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WFRQ (93.5 FM) — branded as 93.5/94.7 Frank FM — is a
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 ...
licensed to
Harwich Port, Massachusetts Harwich Port (also spelled Harwichport) is a small seaside community and census-designated place (CDP) situated along Nantucket Sound in the town of Harwich in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. It is named after the port of Harwich i ...
. It serves the
Cape Cod Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of mainland Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer mont ...
market with an
classic hits Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes songs from the top 40 music charts from the late 1960s to the early 2000s, with music from the 1980s serving as the core of the format. Music that was popularized by MTV in the early 1980s ...
format Format may refer to: Printing and visual media * Text formatting, the typesetting of text elements * Paper formats, or paper size standards * Newspaper format, the size of the paper page Computing * File format, particular way that informatio ...
. The station is also heard on 102.9 WPXC-HD2 ( Hyannis) via
HD Radio HD Radio (HDR) is a trademark for an in-band on-channel (IBOC) digital radio broadcast technology. It generally simulcasts an existing analog radio station in digital format with less noise and with additional text information. HD Radio is used ...
and on 94.7 W234DP ( Hyannis), a translator for WPXC-HD2. Unlike other Frank FM stations launched in the 2000s, this Frank FM station was patterned after
Jack FM Jack FM is a radio network brand, licensed by Sparknet Communications, with the exception of the European Union where it is licensed by Oxis Media. It plays an adult hits radio format, format, in most cases not using disc jockey, DJs. Format c ...
at its 2006 launch. It currently concentrates on music from 1980 to 1999.


93.5 and 101.1 frequency history


1987-1993

WFAL (101.1) went on the air on February 12, 1987, under the ownership of Schooner Broadcasting, with principals Linda Baines and Brenda Westgate. WFXR (93.5) went on the air on May 18, 1989, with a satellite delivered soft rock format. In the fall of 1991, the owners of WFXR purchased WFAL. This deal was inked 2 days after a historic rule change by the Federal Communication Commission. The new rules allowed one entity to own two FM stations in the same market. This deal was the second in the nation to win FCC approval. In the fall of 1991, WFXR and WFAL began simulcasting. The stations were then known as "Fox Radio 93-5 and 101 FM" with a soft rock format focused heavily on '80s music. In 1993, the stations were sold to Omni Broadcasting (then owners of WCOD-FM). After stunting for a week with
Steve Miller Band The Steve Miller Band is an American rock music, rock band formed in 1966 in San Francisco, California. The band is led by Steve Miller (musician), Steve Miller on guitar and lead vocals. The group had a string of mid- to late-1970s hit singles t ...
's " Fly Like An Eagle", the format changed to
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...
as "Cape Country 93-5 and 101 FM." With the exception of its local morning show featuring Keith Lemire and Joe Rossetti, programming was provided by
Jones Radio Networks Jones Radio Networks & Jones Media Group were branches of Jones International before being sold to Triton Media Group. JRN and JMN provide local radio stations with satellite-delivered formats. They also offer other services to local radio such ...
’ "U.S. Country," (what is now "Mainstream Country" by
Westwood One Westwood One is an American radio network There are two types of radio network currently in use around the world: the one-to-many (simplex communication) broadcast network commonly used for public information and mass-media entertainment, and ...
) a live 24-hour satellite-delivered music format from Denver, Colorado.


1994-1997

Omni was soon sold to Paul Levesque. With the failure of country music to attract an audience, another format change was made. WFXR became WUNX, while WFAL became WUNZ. Both stations continued their simulcast as an affiliate of the "Underground Network," a network of
alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
stations that included WIBF ("WDRE Philly") in Philadelphia and WDRE on Long Island. The stations were then known as "UN 93.5 and 101.1" with the slogan "Cape Cod's Rock Alternative." WUNX and WUNZ were sold to Ernie Boch's Boch Broadcasting in 1995, and the stations quickly took different paths. WUNX became WJCO, and adopted a satellite-delivered
adult contemporary music 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, quiet ...
format as "Coast 93.5," while WUNX became WWKJ, and adopted a satellite-delivered
classic rock Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, primar ...
format as "KJ-101."


