WHBQ-FM (107.5

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

Germantown, Tennessee Germantown is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 41,333 at the 2020 census. Germantown is a suburb of Memphis, bordering it to the east-southeast. Germantown was founded in 1841 by mostly German emigrants. The ...

, United States-based

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 ...

broadcasting a

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. It serves

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

along with its northern and eastern suburbs from an antenna located in

Cordova, Tennessee Cordova is a community in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States. Cordova lies east of Memphis, north of Germantown, south of Bartlett, and northwest of Collierville at an elevation of 361 feet (110 meters). The majority of Cordova has been an ...

. It is commonly referred to as the ''"Q"'', and first hit airwaves on March 23, 2004. It is owned by the Flinn Broadcasting Corporation. Despite sharing call letters, WHBQ-FM is not co-owned with

WHBQ-TV WHBQ-TV (channel 13) is a television station in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, affiliated with the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox network and owned by INSP (TV network), Imagicomm Communications. The station's studios are located on South High ...

. It operates from its studios in Southeast Memphis.

History

Early years (1993-1997)

The station first signed on in

1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peace ...

, beginning as WAQK. A year later the

call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally assigne ...

was changed to WJOI.

Top 40 (1997-2001)

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...

the station took its first jab at the

Top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or " con ...

radio market with another call sign change to WKSL, and the moniker ''"107.5 KISS FM"''. This station, like the "Q", had a format based on that of

KIIS-FM KIIS-FM (102.7 MHz) is a commercial radio station licensed to Los Angeles, California, United States, and broadcasts to the Greater Los Angeles area. The station airs a top 40 format. Owned by iHeartMedia, KIIS-FM is the origin of the conglomer ...

L.A. Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

Rhythmic (2001)

this format was ended in 2001, and in August of that year it was changed to WYYL, a.k.a. "Wild 107-5". This station had a Rhythmic Contemporary Hit format, similar to that of another former Memphis station, Power 99.

Adult alternative (2002-2004)

This format only lasted for four months before being turned into WMPS, a.k.a. "107 Oink Five, The Pig". The station aired an

adult album alternative Adult album alternative (also triple-A, AAA, or adult alternative) is a radio format. See pages 9 and 10Mills, Joshua. "A New Radio Music Format: Rock for Prosperous Adults" New York Times, Feb 28 1994, p. 2. ProQuest. Web. Accessed September 4, 2 ...

format. The format would move to 96.1 FM in 2004.

Top 40 (2004-2020)

In 2004, after three years of Memphis not having a true Top 40 outlet, the station returned to Top 40 using the name "Q 107-5" and returning to the WHBQ-FM call letters. In 2010, the station expanded its signal by adding a simulcast on 96.1 FM, while 96.1 FM's format of AAA "The Pig" moved up the dial to WPGF-LP 87.7 FM. On April 11, 2013, WIVG split from its simulcast with WHBQ-FM and began stunting with a loop of "

Blister in the Sun "Blister in the Sun" is a song by American rock band Violent Femmes, originally released on their 1983 self-titled debut album. In 2005, it became the first English-language track to ever be allowed on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, the Republic of ...

" by

Violet Femmes Violent Femmes are an American folk punk band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The band consists of founding members Gordon Gano (guitar, lead vocals) and Brian Ritchie (bass, backing vocals), joined by multi-instrumentalist Blaise Garza (joined 2004 ...

, and changed format to alternative rock at 4 p.m., branded as "96X".

Classic hits (2020-present)

On September 28, 2020, at 9:54 a.m. after playing " If the World Was Ending" by

JP Saxe Jonathan Percy Starker Saxe (born March 23, 1993), known professionally as JP Saxe, is a Canadian musician and singer. He is best known for his collaboration with American singer and his now ex-girlfriend Julia Michaels titled " If the World Was ...

feat.

Julia Michaels Julia is usually a feminine given name. It is a Latinate feminine form of the name Julio and Julius. (For further details on etymology, see the Wiktionary entry "Julius".) The given name ''Julia'' had been in use throughout Late Antiquity (e.g ...

, WHBQ began stunting with Christmas music. At 12:04 p.m., the station changed their format from top 40/CHR to classic hits branded as "107.5 WHBQ". The first song that played on WHBQ was "

Always Something There To Remind Me "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me" is a song written in the 1960s by songwriting team Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Originally recorded as a demo (music), demo by Dionne Warwick in 1963, "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me ...

" by

Naked Eyes Naked Eyes are an English new wave band"All Eyes on Pete Byrne", ''Newsday'', 15 October 2013 that rose to prominence in the early 1980s. The band had four US top 40 singles. The group's first hit, "Always Something There to Remind Me", was ...

. The station airs the syndicated

Rick Dees Rigdon Osmond Dees III (born March 14, 1950), best known as Rick Dees, is an American entertainer, radio personality, comedian, actor, and voice artist, best known for his internationally syndicated radio show '' The Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 Coun ...

show in mornings.

WHBQ-HD2

On August 30, 2019, after stunting with a loop of "

Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson recorded for his sixth studio album '' Thriller'' (1982). It is the opening track of the album and was released as its fourth single on May 8, 1983, by Epic Records. It was ...

" by

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

, WHBQ-FM launched a 1980's hits format on its HD2 subchannel, branded as "Z96.3" (simulcast on translator W242CF (96.3 FM), which was flipped from its alternative format as "I96"). On January 20, 2020, WHBQ-HD2/W242CF flipped back to alternative rock, reverting the "I96" branding. 367 days later, on January 22, 2021, at 3 p.m., WHBQ-HD2/W242CF flipped to top 40/CHR, branded as "B96.3", with the first song being "

Holy Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...

" by

Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...

featuring

Chance the Rapper Chancelor Johnathan Bennett (born April 16, 1993), known professionally as Chance the Rapper, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, and record producer. Born and raised in Chicago, Bennett released his debut mixtape '' 10 Day'' in 2012. He ...

. On May 13, 2022 at noon, WHBQ-HD2 switched translators from W242CF to W249BN (97.7 FM), which replaced a classic hits format branded as "Guess-FM".

References

External links

* * {{coord, 35.175, N, 89.741, W, type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC, display=title HBQ-FM Radio stations established in 1993 Germantown, Tennessee Classic hits radio stations in the United States 1993 establishments in Tennessee