WMRQ-FM

WMRQ

City	Waterbury, Connecticut
Broadcast area	Hartford, Connecticut
Branding	"Radio104.1 WMRQ"
Slogan	Connecticut's Alternative
Frequency	104.1 MHz (also on HD Radio) 104.1 HD2-Tropical music "Bomba FM"
Translator(s)	97.1 W246CC (Bolton, relays HD2) 99.5 W258AL (Clinton, relays HD2) 104.5 W283BS (Bridgeport, relays HD2)
First air date	1967 (as WWCO-FM)
Format	Alternative rock
ERP	14,000 watts
HAAT	255 meters
Class	B
Facility ID	74279
Former callsigns	WURH (12/20/07 - 5/15/09) WPHH (10/01/03-12/20/07) WMRQ (3/29/95-10/01/03) WYSR (9/04/92-3/29/95) WIOF (1970s-9/04/92) WWCO-FM (12/67-before 12/72)^[1]
Owner	Red Wolf Broadcasting
Webcast	Listen Live
Website	radio1041.fm

WMRQ is an alternative rock station based in Hartford, Connecticut, in the United States. The city of license is Waterbury, Connecticut. WMRQ-FM broadcasts at 104.1 MHz with an effective radiated power of 14 kW from West Peak in Meriden, Connecticut (on a tower with WKSS), and its studios are located at 131 New London Tpke, Suite 101 in Glastonbury, Connecticut. The station broadcasts on HD Radio.

History

The station began broadcasting in 1967 as country-formatted WWCO-FM, owned by Merv Griffin. In 1972, the station changed call letters to WIOF and rebranded as "Nashville Connecticut, W-104". In 1978, the station dropped country to become Adult Contemporary-formatted "Magic 104". During the switch to Magic 104, WIOF upgraded its signal by moving its transmitter from near its studios in Prospect, Connecticut to West Peak in Meriden, Connecticut. Lou Terri was the Program Director and midday host until his death in an automobile accident in 1989. Steve Wiersman later became Program Director until 1994. Morning announcers included Bill Cleveland, Greg O'Brien and Ray Petraca. Jack Carney, who was also the voice of WVIT Channel 30 at the time, hosted the afternoon show. Jim Scott did nights, and Rick O'Connor did middays, later replaced by Ron O'Brien (a.k.a. Ron O). Weekend DJs included Greg LaPorta between 1990 and 1992.

In 1992, the station rebranded as "Star 104.1", WYSR. DJs on Star 104.1 included Brett Provo-mornings, then later afternoons (now Afternoon Drive / Production Director at WMAS Springfield, Massachusetts); Paul DeFrancisco-afternoons; Jay Hanson-weekends (now WFMX Skowhegan, Maine); Long John-weekends (WEBE108 in Westport, Connecticut alumnus); Jim Severine (WGMX and KC101 alumnus); Rich Kilbourne (a.k.a. Big Rich Baker-News, WKCI in Hamden, Connecticut alumnus); Cathy Foxx-middays; Neil Jackson-mornings; Lee Gordon-Production Director; and Race Bannon, who stayed on after October 31, 1994, for what became "Radio104 Modern Rock". Bud Fisher became WMRQ's first sales manager. Bud had appeared on Magic 104 as "Gary Hunter". Ron O became WYSR PD after Steve Wiersman departed, until the October format switch, which resulted in all programming staff being released; Lee Gordon remained as Production Director. On October 31, 1994, at midnight, the format flipped to modern rock/alternative outlet WMRQ "Radio104".^[2] Personalities such as "Jake & Beth", Dee Snider and Bubba the Love Sponge were on the station in the mornings at various points during the station's history, with Wilcow, Chaz, The Carlito Show, and Logan following after the mornings. The station also hosted popular annual events such as "The Big Day Off" and "104fest".

Due to struggling ratings, WMRQ was flipped to WPHH, "Power104.1", in September 2003. As a station playing hip hop and R&B music, WPHH solidified its position as the only mainstream urban station in the Hartford and New Haven market; its main competitor was urban-leaning rhythmic CHR WZMX (93.7 FM). Nicole Siedman served as Program Director for a short period until 2004. Mychal Maguire assumed the Program Director position thereafter. Spank Buda served as Assistant Program Director and night host for the entire duration of WPHH. Popular events included the "Hoop It Up" basketball tournament and the "Legends of Hip Hop" concert. Other DJs on Power104.1 were Mia Mendez, DJ Showtime, TT Torrez, DJ Londonn, and PJ.

On October 25, 2007, 104.1 again changed music formats, returning to the previous modern rock format. The station was programmed similar to WRFF in Philadelphia.^[3]

On December 20, 2007, 104.1 changed its call letters to WURH.^[4]

During May 2008, and almost six months after Clear Channel launched "FM 104-One" (WURH 104.1 Waterbury, Connecticut), the station named a Program Director, Becky Pohotsky, who had been the station's APD/MD and de facto PD for most of its existence.

