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. 1 2 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. 1 2 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.

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


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