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WBQT (FM)

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Coordinates: 42°20′49″N 71°04′59″W / 42.347°N 71.083°W / 42.347; -71.083 (WTKK)
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WBQT
File:WTKK969-012013.png
Broadcast areaGreater Boston
Frequency96.9 MHz (HD Radio)
BrandingHot 96.9
Programming
FormatRhythmic AC
HD2: All Irish Music
Ownership
Owner
WBOS, WKLB-FM, WMJX, WROR-FM
History
First air date
1945
Former call signs
W1XHR (1945–1948)
WXHR (1948–1965)
WXHR-FM (1965–1967)
WJIB (1967–1990)
WCDJ (1990–1993)
WBCS (1993–1996)
WKLB-FM (1996–1997)
WSJZ (1997–1999)
WTKK (1999-2013)
Technical information
Facility ID25050
ClassB
ERP22,500 watts
HAAT224 meters (735 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
42°20′49″N 71°04′59″W / 42.347°N 71.083°W / 42.347; -71.083 (WTKK)
Links
WebcastListen live
HD2: Listen live
Websitewww.hot969boston.com
HD2: www.969irish.com

WBQT is a commercial radio station serving the Boston area on 96.9 FM, currently airing a Rhythmic Adult Contemporary format, branded as "Hot 96.9." The station broadcasts from a transmitter atop the Prudential Tower in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood. The call letters were changed in March of 2013 from WTKK.

History

The station originated in 1945 as W1XHR (later WXHR), owned by Harvey Radio Laboratories and programmed a classical music format. In 1966, WXHR was sold to a joint venture of Kaiser Broadcasting and the Boston Globe and in 1967 became the beautiful music station WJIB (whose AM successor operates out of the old Harvey Radio Labs building in Cambridge). After several further ownership changes — first to General Electric in 1972, then to NBC in 1983 (three years before the merger between NBC's parent company, RCA, and GE) and Emmis Communications in 1988 — it operated as smooth jazz station WCDJ from 1990 to 1993. After Greater Media bought the station, the station was converted to country as WBCS. The station became WKLB-FM in 1996 after the previous WKLB-FM was bought by Greater Media and consolidated with WBCS, with its frequency being converted to WROR-FM. Smooth jazz returned in August 1997 as WSJZ after a format swap with what had been WOAZ (now WCRB); in September of 1999, it flipped to Talk, completing a 4-month transition to the format.

The station is still owned and operated by Greater Media to this day, with studios in Dorchester along with other Greater Media properties.

In April 2007, WTKK management attempted to add Boston Herald columnist and talk-show host Howie Carr to its lineup, after the station's syndicated morning show Imus in the Morning was cancelled after Don Imus' comments about the Rutgers University Women's Basketball team got him fired by CBS. But Carr's long-time radio-station employer, Entercom-owned WRKO, blocked that move by exercising a clause in Mr. Carr's contract allowing it to make a matching counter-offer.[1] Carr held out until November 16, 2007, after which point Carr returned to WRKO. On December 3, WTKK resumed broadcasting Imus in the Morning when it was picked up by WABC, but over time was locally limited in its broadcast time, ultimately only airing for 2 hours every weekday morning.[2] In January 2011, WTKK dropped Imus from their lineup completely in favor of an extended edition of their late morning team of Jim Braude and Margery Eagan.[3]

WTKK fired the controversial Jay Severin, a host since 1999, in April 2011 after he said he had slept with female interns at a company he had owned, and defended the practice.[4] He was officially replaced in June 2011 by radio host Doug Meehan.[5] Two months later, when rival station WXKS hired Severin for afternoon drive, WTKK shuffled its lineup to place politics-heavy Michael Graham in the 3 p.m. slot. The lineup at this point included Eagan and Braude, followed by various hosts in late mornings, then syndicated talker Michael Smerconish; an open slot, followed by "The Daily Wrap", hosted by Michael Castner and syndicated by the Wall Street Journal Radio Network, then the syndicated John Batchelor and Overnight America shows. (Doug Meehan left on December 17, 2012, to pursue a job opportunity in television; Graham left a week later.)

WTKK's last logo as a talk station, used from November 7, 2012 through January 2, 2013

In December 2012, Greater Media registered many domains for WTKK, pointing that the future of the news/talk format may be in serious doubt. Many of the domains include the word "Beat", possibly pointing to an urban contemporary, Rhythmic CHR or Rhythmic AC format; if this were to occur, this would mark a return for either the Rhythmic AC format (which was last heard in 2005, when WQSX flipped to adult hits) or the urban format (which was last carried on a Boston station in 2006, when the former WILD-FM flipped to a simulcast of WAAF) in the market; in either case, this would cause the station to compete against long-dominant WJMN.[6] Other domains point to possible adult hits, oldies, all-news, sports talk, active rock, or CHR formats. In late December 2012, morning host Doug Meehan left to pursue a television opportunity in Arizona, while afternoon host Michael Graham left when his contract was not renewed. [7] In addition, weekend hosts were told the last weekend of 2012 that their shows would not continue in the new year.