On August 4, 2008, Clear Channel placed the station's assets into an entity called the Aloha Station Trust in order to sell off the station. This was due to Clear Channel being above the ownership limits set by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). These limits were imposed when Clear Channel was officially taken private by Bain Capital Partners on July 30, 2008.

On February 19, 2009, Ledyard, Connecticut-based Red Wolf Broadcasting Corp. announced that it had agreed to buy WURH for 8 million dollars. Red Wolf's owner, John Fuller, said the station would join his other radio properties, including WBMW (106.5 FM) and WWRX (107.7 FM), both of which serve the New London market. On May 14, 2009, local ownership Red Wolf Broadcasting took over control of the station. Their first action was to revert the station back to its WMRQ call letters, and modified name "Radio 104.1", which call was used by the station from 1995 to 2003, during its first run with modern rock.

Under the direction of Brian Ram, who serves as WMRQ's VP/Programming, the alternative rock lineup includes "Fisch in the Morning" (morning drive), Amy Grey (middays), Holden (afternoons), and Michael Maze (nights), plus weekend programs "Digital Takeover with DJ Darth Fader" and "HomeBrew Local Music Show".

In November 2009, a Spanish tropical format, "Bomba 97.5" ("The Bomb") was launched on WMRQ-HD2. The format was initially simulcast on 60-watt Bolton, Connecticut translator W248AB on 97.5. More recently, Red Wolf moved the translator to the 97.1 FM frequency (W246CC) to provide more coverage and more power. Bomba 97.1 FM is now 100 watts, reaching as far as Springfield, Massachusetts. In addition, the station added translators in Clinton and Bridgeport, Connecticut.

HD Radio

Logo of WMRQ-HD2

WMRQ-HD1 (Radio 104.1)
WMRQ-HD2 (Bomba FM) Spanish Tropical

Translators

Template:RadioTranslator

References

↑ I have a 5th Anniversary promotion card from W104 Nashville,Conn.U.S.A. post marked 7 Dec 1972 from Middlebury, Conn.
↑ http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1994/RR-1994-11-04.pdf
↑
↑

External links

Query the FCC's FM station database for WMRQ

Radio-Locator information on WMRQ

Radio stations in the Hartford–New Britain–Middletown, Connecticut market

By AM frequency	840 910 1080 1150 1170 1230 1290 1360 1410 1480 1550 Springfield, Massachusetts 560

By FM frequency	88.9 89.3 89.9 90.5 91.3 92.5 93.7 94.5 95.7 96.5 97.3 97.9 99.1 100.5 101.3 102.9 104.1 104.9 105.9 106.9 Springfield, Massachusetts 93.1 94.7 102.1

By callsign	WAQY WCCC WCTF WDRC WDRC-FM WERB WHCN WHYN WHYN-FM WIHS WJMJ WKCI-FM WKND WKSS WLAT WMAS-FM WMRD WMRQ-FM WNEZ WNPR WNWW WPLR WPOP WQTQ WRCH WRYM WSDK WTIC WTIC-FM WUCS WWUH WWYZ WZBG WZMX

Connecticut radio markets Bridgeport Danbury Hartford–New Britain–Middletown New Haven New London Stamford–Norwalk See also List of radio stations in Connecticut

Radio stations in the New Haven, Connecticut market

By AM frequency	690 960 1220 1260 1300 1340 1450 1500

By FM frequency	89.9 90.1 90.5 91.1 91.5 92.5 93.7 94.3 95.1 95.7 98.1 98.3 99.1 99.9 100.5 101.3 102.9 104.1 105.9 107.9

By callsign	W252AS WADS WAVZ WCUM WDRC-FM WEBE WELI WEZN-FM WFIF WGRS WHCN WKCI-FM WKSS WMRQ-FM WNPR WPLR WQAQ WQUN WRCH WRKI WRXC WSHU WSHU-FM WWEB WWYZ WYBC WYBC-FM WZMX plus most Hartford (AM and FM) and New York City (AM only)radio stations

Connecticut radio markets Bridgeport Danbury Hartford–New Britain–Middletown New Haven New London Stamford–Norwalk See also List of radio stations in Connecticut

Radio stations in the Bridgeport, Connecticut market

By AM frequency	600 690 960 1260 1450 1500 1530

By FM frequency	88.1 88.5 89.5 91.1 95.9 96.7 99.9 107.9

By callsign	WADS WCUM WDJZ WEBE WELI WEZN-FM WFIF WFOX WICC WKLV-FM WMNR WPKN WRKI WSHU WSHU-FM WVOF plus some New York City, Long Island, other Connecticut and Hudson Valley radio stations

Connecticut radio markets Bridgeport Danbury Hartford–New Britain–Middletown New Haven New London Stamford–Norwalk NYC Metro Markets Long Island Hudson Valley [partial] Poughkeepsie Middlesex-Somerset-Union Monmouth-Ocean Morristown Bridgeport Danbury New Haven Stamford-Norwalk See also List of radio stations in Connecticut

Coordinates: 41°33′40″N 72°50′38″W / 41.561°N 72.844°W / 41.561; -72.844

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