WQOP

WQOP (1460 AM) is a radio station licensed to serve Jacksonville, Florida. The station is owned by Relevant Radio, Inc., and broadcasts a Catholic radio format.

For the Atlantic Beach, Florida radio station that held the call sign WQOP at 1600 AM from 1997 to 2010, see WZNZ.
WQOP
CityJacksonville, Florida
Broadcast areaJacksonville, Florida
Frequency1460 kHz
BrandingRelevant Radio
Programming
FormatCatholic
AffiliationsRelevant Radio
Ownership
OwnerRelevant Radio, Inc.
WZNZ
History
Former call signs
WMBR (1933-1975)
WPDQ (1975–1987)
WFYV (1987–1992)
WZZN (1992)
WZNZ (1992–2010)
Technical information
Facility ID51976
ClassB
Power15,000 watts day
5,000 watts night
Transmitter coordinates
30°19′40″N 81°44′49″W
Links
WebcastListen Live
Websiterelevantradio.com

History

WMBR began operating in Tampa in 1927 on 1210 kHz, changing to 1370 kHz at the end of 1929. WMBR relocated to Jacksonville in 1933, after the Federal Radio Commission approved the move at the request of station owner Frank J. Reynolds.[1] In the 1960s, WMBR aired a Top 40 format and was known as "The Jacksonville Tiger". This gave Jacksonville a third station in the format, behind the higher-rated WAPE and WPDQ. DJ's heard included Dick Blanchard, Brad "The Bad" Bradford, and Mike Davenport.[2] WMBR and WPDQ switched frequencies (and licenses) in 1975, with WPDQ relocating from 600 kHz and WMBR relocating to the lower frequency.

In the late 1980s, WFYV was affiliated with Z-ROCK, a now-defunct network that aired a "Heavy Metal" music format.

From 1991 to 1997, WQOP operated with the call letters WFYV and was a news station, broadcasting CNN programming. Prior to that, it simulcast WFYV-FM ("Rock 105"). In 1996, this station was one of six stations in the Paxson Communications Jacksonville station group.[3]

In September 1997, Paxson Jacksonville License, L.P., received a license to operate the station as WQOP to serve the Jacksonville, Florida area.[4] The station was on the air as early as February 1998.[5] As of January 1998, the station was owned or operated by Clear Channel Radio,[6] which it would be until Concord Media, Inc. took it over in 1999.[7]

In 2001, the station switched from a Contemporary Christian music format to a business-talk format.[8]

In 2003, Salem Communications purchased the station from Concord Media Group as part of a four-station deal valued at $9.25 million.[9] It retained the existing format.[10] It switched to a sports talk format known as "Rumble 1460".[11] As sports talk station, WQOP aired Jacksonville University baseball games as well as "Mike and Mike in the Mornings," "The Real Deal Show," "The Dan Patrick Show," and "The Frank Frangie Show."[12]

In December 2006, Chesapeake-Portsmouth Broadcasting purchased the station as part of a three-station deal valued at $2.8 million.[13][14] and referred to its programming as "The River of Life". The programming consisted of a mixture of local and syndicated religious oriented programming.[15] The station remained an affiliate of the Atlanta Braves radio network, a Major League Baseball affiliation that was left over from the days when the station was a sports radio station. As of July 2008, the former website is still available (1460theriver.com).

WQOP broadcast religious programming from April 2007 to January 2008, and prior to that, it was a sports station affiliated with ESPN sports radio. It had a mix of local and national sports talk shows during this period.

As of January 2008, the station was operated by Andy Johnson.[16] It broadcasts a mix of liberal, moderate, and conservative talk shows and is affiliated with CBS. It is also affiliated with national talk show hosts Ed Schultz (Jones Radio Network), Thom Hartmann (Air America Radio), and Lou Dobbs (United Stations). It also airs various Westwood One programs, including "Morning In America" with Jim Bohannon, "The Twilight Zone Radio Dramas", and "Beatle Brunch".

In May 2008, the transfer of the license from Chesapeake-Portsmouth Broadcasting to Queen of Peace Radio, Inc. was announced in accordance with FCC regulations.[17] The assignment of license was approved on July 14, 2008, and the deal was consummated on July 29, 2008.[18]

Until July 30, 2008, WQOP was a "progressive" talk show format station, carrying a mix of syndicated and local programming.[19]

WQOP featured live, local issues-driven talk programming in the Jacksonville radio market. It served as a community sounding board with hosts such as Andy Johnson, a local talk radio fixture who has been on the air in the market for twenty years. Other hosts were also featured in the daily weekday broadcast lineup, and the topics of discussion varied from local issues to national interests.

