WQOP
Broadcast areaJacksonville metropolitan area
Frequency1460 kHz
BrandingRelevant Radio
Programming
FormatCatholic radio
NetworkRelevant Radio
Ownership
OwnerRelevant Radio, Inc.
WZNZ
History
First air date
1927
(97 years ago) (1927)
Former call signs
  • WMBR (1927–1975)
  • WPDQ (1975–1987)
  • WFYV (1987–1992)
  • WZZN (1992)
  • WZNZ (1992–2010)
Call sign meaning
Queen of Peace
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID51976
ClassB
Power
  • 15,000 watts (day)
  • 5,000 watts (night)
Transmitter coordinates
30°19′40″N 81°44′49″W / 30.32778°N 81.74694°W / 30.32778; -81.74694
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen live
Websitewww.relevantradio.com

WQOP (1460 AM) is a radio station licensed to serve Jacksonville, Florida. The station is owned by Relevant Radio, Inc., and broadcasts a Catholic radio format.

History

In Tampa

Frank J. Reynolds established WMBR in Tampa in 1927; it was licensed by the Department of Commerce to the Premier Electric Company in January.[2] First broadcasting for an hour a week,[3] By June of that year, it was broadcasting at 1190 kHz with 100 watts.[4] Studios were on Franklin Street[5] and in the Floridan Hotel;[6] the transmitter was on the roof of the hotel.[7]

The original frequency of 1190 kHz changed to 1210 kHz when the Federal Radio Commission (FRC) enacted General Order 40 on November 11, 1928.[8] WMBR was moved again to 1370 kHz in 1929 as part of frequency changes for a series of Florida stations, including the other Tampa station, WDAE, which went full-time for the first time.[9]

Move to Jacksonville

In September 1933, Reynolds applied to the FRC to move the station from Tampa to Jacksonville; it approved the shift in October.[10] The move took place that December.[11] Reynolds sold WMBR to the Florida Broadcasting Company in 1934; it moved to 1400 kHz with NARBA in 1941 and then to 1460 kHz, using 5,000 watts in 1948.[12]

In the 1960s, WMBR aired a Top 40 format and was known as "The Jacksonville Tiger". This gave Jacksonville a third station in the format, behind the higher-rated WAPE and WPDQ. DJs heard included Dick Blanchard, Brad "The Bad" Bradford, and Mike Davenport.[13]

WMBR and WPDQ switched frequencies (and licenses) in 1975, with WPDQ relocating from 600 kHz and WMBR relocating to the lower frequency.

In the late 1980s, WFYV was affiliated with Z Rock, a now-defunct network that aired a heavy metal music format.[citation needed]

From 1991 to 1997, WQOP operated with the call letters WFYV and was a news station, broadcasting CNN Headline News programming. Prior to that, it simulcast WFYV-FM ("Rock 105").[citation needed] In 1996, this station was one of six stations in the Paxson Communications Jacksonville station group.[14]

In September 1997, Paxson Jacksonville License, L.P., received a license to operate the station to serve the Jacksonville, Florida, area.[15] The station was on the air as early as February 1998.[16] As of January 1998, the station was owned or operated by Clear Channel Radio,[17] which it would be until Concord Media, Inc. took it over in 1999.[18]

In 2001, the station switched from a contemporary Christian music format to a business-talk format.[19]

In 2003, Salem Communications purchased the station from Concord Media Group as part of a four-station deal valued at $9.25 million.[20] It retained the existing format.[21] It switched to a sports talk format known as "Rumble 1460".[22] As sports talk station, WZNZ aired Jacksonville University baseball games as well as "Mike and Mike in the Mornings," "The Real Deal Show," "The Dan Patrick Show," and "The Frank Frangie Show."[23]

In December 2006, Chesapeake-Portsmouth Broadcasting purchased the station as part of a three-station deal valued at $2.8 million.[24][25] and referred to its programming as "The River of Life". The programming consisted of a mixture of local and syndicated religious oriented programming.[26] The station remained an affiliate of the Atlanta Braves radio network, a Major League Baseball affiliation that was left over from the days when the station was a sports radio station. As of July 2008, the former website is still available (1460theriver.com).

