WIOQ

The Federal Communications Commission granted WFIL Broadcasting Company a construction permit for a new FM station on February 4, 1941.[4] The station signed on for the first time with the call sign W53PH on February 10, 1942, broadcasting at 45.3 MHz[1] on the original FM band, which covered 42 to 50 MHz. The station mostly simulcast the programming of its AM sister station 560 WFIL. The FCC granted the station its first license on September 9, 1942.[4] On November 1, 1943, the station was assigned the WFIL-FM call sign.[1] After the FCC created the current FM band on June 27, 1945,[5] the FCC granted temporary authority for operation on 99.9 MHz beginning on December 29, 1945.[4]

The station's license was voluntarily assigned to Triangle Publications, Inc., The Philadelphia Inquirer Division, effective March 1, 1946. The FCC issued a construction permit on June 10, 1946 for permanent operation on 99.9 MHz. However, on June 27, 1947, the FCC reallocated the station to 102.1 MHz and authorized temporary operation on the new frequency. On February 5, 1948, the FCC granted Triangle Publications permission for the station to cease broadcasting on 45.3 MHz. A new construction permit was issued by the FCC for permanent operation on 102.1 MHz on September 29, 1948, followed by a new license on January 4, 1950.[4]

On July 10, 1968, WFIL-FM switched away from classical music to an early version of a soft adult contemporary format. Known as "Popular 102," the station featured softer pop music of the day with a mix of currents, oldies and instrumentals. Each hour included a track from a featured album of the week, and voices on the station were pre-recorded announcements and news from the staff at sister station WFIL, including Jay Cook, J.J. Jeffrey, Tommy Tyler and news from Allen Stone and Glenn Barton.

WFIL-FM's early logo

The station promoted itself as playing "The Nicest Music for the Nicest People." This format continued through May 1971, when Triangle Publications decided to sell its Philadelphia broadcasting stations.[6]

In 1971, Triangle Publications sold WFIL-AM-FM-TV to Capital Cities Broadcasting (later Capital Cities Communications). In turn, WFIL-FM 102.1 was spun off to Richer Communications in May 1971. The call letters were changed to WIOQ representing the script version of IOQ in relation to the frequency of 102. The familiar jingle of Popular 102 was also changed to W102. Initially, the familiar PAMS jingles were updated to reflect the new call letters and the station continued as before. By 1972, the station's imaging changed to Stereo Island which trended even softer than the station had been, but added live DJs while the music rotated on an IGM automation unit.

W-102 Stereo Island Logo

Air staff at this time included Jeff Dean, Lee Meredith, Art Andrews, Alan Drew (Frio), Jere Sullivan, and Jay Mathieu, with Dave Klahr continuing as program director. After a year or so in this format, the station brought back the Popular 102 moniker and started playing a slightly more uptempo mix of pop tunes. When Dave Klahr left, Roy Laurence was hired as program director and the station's mix, which by then had become Top 40-based with a more adult presentation than its former AM sister, gradually became more rock-oriented, and by about 1975 WIOQ had a progressive rock format. Around this time the station began using an extract from the album Intergalactic Trot by Stardrive as the music bed for hourly station IDs. It would remain WIOQ's audio signature for over a decade.

Early Q102 logo with the "Musicradio" slogan

The station also started using the moniker "Q102" during that time. For a time in the mid-'70s, the station affiliated with ABC's "American FM Radio Network" in order to air some programs hosted by then-hip Geraldo Rivera. That contract also forced the station to air the network's ABC news at :15 past the hour, as its competition was playing music. The station had trouble competing with established FM rock leader WMMR and aggressive AOR upstart WYSP. Programming duties were split between Alex DeMers and Bill Fantini, with DJs Jim Harlan, John Harvey, and Bill Paul rounding out the full-time air staff. After a few years, the owner (by then listed as Que Broadcasting, Inc.) declared bankruptcy. WIOQ emerged from the bankruptcy under the ownership of The Outlet Company, a retail and broadcasting firm based in Providence, Rhode Island.

