WQRR (101.7 FM, "Alt 101.7") 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 ...

serving the

Tuscaloosa, Alabama Tuscaloosa ( ) is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west-central Alabama, United States, on the Black Warrior River where the Gulf Coastal and Piedmont plains meet. Alabama's fifth-largest city, it had an estimated population of 1 ...

, area with an

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 ...

music format. It is under ownership of

Townsquare Media Townsquare Media, Inc. (formerly Regent Communications until 2010) is an American radio network and media company based in Purchase, New York. The company started in radio and expanded into digital media toward the end of the 2000s, starting wi ...

History

The station was Sign on in 1991, as (WTID). assigned the WBEI call letters by the

Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdiction ...

on January 9, 2003. In February 2005, Apex Broadcasting Inc. (Houston L. Pearce, chairman) reached an agreement to sell WBEI and six other radio stations in Alabama to

Citadel Broadcasting Citadel Broadcasting Corporation was a Las Vegas, Nevada-based broadcast holding company. Citadel owned 243 radio stations across the United States and was the third-largest radio station owner in the country. Only iHeartMedia and Cumulus Media ...

(Farid Suleman, chairman/CEO) for a reported sale price of $29 million. Citadel merged with Cumulus Media on September 16, 2011. Cumulus sold WBEI and its sister stations to Townsquare Media effective July 31, 2012. On September 16, 2016, WBEI rebranded as "Star 101.7". While operating manager and afternoon DJ Greg Thomas had left the week before the flip and

The Kidd Kraddick Morning Show ''The Kidd Kraddick Morning Show'' (formerly ''Kidd Kraddick in the Morning'') is an American ensemble morning radio show that originates from Dallas, Texas. The show is heard weekday mornings on flagship station, KHKS, and on dozens of other r ...

was dropped with the change, middayer Meg Summers and the syndicated Pop Crush Nights with Lisa Paige remained in place. On October 17, 2016, Tuscaloosa radio veteran Louie Linguini was hired to host afternoon drive, and reprise his popular "Saturday Nite Regrind With Louie Linguini" show for the station. WBEI provided regular weather coverage from

WBMA-LD WBMA-LD (channel 58) is a low-power television station in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, affiliated with ABC. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside MyNetworkTV affiliate WABM (channel 68) and Homewood-licensed CW affiliate ...

Chief Meteorologist James Spann. During times of active severe, tropical, and Winter weather events, WBEI provided West, Alabama's only live and local weather coverage, with local, in house, Staff Meteorologist Bobby Best. Additionally, under the ownership of Townsquare Media and the direction of Market President/Chief Revenue Officer David R. Dubose, WBEI also provided West, Alabama radio's only live and local news coverage with News Director Don Hartley and West, Alabama's only live and local traffic coverage with Traffic Reporter Capt'n Ray. On March 26, 2018, WBEI changed their format from hot adult contemporary to alternative rock, branded as "Alt 101.7".Townsquare Media Launches Alt 101.7 Tuscaloosa
Radioinsight - March 26, 2018 The station changed its call sign to WQRR on March 29, 2018.

Former logos

References

External links

Alt 101.7 WQRR official website
* {{coord, 33.230, N, 87.847, W, type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC, display=title QRR Radio stations established in 1991 Townsquare Media radio stations 1991 establishments in Alabama Alternative rock radio stations in the United States