1998-2002

In 1998, WJCO stunted for a week with
Chumbawamba Chumbawamba () were a British rock band formed in 1982 and disbanded in 2012. They are best known for their 1997 single "Tubthumping", which was nominated for Best British Single at the 1998 Brit Awards. Other singles include "Amnesia", " Enou ...
's hit "
Tubthumping "Tubthumping" is a song released by British rock band Chumbawamba from their eighth studio album, ''Tubthumper'' (1997). It is the band's most successful single, peaking at number two on the UK Singles Chart. It topped the charts in Australia, ...
". WJCO then became WYST, relaunching as
hot 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, quiet ...
-formatted "Star 93-5" with the slogan "Continuous Hit Music." The format was again satellite-delivered by
Jones Radio Networks Jones Radio Networks & Jones Media Group were branches of Jones International before being sold to Triton Media Group. JRN and JMN provide local radio stations with satellite-delivered formats. They also offer other services to local radio such ...
"Adult Hit Radio" (what is now "Hot AC" by
Westwood One Westwood One is an American radio network There are two types of radio network currently in use around the world: the one-to-many (simplex communication) broadcast network commonly used for public information and mass-media entertainment, and ...
). The station's
voiceover Voice-over (also known as off-camera or off-stage commentary) is a production technique where a voice—that is not part of the narrative (non-diegetic)—is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentations. ...
talent was Mark Driscoll and two jingles were added from the 1989
JAM Creative Productions JAM Creative Productions, Inc., is an American company that produces radio jingles, promo music for television, and commercial jingles for advertisers. It has made more radio jingles than any other jingle company and has become part of American ...
"Breakthrough" package. Star 93-5's morning show was provided by WPLJ New York's " Scott &
Todd Todd or Todds may refer to: Places ;Australia: * Todd River, an ephemeral river ;United States: * Todd Valley, California, also known as Todd, an unincorporated community * Todd, Missouri, a ghost town * Todd, North Carolina, an unincorporated ...
in the Morning". Scott & Todd's syndication attempt didn't last long, as it ended in October 1998. In 1999, after a period of a music-intensive morning show, the morning show was replaced locally with the satellite-delivered
Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...
-based " Bob & Sheri" show, and the station's slogan changed to "Today's Best Music." In the spring of 1999, WYST dropped the satellite provided format and morning show. The station became automated locally with no DJs and a very narrow playlist of current artists from the CHR format. The hits lasted until late 1999, when the station again changed to a satellite-delivered oldies format as "Oldies 93.5." In 2001, Boch brought in a new staff to run the Cape Cod stations. The new staff immediately changed the formats of WYST and WWKJ. WYST became WDVT and was known "93-5 The Vault," playing
classic rock Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, primar ...
. WWKJ became WTWV and was known as "101.1 The Wave" with the slogan "The '80s and More." Before long, "The Vault" was closed and WDVT reverted to a simulcast of "The Wave." In 2002, WTWV began to add more current hits into the mix and it began to sound more like an adult hits station.


2003-2010

In 2003, Boch changed the formats of WDVT and WTWV to
oldies Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music (broadly characterized as classic rock and pop rock) from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as we ...
as "93-5 & 101.1 The Wave." The station featured local personalities with a fun and upbeat delivery. A limited number of jingles were also added. The station featured Bumper Morgan as one of their personalities, who was also the voice of then sister station WCOD. The talent line-up consisted of Greg Cassidy, Super Max Cooper, Johnny Thunder and Wild Bill Hayes. In 2005, Boch Broadcasting was acquired by Qantum Communications. Qantum was required to sell off three of the combined company's stations. "The Wave" low-rated simulcast stations of WDVT and WTWV along with WPXC were sold to
Nassau Broadcasting Partners Nassau Broadcasting Partners LP was a company based in Princeton, New Jersey that owned radio stations in New England and the Mid-Atlantic United States. Nassau's stations, which included both AM and FM frequencies, were located in Maryland, New J ...
. On March 22, 2006, Nassau replaced the oldies format of "The Wave" with "Frank FM." Unlike Nassau's other
classic hits Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes songs from the top 40 music charts from the late 1960s to the early 2000s, with music from the 1980s serving as the core of the format. Music that was popularized by MTV in the early 1980s ...
stations in
Portland, Maine Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maine and the seat of Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 in April 2020. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is home to over half a million people, the 104th-largest metropol ...
and southern
New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
with the same name, WDVT and WTWV flipped to the adult hits format as "101.1 and 93.5 Frank FM" with the slogan "We Play It All." The voiceover talent selected for station imaging was voice actor/comedian
George Lowe George Edward Lowe (born November 10, 1957) is an American voice actor and comedian whose voice roles include Space Ghost on the animated series ''Space Ghost Coast to Coast'' and its spin-off, ''Cartoon Planet''.

