WQCR
| City | Alabaster, Alabama |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Birmingham, Alabama |
| Branding | Juan AM 1500 |
| Frequency | 1500 kHz |
| First air date | 1981 (as WQMS) |
| Format | Spanish Adult Hits |
| Power |
2,300 watts (day) 1,200 watts (critical hours) 3 watts (night) |
| Class | D |
| Facility ID | 72131 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 33°12′27.00″N 86°45′34.00″W / 33.2075000°N 86.7594444°W |
| Former callsigns |
WQMS (1981-1984) WGTT (1984-2000)[1] |
| Owner | Rivera Communications, LLC |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | juanalabama.com |
WQCR (1500 AM, "Juan AM 1500") is a radio station licensed to serve Alabaster, Alabama, USA. The station is owned by Rivera Communications, LLC.
WQCR broadcasts a Spanish adult hits music format to the Birmingham, Alabama, area.[2][3] This station, WJHX, and WZGX comprise the "La 10 Q" radio network that covers central Alabama, north Alabama, and central Tennessee.
History
This station received its original construction permit for a new 1,000 watt daytime-only AM station at 1500 kHz from the Federal Communications Commission on April 23, 1981.[4] The new station was assigned the call letters WQMS by the FCC on July 27, 1981.[1] WQMS received its license to cover from the FCC on October 30, 1981.[5] The station initially broadcast an adult contemporary format and targeted Shelby County, but was not very successful competing against Birmingham stations such as WSGN, WAPI, WERC and, by 1983, WMJJ.
The station applied for new call letters and was assigned WGTT on December 1, 1984.[1] In December 1987, Metrosouth Broadcasting, Inc., reached an agreement to sell this station to Fanning Broadcasting Company, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on January 27, 1988, and the transaction was consummated on February 1, 1988.[6] At that time, the station changed formats and began playing Southern gospel music.
In March 1992, Fanning Broadcasting Company, Inc., contracted to sell this station to WGTT, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on April 21, 1992, and the transaction was consummated on May 7, 1992.[7]
The station was assigned the current WQCR call letters on December 21, 2000.[1] WQCR was granted a new construction permit to increase daytime broadcasting power to 2,300 watts, critical hours power to 1,200 watts, and add nighttime service at 3 watts.[8] The FCC issued a license to cover the completed upgrade on March 6, 2003.[9]
In November 2005, WGTT, Inc., reached an agreement to sell this station to Maria G. Esparza. The deal was approved by the FCC on December 29, 2005, and the transaction was consummated on February 10, 2006.[10]
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Call Sign History". FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database.
- ↑ "Station Information Profile". Arbitron.
- ↑ DeButts, Jimmy (February 9, 2007). "Hispanic radio station launched". Birmingham Business Journal.
- ↑ "Application Search Details (BP-19800923AA )". FCC Media Bureau. April 23, 1981.
- ↑ "Application Search Details (BL-19810925AK)". FCC Media Bureau. October 30, 1981.
- ↑ "Application Search Details (BAL-19871201EA)". FCC Media Bureau. February 1, 1988.
- ↑ "Application Search Details (BAL-19920312EA)". FCC Media Bureau. May 7, 1992.
- ↑ "Application Search Details (BP-20001211ADF)". FCC Media Bureau. February 13, 2001.
- ↑ "Application Search Details (BL-20021220AEO)". FCC Media Bureau. March 6, 2003.
- ↑ "Application Search Details (BAL-20051116ADS)". FCC Media Bureau. February 10, 2006.
External links
- Query the FCC's AM station database for WQCR
- Radio-Locator Information on WQCR
- Query Nielsen Audio's AM station database for WQCR