racing, carrying MRN
Motor Racing Network
The Motor Racing Network is the principal radio broadcasting operation of NASCAR, promoting themselves as "The Voice of NASCAR." It broadcasts coverage of most major NASCAR races at the top three levels of NASCAR at tracks owned by International Speedway Corporation as well as Dover International...
programs.