WQOP was also home to unique music programs, especially during the weekends. All shows are locally produced in-house and include "Americana Saturday Night" with host Big Cosmo, "Progressive Roots" featuring politically driven folk music of the past and present hosted by Ken Connors and Ce Ce Sevrin, and "I, The Indie Music Show", hosted by John Maycumber, which was an eclectic mix of punk and electronica.[16]

On July 30, 2008, most of the news and talk programming moved to sister station WBOB after the sale of the station to Queen of Peace Radio was consummated on July 29, 2008. The station was sold to Immaculate Heart Media, Inc. in September 2019.[20][21] On Sept 23, 2019, 1460AM and 1600AM became a part of Relevant Radio Network.

References
  1. "Radio Station WMBR to Move". Tampa Daily Tines. 11 December 1933.
  2. "WMBR Radio Surveys". Airheads Radio Survey Archive. Retrieved 2019-05-07.
  3. "Paxson Communications Co. Buys Another Jacksonville, Fla., Station". The Florida Times-Union. 1996-09-13. West Palm Beach-based Paxson already owns WPLA/93.3, WROO/107.3, WFSJ-FM/97.9, WNZS (AM)/930 and WZNZ (AM)/1460 in Jacksonville.
  4. "REPORT NO. 44078". FCC Broadcast Actions. 1997-09-17. Retrieved 2008-06-03.
  5. "JBJ offers new services to readers". Jacksonville Business Journal. 1997-02-07. Retrieved 2008-06-03.
  6. "Jacksonville radio station changes from talk to rock". Jacksonville Business Journal. 1998-01-19. Retrieved 2008-06-03.
  7. "Report No. 44515". FCC Broadcast Actions. 1999-06-24. Retrieved 2008-06-03.
  8. "WZNZ debuts business talk format". Jacksonville Business Journal. 2001-01-05. Retrieved 2008-06-03.
  9. Basch, Mark (2003-02-13). "Firm to Buy Four Jacksonville, Fla., Radio Stations". Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News. Salem Communications Corp. filed an application Monday with the Federal Communications Commission to acquire WBGB (106.5 FM), WJGR (1320 AM), WZAZ (1400 AM) and WZNZ (1460 AM) for $9.25 million.
  10. Stuart, Devan (2003-08-27). "Radio Market Shifting". Jacksonville Business Journal. Retrieved 2008-06-03.
  11. Basch, Mark (2003-04-17). "Jacksonville, Fla., to Gain Third Sports Radio Station". Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News. Jacksonville already has WFXJ (930 AM), a Fox Sports affiliate owned by Clear Channel Communications Inc., and WZNZ (1460 AM), an ESPN affiliate.
  12. "Baseball to Air on ESPN 1460 and 1320, The Patriot". CBS College Sports. 2005-03-10. Jacksonville University has signed a contract with Salem Communications to broadcast more than 25 Dolphins baseball games live on Jacksonville's ESPN 1460 (WZNZ) and AM 1320, The Patriot (WJGR), during the 2005 season. The broadcast schedule includes 26 regular-season games, in addition to all Atlantic Sun Conference and NCAA postseason action. [...] ESPN 1460 was also home to Mike and Mike in the Mornings, The Real Deal Show, The Dan Patrick Show, and The Frank Frangie Show.
  13. "Salem Communications Agrees to Sell Radio Stations in Jacksonville, Fla". Business Wire. 2006-09-18. Salem Communications Corporation (Nasdaq:SALM), a leading U.S. radio broadcaster, Internet content provider and magazine publisher targeting audiences interested in Christian and family-themed content and conservative values, today announced it has entered into an agreement to sell WZAZ (1400 AM), WJGR (1320 AM) and WZNZ (1460 AM) serving the Jacksonville, Florida market to Chesapeake-Portsmouth Broadcasting Corporation for $2.8 million.
  14. Witkowski, Rachel (2007-08-03). "Host and station a match made in heaven". Jacksonville Business Journal. Retrieved 2008-06-03.
  15. Gibbons, Timothy J. (2006-09-21). "Cox Radio to move AM offerings to WBGB-FM". Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville, FL). Archived from the original on 2012-10-20. The other two stations Chesapeake bought -- WZAZ (1400 AM) and WZNZ (1460 AM) -- will not see major changes, Hoot said.
  16. "Jacksonville gets progressive". Retrieved 2008-06-03.
  17. "REPORT NO. 26732". FCC Broadcast Applications. 2008-05-08. Retrieved 2008-06-03.
  18. "Application Search Details (BAL-20080505ACE)". FCC Media Bureau. 2008-07-29.
  19. WZNZ, Radio Time, accessed 2008-06-03
  20. "Immaculate Heart Media Buys Two AMs In Jacksonville", All Access Music Group. August 13, 2019. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  21. Application Search Details – BAL-20190812AAR, fcc.gov. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
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