WZNZ broadcast religious programming from April 2007 to January 2008, and prior to that, it was a sports station affiliated with ESPN Radio. It had a mix of local and national sports talk shows during this period.[citation needed]

As of January 2008, the station was operated by Andy Johnson.[27][failed verification] It broadcast a mix of liberal, moderate, and conservative talk shows and was affiliated with CBS Radio News. It was also affiliated with national talk show hosts Ed Schultz (Jones Radio Network), Thom Hartmann (Air America Radio), and Lou Dobbs (United Stations). It also airs various Westwood One programs, including "Morning In America" with Jim Bohannon, "The Twilight Zone Radio Dramas", and "Beatle Brunch".[citation needed]

In May 2008, the transfer of the license from Chesapeake-Portsmouth Broadcasting to Queen of Peace Radio, Inc. was announced in accordance with FCC regulations.[28] The assignment of license was approved on July 14, 2008, and the deal was consummated on July 29, 2008.[29]

Until July 30, 2008, WZNZ was a "progressive" talk show format station, carrying a mix of syndicated and local programming.[30]

WZNZ featured live, local issues-driven talk programming in the Jacksonville radio market. It served as a community sounding board with hosts such as Andy Johnson, a local talk radio fixture who has been on the air in the market for twenty years. Other hosts were also featured in the daily weekday broadcast lineup, and the topics of discussion varied from local issues to national interests.

WZNZ was also home to unique music programs, especially during the weekends. All shows are locally produced in-house and include "Americana Saturday Night" with host Big Cosmo, "Progressive Roots" featuring politically driven folk music of the past and present hosted by Ken Connors and Ce Ce Sevrin, and "I, The Indie Music Show", hosted by John Maycumber, which was an eclectic mix of punk and electronica.[27][failed verification]

On July 30, 2008, most of the news and talk programming moved to sister station WBOB after the sale of the station to Queen of Peace Radio was consummated on July 29, 2008. WQOP was sold to Immaculate Heart Media, Inc. in September 2019.[31][32] On September 23, 2019, 1460AM and 1600AM became a part of Relevant Radio Network.

