WHDQ

Last updated

WHDQ
Broadcast area Lebanon-Hanover-White River Junction area
Frequency 106.1 MHz (HD Radio)
BrandingQ106
Programming
Format Classic rock
Subchannels
Ownership
OwnerGreat Eastern Radio, LLC
History
First air date
May 19, 1947 (1947-05-19)
Former call signs
  • WLOB (1947–1948)
  • WTSV-FM (1948–1972)
  • WECM (1972–1985)
Former frequencies
102.1 MHz (1947–1948)
Call sign meaning
Northern New England's Music Headquarters
Technical information [1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID 17798
Class B
ERP 1,600 watts
HAAT 685 meters (2,247 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
43°26′15.3″N72°27′6.3″W / 43.437583°N 72.451750°W / 43.437583; -72.451750
Translator See § Translators and booster
Repeater See § Translators and booster
Links
Public license information
Webcast Listen live
Website www.theqrocks.com

WHDQ (106.1 FM, "Q106") is a radio station broadcasting a classic rock format. Licensed to Claremont, New Hampshire, United States, the station serves the Lebanon-Rutland-White River Junction area. The station is owned by Jeffrey Shapiro's Great Eastern Radio. [2] The station's transmitter is located atop Mount Ascutney in Vermont. WHDQ's signal is also broadcast over a translator—W294AB (106.7 FM) in Hanover, New Hampshire—and a booster—WHDQ-FM1 in Rutland, Vermont.

Contents

History

The station that would become WHDQ first went on the air May 19, 1947, as WLOB at 102.1 MHz; [3] it was owned by the Claremont Daily Eagle. [4] In 1948, it became WTSV-FM, [4] an affiliate of the Granite State Network. The station used the call sign WECM from 1972 to 1985 while broadcasting from 106.1 FM and went under the names of "Stereo 106" and "M-106". During that time it simulcasted some shows on former Top 40/NBC Radio Network/CBS Radio Network station WTSV (1230 AM) and was located on Washington Street in Claremont, next to the AM radio tower.

Q106 has arguably one of the richest and most colorful histories of any radio station in northern New England. The station first went under both AOR and MOR formats from the early 1970s until 1983, when the station flipped to a Top 40/CHR format. For almost ten years in total beginning in 1983, it was the area's dominant CHR powerhouse as both WECM and WHDQ until March 1993 when the station dropped CHR and flipped back to AOR. Q106 was one of the first radio stations to carry the Imus in the Morning show, and one of the first stations to reinstate the show upon Don Imus' return to the airwaves in December 2007.

WHDQ, along with 29 other stations in northern New England formerly owned by Nassau Broadcasting Partners, was purchased at a bankruptcy auction by Carlisle Capital Corporation, a company controlled by Bill Binnie (owner of WBIN-TV in Derry), on May 22, 2012. The station, and 12 of the other stations, were then acquired by Vertical Capital Partners, controlled by Jeff Shapiro. [5] [6] The deal was completed on November 30, 2012. [7] The Vertical Capital Partners stations were transferred to Shapiro's existing Great Eastern Radio group on January 1, 2013. [8] [9]

Personalities

Past personnel

Translators and booster

WHDQ also broadcasts on the following translators and booster:

Call sign Frequency City of license FID ERP (W) HAAT Class Transmitter coordinatesFCC infoNotes
WHDQ-FM1106.1FM Rutland, Vermont 7666913688 m (2,257 ft)D 43°38′22.2″N72°50′10.3″W / 43.639500°N 72.836194°W / 43.639500; -72.836194 (WHDQ-FM1) LMS Booster
W294AB106.7FM Hanover, New Hampshire 177991479 m (259 ft)D 43°39′16.7″N72°17′39.9″W / 43.654639°N 72.294417°W / 43.654639; -72.294417 (W294AB) LMS Relays WHDQ-HD3

References

  1. "Facility Technical Data for WHDQ". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. "WHDQ Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  3. "Claremont Radio Station On the Air". Nashua Telegraph . Associated Press. May 20, 1947. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  4. 1 2 "WECM (WHDQ) history cards" (PDF). CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission . Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  5. "Carlisle Capital Corp. Wins Bidding For Rest Of Nassau Stations". All Access. May 22, 2012. Retrieved May 22, 2012.
  6. Venta, Lance (May 22, 2012). "Nassau Broadcasting Auction Results". RadioInsight. Retrieved May 24, 2012. (updated May 23, 2012)
  7. Kitch, Michael (December 1, 2012). "Binnie closes on purchase of WLNH". Laconia Daily Sun . Retrieved December 1, 2012.
  8. "APPLICATION FOR CONSENT TO ASSIGN BROADCAST STATION CONSTRUCTION PERMIT OR LICENSE OR TO TRANSFER CONTROL OF ENTITY HOLDING BROADCAST STATION CONSTRUCTION PERMIT OR LICENSE". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. December 11, 2012. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
  9. "Consummation Notice". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. January 4, 2013. Retrieved June 8, 2013.