Stunt logo as "Power 96.9"

In compliance with a press release by Greater Media on January 1, the station flipped at 10:00am on January 2 after Jim Braude and Margery Eagan's morning show, starting its new incarnation as Urban Contemporary, "Power 96.9", playing select artists like Rihanna, Rick Ross and Miguel among others.[8] However, this would only turn out to be a stunt; at 10:00am the following day, the station shifted to Dance, branded as "Nova 96.9."[9] At Noon on January 4, the stunting shifted to adult hits, branded as "96.9 Mike FM" (using the former moniker/format of WMKK). WTKK shifted to classic rock at midnight on January 6, as "96.9 The Bone." On January 8, at 11:00am, the station debuted its new, permanent format: Rhythmic AC, with the branding "Hot 96.9"; "Run This Town" by Jay-Z was the first song played. According to a press release from Greater Media, the station's direction will primarily be focused on current Rhythmic and Dance hits mixed in with recurrents from the 1980s and 1990s, as it targets an audience who grew up listening to WJMN in the 1990s and 2000s, but want an alternative to Adult Top 40 WBMX, whose presentation is more Pop/Rock oriented. The flip brings the format back to Boston for the first time since WQSX flipped to WMKK in 2005. In addition, like WQSX, WTKK is also using "The Rhythm of Boston" as its on air slogan.[10]

In terms of staff announcements, Greater Media confirmed on January 3 that Pebbles, former long-time morning co-host on WJMN, will be WTKK's new morning show host.[11] Also brought on from WJMN was Melissa, who is the afternoon drive time host from 2PM to 7PM. In addition, on January 4, Greater Media announced that "Cadillac Jack" McCartney has been hired as Director of Programming for all 5 stations in their Boston cluster.[12] On February 20, it was announced that former WJMN DJ Roy Barboza was named Music Director and Mix Show Coordinator.[13] On March 1, it was announced that Baltazar, who co-hosted WJMN's morning show with Pebbles from 1994-2001, would become the new co-host of Hot 96.9's morning show beginning on March 4, reuniting him with Pebbles.[14]

WBQT-HD2

WBQT-HD2 programs an all-Irish music format as "96.9 Irish", due in part to Boston's Irish connections and background. The HD2 subchannel has been on-air since 2006, when it debuted as "Classical 2.0." In late 2006, when Greater Media purchased classical station WCRB, 96.9-HD2 flipped to their current all-Irish format.[15]

References

  1. ^ http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2007/09/20/ruling_puts_carr_in_limbo_between_two_stations/
  2. ^ http://www.bostonherald.com/business/media/view.bg?articleid=1201852 WTKK dials back Don Imus, tunes into local talent
  3. ^ http://www.bostonherald.com/jobfind/news/media/view/20110112wtkk_kicks_imus_out_adds_more_of_eagan/srvc=home&position=also WTKK kicks Imus out, adds more of Eagan
  4. ^ http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2011/04/07/contentious_talk_show_host_severin_fired/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+Today%27s+paper+A+to+Z Contentious Talk Show Host Severin Fired
  5. ^ by http://bostonherald.com/blogs/news/messenger/index.php/2011/06/14/its-official-meehan-replace-severin/
  6. ^ http://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/netgnomes/79932/whos-dropping-a-beat-into-boston/
  7. ^ http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/113639/michael-graham-exits-wtkk Michael Graham Exits WTKK
  8. ^ http://www.greatermedia.com/?p=4303
  9. ^ All Access Music Group (January 03, 2013). "Power 96.9 Now Stunting As Nova 96.9 In Boston". All Access Music Group. Retrieved January 03, 2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  10. ^ Lance Venta (January 08, 2013). "Hot 96.9 Boston Debuts". Radio Insight. Retrieved January 08, 2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  11. ^ http://www.greatermedia.com/?p=4321 Veteran Boston Morning Personality Pebbles Joins 96.9FM
  12. ^ http://www.greatermedia.com/?p=4328 Cadillac Jack Named Director of Programming
  13. ^ "Barboza Named MD at Hot 96.9". Greater Media. February 20, 2013. Retrieved March 02, 2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  14. ^ "Baltazar Returns to Boston to Co-Host Mornings on Hot 96.9 FM". Greater Media. March 01, 2013. Retrieved March 02, 2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  15. ^ http://www.bostonradio.org/stations/25050
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