2011-2013

In September 2011, Goldman Sachs Lending Partners, Fortress Credit Opportunities and Private Equity Capital, LLC launched an involuntary bankruptcy filing against Frank FM's parent company, Nassau Broadcasting Partners, LP. In October, Nassau's involuntary Chapter 7 petition was converted to a voluntary Chapter 11 after it convinced lenders and the bankruptcy court that halting operations at its radio stations would ultimately hurt creditors. On May 4, 2012, Nassau's properties were liquidated in a bankruptcy auction. WFRQ and WFQR plus sister station WPXC were all sold to highest bidder
John H. Garabedian. This returned Garabedian to broadcasting on the Cape, as he placed 96.3 WGTF (what is now
WEII WEII (96.3 FM, "SportsRadio 96.3") is a radio station in Dennis, Massachusetts. The station airs a sports radio format from Boston-based WEEI-FM WEEI-FM (93.7 MHz) – branded SportsRadio 93.7 WEEI-FM – is a commercial sports radio stat ...
) on the air in the 1970s. John named the newly formed company CodComm, Inc. On July 17, 2012, an FCC construction permit was granted to move the 101.1 transmission facility from Mashpee to Barnstable at the tower of sister station WPXC. On August 17, 2012, changes began to take place under the guidance of new CodComm Station Manager and vice-president, Steve "McVie" Solomon. The call sign on 93.5 was changed from WFQR to WHYA and after finishing the "Back to the '80s Weekend," themed weekends were discontinued. On September 5, 2012, the call signs of 93.5 and 101.1 were then swapped. 93.5 was changed from WHYA to WFRQ and 101.1 was changed from WFRQ to WHYA. On September 13, 2012, on-air programming on 101.1 was switched to CodComm's newly renovated broadcast studio at 243 South Street in Hyannis, followed by 93.5 a few days later. The format was tweaked and the station's image was updated as "93.5 and 101-1 Frank FM," with a new primary slogan of "Cape Cod's Ultimate Variety." Songs from the 1960s through 1980s began to see less airplay, with a greater focus on songs from the 1990s through today. The station's voiceover talent was replaced with James Justice and jingles were added from the
TM Studios Jones Radio Networks & Jones Media Group were branches of Jones International before being sold to Triton Media Group. JRN and JMN provide local radio stations with satellite-delivered formats. They also offer other services to local radio such a ...
"AMP'D" package. On September 26, 2012, an FCC construction permit was granted to move the 93.5 transmission facility from Brewster to Dennis. On March 11, 2013, on-air sweepers and jingles were changed to "93.5 Frank FM," dropping any mention of 101.1. On March 18, 2013, CodComm applied for license to cover with the FCC to complete its 93.5 transmission facility move from Brewster to Dennis. Changes at the new site include going from a non-directional to a directional pattern to protect adjacent station
WSNE-FM WSNE-FM (93.3 MHz) is a commercial radio station, licensed to Taunton, Massachusetts, and serving Southeastern Massachusetts and the Providence, Rhode Island, area. It broadcasts a hot adult contemporary radio format branded as ''Now 93.3'', and ...
, but raising power from 3 kW to 6 kW. On April 1, 2013, at 5:00 p.m., 101.1
WHYA WHYA (101.1 FM)—branded Y101—is a Top 40 radio station licensed to Mashpee, Massachusetts, owned by Steve Chessare through Coxswain Communications, Inc. The station's studios are in downtown Hyannis and its transmitter is located in West Ba ...
broke away from its simulcast with 93.5 and began stunting with an automated countdown to 11:00 a.m. on April 4. Over the next few months, slight tweaks in the music rotation once again brought back a greater emphasis on songs from the 1980s.


