WTQR

Infobox Radio station
name = WTQR


city = Winston-Salem, North Carolina
area = Piedmont Triad
branding =
slogan = TQR Country
airdate =
frequency = 104.1 MHz
format = Country
power = 100,000 Watts
haat = 443 meters
class = C
facility_id = 58392
coordinates = coord|36|22|28|N|80|22|31|W|type:landmark
callsign_meaning =
former_callsigns =
owner = Clear Channel Communications
licensee =
sister_stations = WGBT, WMAG, WMKS, WVBZ
webcast =
website = http://www.wtqr.com
affiliations = Motor Racing Network

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. Its current slogan is "Today's Best Country And Your All-Time Favorites." They are now one of three Country music outlets in the market, WPAW and WIST-FM are the others.

History

By 1958 WSJS-FM moved to its current frequency and became the sister station to WSJS-TV & AM and offered an Easy listening format until 1974Fact|date=August 2008.

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 [Roger Moore, "WSJS, City's First Radio Station Was Born and Raised in the Journal Newsroom," "Winston-Salem Journal", April 3, 1997.] . 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 the top spot among AMs. Stockton became vice president and general manager of the radio stations in 1979, staying until the stations were sold ["Retired Radio Executive Turning Down the Volume," "Greensboro News & Record", June 3, 2007.] [Joe DePriest, "Back on the Air Just Like Family, Curly Howard Is There to Chat Every Morning," "The Charlotte Observer", July 15, 1992.] .

In January 1987, Summit Communications Inc. was in the process of selling WSJS-AM and WTQR ["The Carolinas," "The Charlotte Observer", January 14, 1987.] .

In Fall 1989, WTQR was still number one as usual in the Arbitron ratings, but not by as large a margin as before [Andy Duncan, "WTQR Stays at Top, But Others Gaining," "Greensboro News & Record", January 26, 1990.] .

Dale Mitchell and Aunt Eloise (revealed in 2008 to be Toby YoungTim Clodfelter, "Aunt Eloise Is Out of WTQR Family, "Winston-Salem Journal", October 4, 2008.] ), 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 ["Two from WTQR in Contest Finals," "Greensboro News & Record", July 23, 1990.] . Billy Buck was Aunt Eloise's partner before moving to WBIG [Andy Duncan, "He's a Little Bit Country, and Billy Buck Plans to Stay That Way," "Greensboro News & Record", May 18, 1990.] . "Big Paul" Franklin and Aunt Eloise, who teamed up in 1994, won the CMA Morning Show of the Year award (large markets) in 1997 ["Local Radio Personalities Win Country Music Award," "Greensboro News & Record", August 21, 1997] , and WTQR won Station of the Year (large markets) in 1998 [Jeri Rowe, "WTQR Wins the Oscar of Country Music," "Greensboro News & Record", September 3, 1998.] and 2002 [Jamie Kritzer, "WTQR Named Country Station of the Year Again," "Greensboro News & Record" October 17, 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. [Dean Smith, "Country Radio Rivals Team Up on Hot Show," "The Charlotte Observer", February 22, 1998.] . The pairing lasted less than a year [Mark Washburn, "WSOC's Fall From Radio Grace: Top Dog to Underdog," "The Charlotte Observer", April 1, 2001.] . Big Paul, whose real name was Paul Fuller Jr., died in a motorcycle crash May 16, 2002 on Highway 64 outside Asheboro, North Carolina [Patrick Wilson, "WTQR-FM's 'Big Paul' Franklin Is Killed in Wreck," "Winston-Salem Journal", May 17, 2002.] . "Brother Bill" Dotson and Aunt Eloise were nominated for a CMA award in 2005 [Monica Young, "WTQR Show Earns Nomination for Country-Music Radio Award," "Winston-Salem Journal", September 22, 2005.] . Aunt Eloise was let go in 2008.

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 [Sheila Long, "Top Triad Radio Stations to Be Sold; WTQR and WSJS Won't Change Formats," "Greensboro News & Record", December 29, 1993.] . Later in 1994, Radio Equity Partners also bought WNEU, switching that station from country to modern rock [Mark Folk, "Ex-Country Station Ready to Rock 'n' Roll," "Greensboro News & Record", September 23, 1994] . Clear Channel bought WSJS, WTQR and WSML [Jeri Rowe, "Radio Personality Lands at WSJS," "Greensboro News & Record", August 13, 1998.] . 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 [Melissa Midgett, "Three Local Radio Stadions Sold," "Greensboro News & Record", March 7, 2000.] . At the end of 2000, WHSL and WXRA traded frequencies, and WXRA became WWCC, a more classic-leaning station than WTQR [Jeri Rowe, "Two Local Radio Stations to Trade Frequencies," "Greensboro News & Record", December 21, 2000.] ; that station changed from country early in 2003 ["94.5 FM Says Bye to Country Hi to the Beat," "Greensboro News & Record", March 27, 2003.] . Also at the end of 2000, WTQR moved from Winston-Salem to Greensboro, the last commercial FM to do so ["Country Comes to Gate City, Continuing Radio Trend," "Greensboro News & Record", December 28, 2000.] .

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 [Leigh Pressley, "The Eagle Glides to Ratings Summit," "Greensboro News & Record", August 5, 1995.] . A year later, WKZL did it again, this time also winning with the same age group for all daytime hours [Ethan Pines, "Radio Stations Scramble for Ratings Points," "Greensboro News & Record", August 20, 1996.] . In Fall 1996, WTQR lost to WQMG among the 25-to-54 audience [Jeri Rowe, "Changes on Radio Dial Pay Off in High Ratings," "Greensboro News & Record", February 1, 1997.] . 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 [Jeri Rowe, "Hip-Hopping 102 JAMZ Knocks Off WTQR," "Greensboro News & Record", February 18, 1999.] . In Spring 2008, WTQR was no longer the number one country station among all listeners, having been replaced by WPAW [http://www.radio-info.com/content/arbitron.php?market=045, Retrieved on 2008/08/21.] , which went country in October 2006 [Tim Clodfelter, "Greensboro's Oldies 93 Goes Country," "Winston-Salem Journal", October 5, 2006.] .

ports programs

WTQR is the local affiliate for NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series racing, carrying MRN programs.

References

External links

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