WQMZ

WQMZ is an Adult Contemporary formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Charlottesville, Virginia, serving Charlottesville and Albemarle County, Virginia. WQMZ is owned and operated by Saga Communications.[2]

WQMZ
CityCharlottesville, Virginia
Broadcast areaCharlottesville, Virginia
Albemarle County, Virginia
Branding"Z95.1"
Slogan"Today’s Variety"
Frequency95.1 MHz (HD Radio)
First air dateOctober 1954
FormatAdult Contemporary
Power6,000 Watts
HAAT99 meters (325 ft)
ClassA
Facility ID10653
Transmitter coordinates38°2′54.0″N 78°28′12.0″W
Former call signsWINA-FM (1954–1971)
WQMC (1971–1987)[1]
Former frequencies95.3 MHz (1954–1988)
OwnerSaga Communications
(Tidewater Communications, LLC)
Sister stationsWCNR, WINA, WVAX, WWWV
Websitez951.com

History
Further information: WINA

Charlottesville Broadcasting Corporation signed on WINA-FM as the city's first FM radio station in October 1954.[3] The station began on 95.3 MHz and was a 24-hour relay of co-owned WINA's full service programming and middle-of-the-road music.

In the late 1960s, the Federal Communications Commission began scrutinizing the practice of a co-owned AM-FM pair broadcasting a common programming day. In 1964, such simulcasting was limited to half of the broadcast day. WINA-FM was initially exempt because the rule only applied to markets with a population of over 100,000.[4] However, when Charlottesville Broadcasting was sold to new owner Laurence G. Richardson in 1969, the FCC made adherence to the programming separation rule a condition of the sale.[5]

Accordingly, on March 15, 1971, the station flipped to a new format broadly described as light adult contemporary. At the time, this was closer to what is now considered easy listening: soft pop music, standards, show tunes, and an evening block of light music.[5] This was followed in May by a callsign change to WQMC. Simulcasting with WINA continued during morning drive until 1984. [6]

The station adopted the current WQMZ callsign in December 1987, and moved to 95.1 MHz in order to proceed with a power upgrade the following year.[7]

WQMZ is currently owned by Saga Communications. Saga purchased WQMZ, WINA and WWWV from Eure Communications, which merged with Charlottesville Broadcasting in 1998.

References
  1. "FCC History Card for WQMZ".
  2. "WQMZ Facility Record". Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  3. http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/2010/D4-2010-BC-YB-7.pdf
  4. Lasar, Matthew (3 November 2015). "1965: the year the FCC helped FM radio take off". Radio Survivor.
  5. Staff (April 19, 1971). "Changing formats" (PDF). Broadcasting. p. 27.
  6. Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1984 (PDF). p. B-265. -- First year listed as programmed separately from AM.
  7. "Call letter applications" (PDF). Broadcasting. May 24, 1971. p. 74.

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