WCOY
Broadcast areaQuincy, Illinois
Frequency99.5 (MHz)
BrandingWCOY 99.5
Programming
FormatCountry
Ownership
OwnerSTARadio Corporation
History
First air date
1948 (1948)
Former call signs
  • WTAD-FM (1948–1974)
  • WQCY (1974–1999)
Technical information
ClassC1
ERP100,000 watts
HAAT149 meters (489 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
39°56′30.00″N 91°35′3.00″W / 39.9416667°N 91.5841667°W / 39.9416667; -91.5841667
Links
WebsiteWCOY.com

WCOY is a 100,000-watt radio station based in Quincy, Illinois, broadcasting on 99.5 FM with a country music format. The station is owned by STARadio Corporation.

History

WTAD-FM went on the air in 1948, four years after having filed for its construction permit on 44.1 MHz[1]—before FM was relocated to 88–108 MHz. It was owned by Lee Enterprises as a sister to WTAD 930 AM. When Lee-owned KHQA-TV signed on in 1953, it did so from WTAD-FM's tower,[2] standing 804 feet (245 m) above the surrounding flat terrain.[3]

When New York's WBAI—also on 99.5—was sabotaged and fell off air in 1967, it borrowed a crystal from WTAD-FM in order to resume operation.[4] WTAD-FM became WQCY on December 30, 1974.[1]

Lee exited the Hannibal-Quincy market in 1986, selling KHQA-TV to Benedek Broadcasting and WTAD-WQCY radio for $1.1 million to Noble Broadcast Corporation,[5] which operated as Eastern Broadcasting. The group was purchased three years later (later known as Tele-Media Broadcasting).[6][7][8] In 1997, Tele-Media was purchased by Citadel;[8][9] Citadel sold its Quincy cluster the next year to STARadio Corporation.[10] In 1999, the hot AC format and WQCY call letters moved to 103.9 FM, formerly WMOS;[11] programming consultant Keith Bansemer flipped the station's format to country using the "Coyote Country" slogan.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b FCC History Cards for WTAD-FM
  2. ^ "Hannibal-Quincy Television Station Test Signals Come In Clearly Here". Macon Chronicle-Herald. August 27, 1953. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  3. ^ "First Program From KHQA-TV On Air Today". The Daily Times. September 21, 1953. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  4. ^ Buck, Jerry (September 15, 1967). "Radio Station Back On Air After Apparent Sabotage". Associated Press. Retrieved July 25, 2019 – via Clarion-Ledger.
  5. ^ "AM-FM Combos" (PDF). Broadcasting. February 9, 1987. p. 84. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  6. ^ "Groups" (PDF). Broadcasting. February 13, 1989. p. 46. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  7. ^ ""TMZ Broadcasting Company has acquired the stock of Eastern Broadcasting Corporation" (PDF). Broadcasting. May 15, 1989. p. 62. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  8. ^ a b https://www.nasdaq.com/markets/ipos/filing.ashx?filingid=1061655 Citadel Communications Corp (Form: 424B4, Received: 07/01/1998 13:23:18], Nasdaq, July 7, 1998. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  9. ^ ""Citadel Sitting Pretty With Tele-Media Buy" (PDF). Radio & Records. April 4, 1997. p. 6. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  10. ^ ""Elsewhere" (PDF). The M Street Journal. July 1, 1998. p. 9. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  11. ^ "Call Letter Changes" (PDF). M Street Journal. June 23, 1999. p. 5. Retrieved July 25, 2019.

External links

39°56′31″N 91°35′02″W / 39.942°N 91.584°W / 39.942; -91.584


Radio stations in Quincy/Hannibal/Keokuk (Illinois/Missouri/Iowa)
Country radio stations in the state of Illinois
Categories