Under Outlet, WIOQ evolved into an eclectic music format often described as "adult rock". The station played a blend of softer songs heard on rock music stations, some deeper album cuts, a few top 40 crossover hits, and a bit of uptempo jazz. Leading air personalities on WIOQ in this era included John Harvey ("Harvey in the Morning"), Helen Leicht who hosted a show called "Breakfast With The Beatles" on Sunday mornings, David Dye, Ed Sciaky and Michael Tozzi. (Leicht and Dye are now the midday DJs for the adult alternative public station WXPN. The former continues her "Leight Lunch" program at noon, and Dye is the producer and host of the nationally distributed World Cafe.) After a proposed sale of Outlet's broadcast properties to Coca-Cola's Columbia Pictures subsidiary around 1982 fell through, the station group was acquired by Wesray Capital Corporation, a corporation partially owned by former Treasury Secretary William E. Simon.

After years of low to moderate ratings, on November 10, 1987, at 6 a.m., adult rock was dropped in favor of an oldies format, playing the hits of 1955-1973 and positioning the station as "Solid Gold 102".[7] Harvey Holiday, formerly of WDAS-FM, hosted the station's morning show.

Late in 1988, WIOQ was sold to EZ Communications. On January 18, 1989, at 7:18 a.m., the station dropped oldies and switched to a Rhythmic/Dance-leaning Top 40 format, branded as "Q102." The first song under the new format was "Let's Go Crazy" by Prince and The Revolution.[8]

The station consistently leaned toward dance and urban material, but played varying amounts of rock and AC crossover songs, changing according to chart trends and competitive conditions. In 1994, urban rival WUSL was bought by EZ, forming a sales and demographic combo where WUSL targeted African-American listeners, while WIOQ targeted more of a Caucasian and Latino audience. In 1996, EZ merged with American Radio Systems. To satisfy ownership limits (as well as taking advantage of a larger advertising market), WIOQ and WUSL were traded to Evergreen Media (owner of WJJZ), with EZ receiving Evergreen's Charlotte stations in return. In February 1997, Evergreen and Chancellor Media merged. After the Chancellor acquisition, WIOQ became co-owned with 104.5 FM (now WRFF), WDAS, WDAS-FM, WUSL, and WJJZ (now WISX).

By early 1998, the station evolved to Mainstream CHR with a slight dance and rhythmic lean. There were a few rumors that Q102 would adopt a rhythmic oldies format in 1999, along with reports that WDAS-FM would possibly become one as well, but neither happened, as WXXM (now WBEN-FM) flipped to the format in May of that year.

As a result of a large merger in 2000, WIOQ and the other stations in its cluster became properties of Clear Channel Communications (now iHeartMedia). Q102 remains a successful mainstream Top 40 radio station.

Elvis Duran & The Q102 Morning Show is the flagship for Q102
Middays is hosted by New Jersey native, Rach
Buster is Q102's Afternoon Show Host and Program Director. Buster is known to Philadelphia's audience from his time at longtime rival station, Wired 96.5 (now WTDY)
Q102 Tonight w/ Eliott took-over Nights in 2019

In addition to weekend shifts from Q full time talent...
Raph, (Q Nights 2014-2019, now at KIIS in LA) hosts Sunday Afternoons
Rocco, hosts Saturday Night Wired (mixshow)

Syndicated programs heard on Q102 include the iHeartRadio Countdown on Sunday mornings, and On The Move with Enrique Santos on Sunday nights.

Friday Night Free 4 All (Fri 10p-3a)
DJs: Ghost, Scooter, Jaime Ferreira, and Goofy White Kid
Host: Eliott
Saturday Night Wired (Sat 7p-12a)
DJs: Bonics, XTina, N9ne, and Goofy White Kid
Host: Rocco
Club Kane (Sun 7p-10p)
DJ: Dirty Elbows
Host: Kane