93.5 Frequency History


2014

In February 2014, on-air personalities were added to the station for the first time since becoming Frank in 2006. Jenn Kennedy moved from weekends on sister station WPXC to mornings, followed by voiceover and production guru Bumper Morgan in middays, and 20-year Cape Cod radio veteran Janet Birchfield in afternoons. For Sunday through Friday evenings, the syndicated "Intelligence For Your Life with John Tesh" moved from competitor
WQRC WQRC (99.9 FM; "99.9 The Q") is a radio station broadcasting a hot adult contemporary format. Licensed to Barnstable, Massachusetts, United States, the station serves the Cape Cod region. The station is currently owned by Sandab Communications L ...
to the station. The branding was updated to "Frank 93-5," with a new primary slogan of "The Music Of A Whole Generation" and "Cape Cod's Variety" as a secondary. New jingles from TM Studios with the updated image were also added into rotation, along with a new website domain of frank935.com. On April 28, 2014, sister station WPXC added
in-band on-channel In-band on-channel (IBOC) is a hybrid method of transmitting digital radio and analog radio broadcast signals simultaneously on the same frequency. The name refers to the new digital signals being broadcast in the same AM or FM band (in-band), a ...
(IBOC)
HD Radio HD Radio (HDR) is a trademark for an in-band on-channel (IBOC) digital radio broadcast technology. It generally simulcasts an existing analog radio station in digital format with less noise and with additional text information. HD Radio is used ...
, with WFRQ simulcasting on WPXC-HD2 and sister station
WKFY WKFY (101.5 FM) – branded as Koffee FM – is a radio station licensed to East Harwich, Massachusetts. WKFY signed on August 16, 2013 at 98.7 MHz with a stunt loop of "Old Cape Cod" by Patti Page. The official format debuted on August ...
simulcasting on WPXC-HD3. On May 22, 2014, translator 93.9 W230AW ( Centerville) owned by Jeff Shapiro's Nantucket Public Radio changed the parent station that it rebroadcasts from WRYP to WPXC (HD2). The transmission facility for W230AW was located in Barnstable at that time; however, an FCC construction permit was previously granted in March 2014 to move it to Mashpee. W230AW made that move on September 19, 2014, and began operating with 250 watts ERP at 160.3 feet above ground level. Coverage of Frank to the Upper Cape (including the communities of Bourne, Falmouth, Sandwich and Mashpee) and western sections of Barnstable was restored via 93.9's new coverage contour. These areas were previously served via 101.1 prior to its break away from the 93.5 simulcast in April 2013. In the summer of 2014, "Saturday Night at the '80s" was added from 7p.m. to midnight. It is hosted by Sweet Pete, who also does afternoons on
WXXX WXXX (95.5 FM broadcasting, FM, "95 Triple X") is a radio station City of license, licensed to South Burlington, Vermont, and serving the Champlain Valley of Vermont and New York (state), New York. On air and in advertisements the station is known ...
in Burlington, Vermont and CodComm sister station WHYA. On August 8, 2014, CodComm made a tweak to Frank's format. Songs from 1990 through the present were completely removed from rotation, with the exception of a few select songs from the 1990s. A large number of songs from the 1970s and a few select songs from the 1960s have been added. Most of the pre-1980 songs added back into rotation have not been played on Frank since the September 2012 format tweak. Songs from the 1980s were mainly unaffected by the adjustment, however the modifications were significant enough to reclassify the format from Adult Hits to
Classic Hits Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes songs from the top 40 music charts from the late 1960s to the early 2000s, with music from the 1980s serving as the core of the format. Music that was popularized by MTV in the early 1980s ...
. This put Frank musically in line with other Classic Hits stations such as
WCBS-FM WCBS-FM (101.1 FM) is a radio station offering a classic hits format licensed to New York City and is owned and operated by Audacy, Inc. The station's studios are in the combined Audacy facility in the Hudson Square neighborhood in lower Manhat ...
and
KRTH KRTH (101.1 FM, "K-Earth 101") is a commercial radio station that is licensed to Los Angeles, California, United States and serves the Greater Los Angeles area. The station is owned by Audacy, Inc. and broadcasts a classic hits format. KRTH's st ...
. In October 2014, personalities began promoting the new 93.9 frequency on-air. Although the station continues to be branded "Frank 93-5", the tagline "and now at 93.9 for the Upper Cape" was added. Voiceover talent James Justice was also phased out and replaced by John Tesh. John began to voice both station promos and dry liners that play over song intros at times when no on-air personality is on the air. By year's end, Janet Birchfield and Bumper Morgan had parted ways with CodComm.


