WWQM-FM (106.3

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

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

Middleton, Wisconsin Middleton is a city in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States, and a suburb of the state capital, Madison. Middleton's motto is "The Good Neighbor City." The population was 21,827 at the 2020 census. In 2007, Middleton was chosen as the best pla ...

and serving the

Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States Place names * Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...

area. Owned and operated by

Mid-West Family Broadcasting Mid-West Family Broadcasting is an independently owned broadcasting company based in Madison, Wisconsin. The company owns and manages radio stations in Madison, Wisconsin, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, La Crosse, Wisconsin, Benton Harbor/St. Joseph, Mich ...

, the station has aired a

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

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since 1981.

History

WWQM signed on in 1970 as WMAD-FM, owned by Hudson Broadcasting. As WMAD-FM, it simulcast with country-formatted WMAD (at 1550 AM, the current

WHIT Whit may refer to: * Whit or Whitsun, another name for the holy day of Pentecost * Whit (given name) * Whit (novel), by Iain Banks * WHIT, a radio station licensed to Madison, Wisconsin, United States, which holds the call sign WHIT beginning 2009 ...

). "The Country Giant" was an early station slogan, followed by "Music of America." WMAD-AM became WWQM ("15Q") in 1976, running an automated oldies format featured PAMS jingles, while WMAD-FM adopted its own country format, though competitor

WTSO WTSO (1070 kHz, "1070 The Game") is a commercial AM radio station in Madison, Wisconsin. The station is owned and operated by iHeartMedia, Inc., and airs a sports format. From 2014 until February 1, 2020, WTSO was simulcast on FM translator ...

continually beat it in the ratings, forcing WMAD-FM to drop Country for Top 40 rock in 1978. WMAD adopted the WWQM

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in 1978, running a live-assist format using TM Programming Stereo Rock. In mid-1978, the station hadn't reached the high ratings expected and Q106 became a fully automated station. In January 1980, Q106 dropped automation and went live Top 40. This version of Q106 only lasted a short time and a switch to country would follow in 1981. On November 3, 2008, Q106's reach would expand outside of the immediate Madison area with a simulcast on WWQN at 106.7 FM, a signal that covers Iowa County and far Western portions of

Dane County Dane County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 561,504, making it the second-most populous county in Wisconsin. The county seat is Madison, which is also the state capital. Dane County is the ...

. The 106.7 frequency was previously home to

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station WJQM, which moved to 93.1 FM (and displaced the classic rock-formatted

WHLK WHLK (106.5 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, known as "106.5 The Lake" and carrying an adult hits format. Owned by iHeartMedia, the station serves Greater Cleveland and much of surrounding Northeast Ohio. WHLK's ...

) to accommodate the Q106 simulcast. WWQN simulcast the programming of WWQM until December 13, 2011, when it moved to a simulcast of talk station WTDY (as

WTDY-FM WTDY-FM (96.5 MHz) is a commercial radio station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by Audacy, Inc. and broadcasts a Top 40/CHR format. WTDY's studios are co-located with located within Audacy's corporate headquarters in Center ...

). The Q106 format was adjusted in July 2009 when new program director John Sebastian instituted a new "Q106.3" (or simply "The Q"). The adjusted format featured less talk by DJ's and more music. The playlist was also broadened to include vintage country songs and pop and rock songs with crossover appeal. After Sebastian departed the station in Summer 2011, new program director Fletcher Keyes gradually reversed the format back to contemporary mainstream country. The station deactivated all of their social media presences on February 18, 2021, shortly after Matthew Bradshaw Jones, who was the station's morning co-host as "Jackson Jones", was arrested for allegations of possessing child pornography.

Madison Country Music Awards

For more than 20 years (through Fall 2008), WWQM hosted the "Madison Country Music Awards," an annual awards ceremony honoring local and national country artists. The ceremonies, which were popular among the station's Madison audience, featured performances by local and national country acts (including a then-up-and-coming

Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...

in 2007) as well as presentations of awards as voted by Q106 listeners (e.g. awards for Entertainer of the Year and Best Local Band). The Madison Country Music Awards were discontinued in 2009 at the time of Q106's format adjustment.

References

External links

The "Q106" official websiteOfficial WWQM Facebook pageQ106 Twitter feed
* {{coord, 43.051, N, 89.487, W, type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC, display=title Country radio stations in the United States WQM-FM

History

Madison Country Music Awards

See also

References

External links