WFBQ
Broadcast areaIndianapolis metropolitan area
Frequency94.7 MHz (HD Radio)
BrandingQ95
Programming
FormatClassic rock
SubchannelsHD2: Sports (WNDE simulcast)
AffiliationsWestwood One
Ownership
Owner
WNDE, WOLT, WZRL, W248AW
History
First air date
1955
Former call signs
WFBM-FM (1955–1973)
Call sign meaning
disambiguation of former WFBM calls,
Q (long-popular branding for rock stations)
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID59590
ClassB
ERP58,000 watts
HAAT245 meters (804 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
39°53′41.2″N 86°12′2.3″W / 39.894778°N 86.200639°W / 39.894778; -86.200639
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen Live
Websiteq95.iheart.com

WFBQ (94.7 FM, "Q95") is a radio station in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, owned by iHeartMedia. The studios are located at 6161 Fall Creek Road on the northeast side of Indianapolis. The transmitter and antenna are located on the northwest side of Indianapolis. It is the flagship station of the popular nationally syndicated program The Bob & Tom Show.

History

WFBQ began operation as WFBM-FM in 1955 as the sister station to WFBM (now WNDE) and WFBM-TV (now WRTV).

In 1957, all three WFBM stations were sold to Time-Life, Inc. In 1961, the two WFBM radio stations were sold to Fischer Communications, who also owned WAZY/WAZY-FM in Lafayette and WGBF/WGBF-FM in Evansville. In 1972, WFBM-TV became WRTV. In August 1973, WFBM became the Top 40 WNDE. WFBM-FM had become Oldies-formatted WFBQ earlier that same year. One year later, WFBQ was rebranded as "Rockin' Stereo!" (the FM Top 40 counterpart to AM sister WNDE) using an automation package called "Stereo Rock" produced by TM Productions of Dallas. On Valentine's Day, 1978, "Rockin' Stereo!" was dropped in favor of an AOR format and live DJs.

One popular afternoon jock who had significant ties to the Indianapolis area was Jimmy "Mad Dog" Matis.[2]

Station broadcasting information

The station broadcasts with 58 kilowatts of both vertical and horizontal power. More information can be found at the WFBQ FM query page at the FCC website. 58 kW makes WFBQ the most powerful FM station in Indiana.

WFBQ is licensed to broadcast in the HD Radio format.[3][4]

Programming

WFBQ changed to an Album Rock format on February 14, 1978, at 7 AM. After several years of a classic rock lean, WFBQ changed to classic rock by 2005, when competitor WKLU defected to classic hits.

It also has two sister stations, WNDE (originally WFBM) and WOLT (originally WXTZ-FM, later WRZX).

WFBQ has been the home of The Bob & Tom Show since 1983, remaining the flagship station even after distribution switched from iHeartMedia to rival Cumulus Media in 2014.

It was the flagship station for Indianapolis Colts game broadcasts [5] from 1998 through the 2007 Super Bowl. The rights have since been acquired by Emmis Communications' WLHK.

WFBQ is the State Primary Source for the Indiana Emergency Alert System.[6]

Legacy

At a 1991 Guns N' Roses concert in Noblesville, Indiana, frontman Axl Rose (a Lafayette native) spotted a fan wearing a Q95 T-shirt and proceeded to tell the crowd about how he listened to Q95 while growing up. Rose said to the fans, "You know what?! That station saved my freakin' life."[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for WFBQ". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ↑ "Emmis, Colts hire ex-Q95 jock 'Mad Dog' Matis". Ibj.com. 29 July 2010. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  3. ↑ FCC Internet Services Staff. "Station Search Details". Licensing.fcc.gov. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  4. ↑ "HD Radio station guide for Indianapolis, IN". Hdradio.com. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  5. ↑ "The Official Website of the Indianapolis Colts". Archived from the original on July 9, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2006.
  6. ↑ "Revised Interim State: Emergency Alert System Plan" (PDF). Media.graytvinc.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-01-13. Retrieved 2015-08-25.
  7. ↑ Guns N' Roses - Dust N' Bones - Indiana '91. YouTube. 16 May 2008. Retrieved 23 August 2015.

39°53′41″N 86°12′02″W / 39.894778°N 86.200639°W / 39.894778; -86.200639

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