Update 5/6: After testing for almost a month, 102.3 WWQB has debuted its permanent format with a simulcast of LM Communications’ Classic Hits “100.9 The Mix” WMXE Charleston, WV.
The move expands the “Mix” brand to a second market, while filling a musical niche in the Huntington market. LM’s “Rock 105.1” WKLC St. Albans serves both markets, which also share a television market.
Original Report 4/9: A frequency shift has brought a new signal into Huntington, WV.
102.3 WUGO Grayson, KY has relocated to 99.7 in order to allow 99.7 WWQB Westwood to shift to 102.3 and into the heart of the Huntington market. WUGO spent March 28 off-the-air in order to make the engineering changes for its move to 99.7. WUGO, owned by Carter County Broadcasting, serves the northeaster corner of Kentucky with a Full Service AC format branded as “99.7 Lite-FM“. It’s programming also includes University of Kentucky, Cincinnati Reds, and local high school sports.
The new to air 102.3 WWQB began testing last week with a mix of 80s and 90s music and sweepers directing WUGO listeners to the new frequency. The only station owned by Murfreesboro, TN based Serge Martin Enterprises, the new station is operating from a tower in Burlington, OH just north of Huntington, WV with 3.4kW at 133 meters. It has already filed an application to upgrade from a Class A to a B1 with 15kW at 131 meters. No word yet on when the station will fully begin operation or what the permanent format will be.
Lou Pickney
It will be interesting to see if 102.3 WWQB keeps the 80s-leaning Variety Hits format that it’s playing now, but for the moment it is filling a rather large format void in the market. The songs are familiar but most haven’t been in rotation in this market in some time, save for the 90s grunge rock mixed in on the rock stations here. For the moment WWQB is running unbranded and jockless with either cold segues or a liner about WUGO moving to 99.7 FM between songs.
Signal strength is an issue, particularly in the downtown Huntington area and over by Marshall University, but the upgrade to Class B1 status should help with that.