References

  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WQOP". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ "Radio Service Bulletin" (PDF). US Department of Commerce, Bureau of Navigation. January 31, 1927. p. 4.
  3. ^ "Radio Agents to Broadcast 3 More Hours". The Tampa Times. Tampa, Florida. May 13, 1927. p. 32. Retrieved April 19, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "List Of New Wave Lengths Is Announced". The Tampa Times. Tampa, Florida. June 16, 1927. p. 3. Retrieved April 19, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Radio Station WMBR Takes New Location". The Tampa Times. Tampa, Florida. December 3, 1928. p. 9. Retrieved April 19, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Floridan Hotel Opens New Radio Station Tonight". The Tampa Tribune. Tampa, Florida. January 22, 1928. p. 2. Retrieved April 19, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Hawes, Leland (July 5, 1987). "Radio days in Tampa". The Tampa Tribune. Tampa, Florida. p. 4-I. Retrieved April 19, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "New Radio Wave Lengths". The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando, Florida. November 11, 1928. p. 15. Retrieved April 19, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Station WDAE Here Granted Full Time Radio Broadcasting". The Tampa Tribune. Tampa, Florida. Universal Service. October 16, 1929. p. 13. Retrieved April 19, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "WMBR Permitted To Move Station To Jacksonville". The Tampa Tribune. Tampa, Florida. Associated Press. October 6, 1933. p. 7. Retrieved April 19, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Radio Station WMBR To Move". The Tampa Times. Tampa, Florida. December 11, 1933. p. 3. Retrieved April 19, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ FCC History Cards for WQOP
  13. ^ "WMBR Radio Surveys". Airheads Radio Survey Archive. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  14. ^ "Paxson Communications Co. Buys Another Jacksonville, Fla., Station". The Florida Times-Union. September 13, 1996. West Palm Beach-based Paxson already owns WPLA/93.3, WROO/107.3, WFSJ-FM/97.9, WNZS (AM)/930 and WZNZ (AM)/1460 in Jacksonville.
  15. ^ "REPORT NO. 44078". FCC Broadcast Actions. September 17, 1997. Retrieved June 3, 2008.
  16. ^ "JBJ offers new services to readers". Jacksonville Business Journal. February 7, 1997. Retrieved June 3, 2008.
  17. ^ "Jacksonville radio station changes from talk to rock". Jacksonville Business Journal. January 19, 1998. Retrieved June 3, 2008.
  18. ^ "Report No. 44515". FCC Broadcast Actions. June 24, 1999. Retrieved June 3, 2008.
  19. ^ "WZNZ debuts business talk format". Jacksonville Business Journal. January 5, 2001. Retrieved June 3, 2008.
  20. ^ Basch, Mark (February 13, 2003). "Firm to Buy Four Jacksonville, Fla., Radio Stations". Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News. Salem Communications Corp. filed an application Monday with the Federal Communications Commission to acquire WBGB (106.5 FM), WJGR (1320 AM), WZAZ (1400 AM) and WZNZ (1460 AM) for $9.25 million.
  21. ^ Stuart, Devan (August 27, 2003). "Radio Market Shifting". Jacksonville Business Journal. Retrieved June 3, 2008.
  22. ^ Basch, Mark (April 17, 2003). "Jacksonville, Fla., to Gain Third Sports Radio Station". Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News. Jacksonville already has WFXJ (930 AM), a Fox Sports affiliate owned by Clear Channel Communications Inc., and WZNZ (1460 AM), an ESPN affiliate.
  23. ^ "Baseball to Air on ESPN 1460 and 1320, The Patriot". CBS College Sports. March 10, 2005. Archived from the original on May 24, 2011. Jacksonville University has signed a contract with Salem Communications to broadcast more than 25 Dolphins baseball games live on Jacksonville's ESPN 1460 (WZNZ) and AM 1320, The Patriot (WJGR), during the 2005 season. The broadcast schedule includes 26 regular-season games, in addition to all Atlantic Sun Conference and NCAA postseason action. [...] ESPN 1460 was also home to Mike and Mike in the Mornings, The Real Deal Show, The Dan Patrick Show, and The Frank Frangie Show.
  24. ^ "Salem Communications Agrees to Sell Radio Stations in Jacksonville, Fla". Business Wire. September 18, 2006. Salem Communications Corporation (Nasdaq:SALM), a leading U.S. radio broadcaster, Internet content provider and magazine publisher targeting audiences interested in Christian and family-themed content and conservative values, today announced it has entered into an agreement to sell WZAZ (1400 AM), WJGR (1320 AM) and WZNZ (1460 AM) serving the Jacksonville, Florida market to Chesapeake-Portsmouth Broadcasting Corporation for $2.8 million.[dead link]
  25. ^ Witkowski, Rachel (August 3, 2007). "Host and station a match made in heaven". Jacksonville Business Journal. Retrieved June 3, 2008.
  26. ^ Gibbons, Timothy J. (September 21, 2006). "Cox Radio to move AM offerings to WBGB-FM". Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville, FL). Archived from the original on October 20, 2012. The other two stations Chesapeake bought – WZAZ (1400 AM) and WZNZ (1460 AM) – will not see major changes, Hoot said.
  27. ^ a b "Jacksonville gets progressive". Retrieved June 3, 2008.
  28. ^ "REPORT NO. 26732". FCC Broadcast Applications. May 8, 2008. Retrieved June 3, 2008.
  29. ^ "Application Search Details (BAL-20080505ACE)". FCC Media Bureau. July 29, 2008.
  30. ^ WZNZ, Radio Time, accessed June 3, 2008
  31. ^ "Immaculate Heart Media Buys Two AMs In Jacksonville", All Access Music Group. August 13, 2019. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  32. ^ Application Search Details – BAL-20190812AAR, fcc.gov. Retrieved November 24, 2019.

External links

Radio stations in the Jacksonville, Florida, metropolitan area
Relevant Radio stations
Categories