WBBQ-FM (104.3

MHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose expression in terms of SI base units is s−1, meaning that one he ...

) is a

commercial Commercial may refer to: * a dose of advertising conveyed through media (such as - for example - radio or television) ** Radio advertisement ** Television advertisement * (adjective for:) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and s ...

radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio ...

Augusta, Georgia Augusta ( ), officially Augusta–Richmond County, is a consolidated city-county on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The city lies across the Savannah River from South Carolina at the head of its navig ...

. It carries an

adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...

radio format A radio format or programming format (not to be confused with broadcast programming) describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. The radio format emerged mainly in the United States in the 1950s, at a time when Radio broadcasting, ...

and is owned by

iHeartMedia, Inc. iHeartMedia, Inc., formerly CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc. (formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc.), a company fou ...

For much of November and December, WBBQ-FM switches to

Christmas music Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music regularly performed or heard around the Christmas season. Music associated with Christmas may be purely instrumental, or, in the case of carols or songs, may employ lyrics whose subject ma ...

. The

radio studio A recording studio is a specialized facility for sound recording, mixing, and audio production of instrumental or vocal musical performances, spoken words, and other sounds. They range in size from a small in-home project studio large enoug ...

s and offices are located at the Augusta Corporate Center on Perimeter Parkway, near the

I-20 Interstate 20 (I‑20) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. I-20 runs beginning at an interchange with I-10 in Scroggins Draw, Texas, and ending at an interchange with I-95 in Florence, South Carolina. Between ...

I-520 Interstate 520 (I-520) is a auxiliary Interstate Highway that encircles most of Augusta, Georgia, and North Augusta, South Carolina, as a three-quarter beltway around the western, southern, and eastern parts of the main part of the August ...

interchange in Augusta. WBBQ-FM has an

effective radiated power Effective radiated power (ERP), synonymous with equivalent radiated power, is an IEEE standardized definition of directional radio frequency (RF) power, such as that emitted by a radio transmitter. It is the total power in watts that would hav ...

(ERP) of 80,000

watt The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. The watt is named after James Wa ...

s. The transmitter is off Pine Log Road near Williston Road (U.S. Route 278 in South Carolina, U.S. Route 278) in Beech Island, South Carolina.

Station history

In 1958, WBBQ-FM sign-on, signed on as the sister station to WBBQ 1340 AM (now WYNF). The two stations simulcast their programming through the 1960s and 70s. Both stations switched to Top 40 hits under the guidance of Edward H. Dunbar beginning in the early 1960s. WBBQ-AM-FM was the #1 station in the Augusta market for over 35 years. In addition, the station had a top-notch news department. Both WBBQ AM and WBBQ FM were owned by George Weiss under his company, Savannah Valley Broadcasting. In August 1994, the new station manager Birnie Florie (a former news reporter and salesman) ordered that WBBQ swap formats with newly acquired sister FM WLUB, WZNY. WBBQ became an adult contemporary station and WZNY switched to Top 40. In 1997, Weiss donated WBBQ and WZNY to the Medical College of Georgia shortly before he died due to cancer. MCG, in turn, sold the stations to Cumulus Broadcasting for $14 million. The money was used to establish the Weiss Endowment for Research for cancer research. Cumulus sold WBBQ in 2000 to Clear Channel Communications (now known as iHeartMedia). After spending more than 20 years as an Adult Contemporary-formatted station, WBBQ in the early 2000s began leaning more Hot AC in its musical style. Instituted under previous program director and music director Cliff Bennett, the station started dropping slower songs more commonly found on AC stations and focused more on upbeat, uptempo music with a hard lean towards 2000s and 2010s hit music. The station still avoids hip-hop and most electronic music more commonly found now on Top 40/CHR stations but has positioned itself against variety-formatted, now 80s-formatted WDRR and Top 40/CHR WHHD.

Current station lineup

Due to layoffs imposed in 2020 by parent company iHeartMedia, the station no longer has any local on-air talent and is now programmed using national iHeart talent through voicetracking and radio syndication. Monday through Saturday mornings, the Premiere Networks syndicated wake up show, ''Murphy, Sam & Jodi'' is carried. Weekday evenings, the call-in and request show ''Delilah Rene, Delilah'', also from Premiere Networks, is heard. Weekdays: * 12am-5am: Theresa Lucas * 5am-9am: Murphy, Sam & Jodi * 9am-2pm: Jana * 2pm-7pm: Jeff Stevens * 7pm-12m: Delilah Rene, Delilah Saturdays: * 12am-6am: Brett Andrews * 6am-10am: Murphy, Sam & Jodi * 10am-3pm: Jana * 3pm-7pm: Jack Kratoville * 7pm-12am: Madison Sundays: * 12am-6am: Theresa Lucas * 6am-10am: Jeff Stevens * 10am-3pm: Madison * 3pm-7pm: Jack Kratoville * 7pm-12am: Brett Andrews

References

External links

* {{Navboxes , list1= {{Augusta Radio {{Adult Contemporary Radio Stations in Georgia {{IHeartMedia HD Radio stations Radio stations in Augusta, Georgia, BBQ-FM Radio stations established in 1958 IHeartMedia radio stations 1958 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)

Station history

Current station lineup

See also

References

External links