2015

On January 20, 2015, Frank launched a brand new morning show. Stephanie Viva, formerly one half of "Dan and Stephanie" on
WCOD-FM WCOD-FM (106.1 MHz) is a hot adult contemporary formatted radio station licensed to Hyannis, Massachusetts. It is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. WCOD's sister stations include WEII, WCIB, and WXTK. Its transmitter and studio are located separately ...
, teamed up with CodComm Station Manager and Vice President Steve McVie to create "The New Frank Morning Show with Stephanie and Steve". Steve's former afternoon drive shift on sister station
WHYA WHYA (101.1 FM)—branded Y101—is a Top 40 radio station licensed to Mashpee, Massachusetts, owned by Steve Chessare through Coxswain Communications, Inc. The station's studios are in downtown Hyannis and its transmitter is located in West Ba ...
was replaced with Sweet Pete, who was formerly on Frank's afternoon drive. Jenn Kennedy moved from mornings to mid-days and Steve McVie began to double as Frank's afternoon host. On February 6, 2015, just shy of six months after the segue to
Classic Hits Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes songs from the top 40 music charts from the late 1960s to the early 2000s, with music from the 1980s serving as the core of the format. Music that was popularized by MTV in the early 1980s ...
, CodComm decided to revert Frank to a modified version of its former Adult Hits format in an effort to boost ratings. Most pre-1980 songs were removed from rotation, while songs from the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s where added back in. The musical revamp this time around is more female friendly, while excluding rock leaning songs, effectively reclassifying the station as
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 ...
. The former secondary slogan "Cape Cod's Variety" was reintroduced, including the brief reuse of a top of hour jingle that sang this, which was last used prior to August. At the end of February 2015, a new primary slogan of "The '80s, '90s & Now" was introduced, albeit with an updated logo that replaced the word "Now" with "Today" for a short time. Former slogans of "The Music of a Whole Generation", "Cape Cod's Variety" and "We Play It All" were occasionally used by the on-air talent on a secondary basis. At the beginning of March 2015, the translator 107.9 W300BE (
Vineyard Haven Vineyard Haven is a community within the town of Tisbury, Massachusetts on the island of Martha's Vineyard. It is listed as a census-designated place (CDP) by the U.S. Census Bureau with a population of 2,114 as of the 2010 census. The area was ...
) owned by Jeff Shapiro's Nantucket Public Radio changed the parent station that it rebroadcasts from
WNAN Nan or NAN may refer to: Places China * Nan County, Yiyang, Hunan, China * Nan Commandery, historical commandery in Hubei, China Thailand * Nan Province ** Nan, Thailand, the administrative capital of Nan Province * Nan River People Given nam ...
to WPXC (HD2). An FCC construction permit that was previously granted in January 2013 to switch W300BE to a directional antenna pattern and to increase the power to 250 watts was subsequently modified. In March, the revised permit included a move of the transmitter to the mainland, just across the bay in Falmouth, which was completed by the summer. The move effectively gave 107.9 better coverage in Falmouth in addition to the Vineyard, complementing the 93.9 translator in Mashpee which covers the rest of the Upper Cape. On November 23, 2015, Stephanie Viva returned to WCOD-FM, reuniting with longtime host Dan Mahoney to relaunch the “Dan and Stephanie Morning Show.” A few weeks prior to this, Steve McVie was left solo in morning drive, with the urgent task to find new talent in order to rebuild the morning show. Just after Thanksgiving Day, Frank FM temporarily flipped to an all Christmas music format for the holidays, followed by the hiring of a new husband and wife team. In December 2015, Davin and Ana Fesmire joined the morning show alongside Steve McVie. After Christmas Day on December 26, 2015, the station returned to its Adult Contemporary format.


Present

Entering 2016, very few changes were made to the station until August. At that time, the decision was made to modify the format, morning show and afternoon drive positions in an effort to increase ratings. After being heard for the last time during the first week of August, Davin and Ana were removed from the morning show. In the week of August 14, 2016, Frank FM slowly transitioned from Adult Contemporary back to a similar flavor of Adult Hits that it had used in September 2012, shortly after the ownership change to CodComm. The slogan was changed to "Cape Cod's Greatest Hits" and all current hits were removed from rotation, including most songs from the past 3 years. A large number of songs from the 1980s and 1990s were added back into rotation that were not heard at least since February 2015. In a method referred to as dayparting, select 1970s' hits are also played in the overnight hours, and select ballads are only played during the day. Rob Walker transitioned his role to afternoon drive from sister station WKFY, replacing Steve McVie, who was also formerly heard in that time slot.


Translator


External links

*
CodComm Website
* * {{Cape Cod Radio Classic hits radio stations in the United States Harwich, Massachusetts FRQ Radio stations established in 1989