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103.1/Rocky Mount

B

B Lewis

Guest
Hi All,

I am getting Life 103.1 loud and clear in Roanoke Rapids this morning. However, I am actually having trouble getting some of the local stations. I am getting Q98 in Fayetteville, with a local 97.9. However, 103.1 seems a little clear to be a skip. Is the Rocky Mount transmitter on? I couldn't hang around for a Legal ID. For about 15 minutes, I just heard music and liners, no announcer.
 
I was picking it up between Roanoke Rapids and Murfreesboro. This is what you were getting. I actually heard the Legal ID. It is WLHC from the Sanford, NC area. I was having a hard time getting the locals too. I was traveling about 7 AM between Rocky Mount and Roanoke Rapids and could barely get WZRU 90.1.
 
I noticed some 'strange reception' late last week and through the weekend, especially early in the morning. I thought it was possible, because I was having a hard time getting some locals, that I could have been getting a skip (I have heard Life 103.1/Southern Pines) here...not clear, but I have heard them. That morning, 97.9 and 102.3 sounded like distant stations. I was getting Go Mix 90.1 (but, I am not terribly far from the tower...however, nor were you the morning you mentioned).

Since then, I have heard them ID themselves as WLQC Sharpsburg/Wilson. They are quite clear most of the time around Roanoke Rapids.
 
Yes they are on the air I live in Rocky Mount and they come in strong. I believe it is a 6kW allocation. They are playing a mix of oldies and soft stuff like Sinatra. I did hear a jock female there today, but sounded canned and not a local voice track.
 
Does anyone know what the call letters are?, I guess they chose to simulcast their sister station "Life 103.1"
in the Sandhills, and where are their studios and offices?
 
It's WLQC, Sharpsburg. I live in Durham and listen to Life 103.1 WLHC quite a bit, even though I'm out of their Grade A coverage area.

Until now, their signal has been good enough to listen to in the car, but the two competing signals make the 103.1 spot on the dial sound like a skipping CD, since their music logs are pretty much identical, but not in synch.

The WLQC signal does not affect the radio in my house, fortunately.
 
I have also noticed the WLHC (Southern Pines) calls on Sharpsburg. It's WLHC in Southern Pines and WLQC in Sharpsburg. It seems like they are using the Southern Pines announcers, voicetracking 'LQC for now. I assume the programming is coming from a separate system in Southern Pines for now. However, I would imagine they will add live elements at some point.
 
They were off for a while this morning. As I understand it, they are still testing. I don't know if they were off intentionally or due to a problem. However, now that they are back on, their signal is stronger. I don't know if the carrier strength is actually stronger, or if they have done something to their audio processing to raise their modulation. Listening to them around 1:30, it sounded like some types of adjustments were being made to the audio processing.

I believe this station will actually fill a market void. WZRU (non-comm) was just started to really build a Rocky Mount audience, when they flipped to "Go Mix Christian Radio". Though this is more Soft A/C (in the traditional sense), there is alot of crossover between songs in their playlist and the vocals we played on WZRU's Easy Listening format. I think Rocky Mount and the surroundings are a good place for this format. Outside of the need for a real rock format, what else is left as a viable need in the area?
 
WLQC will gain an audience. It's safe and reminds me of WCCE Buies Creek before it changed to a HIS Radio relay. Of course it also sounds like the old WZRU. Which was also easily heard in Wilson before it changed into a GoMix relay.

Why can't Curtis or Inner Banks buy 'GTM and turn it into a relay?
 
The Life 103.1 format is very similar to WCCE in its "Lite and Easy 90.1" days, without much of the instrumentals. The WCCE format wheel mixed standards, elevator music/Muzak-style instrumentals, smooth jazz and soft gold-based adult conteporary, mostly the first two.
 
I see there is also a CP for a taller tower for this station. Are they already on that or they at 6 K on the shorter tower. I think on the taller tower they are 4.5 kw.
 
Thanks for bringing up the good old days of WCCE.

The music library in the early 90's did include a fair dose of the old "Beautiful Music" format instrumentals. As rapidly as possible, they were phased out and the true core of the "Light & Easy 90.1" format was Light AC and smooth jazz. We played much more Kenny G than we ever did Mantovani or 101 Strings.

Now WCCE has moved down the road and according to a friend at His Radio is beginning to do a good job for them in the Fayetteville area.

It's unlikely the best days of "Light & Easy 90.1" will be repeated any time soon. While the music can be replaced, the time, place and people can't.

Darn, that appears way too sentimental. Must be late nights and early mornings or not enough caffeine.
 
TAutry,

I too was sick to hear about CCE's death, then sale. I dug those 80's jingles, family friendly pop music, and Campbell Sports.
Amanda In The Afternoon, says "HI!"

-Todd K4JTJ


TAutry said:
Thanks for bringing up the good old days of WCCE.

The music library in the early 90's did include a fair dose of the old "Beautiful Music" format instrumentals. As rapidly as possible, they were phased out and the true core of the "Light & Easy 90.1" format was Light AC and smooth jazz. We played much more Kenny G than we ever did Mantovani or 101 Strings.

Now WCCE has moved down the road and according to a friend at His Radio is beginning to do a good job for them in the Fayetteville area.

It's unlikely the best days of "Light & Easy 90.1" will be repeated any time soon. While the music can be replaced, the time, place and people can't.

Darn, that appears way too sentimental. Must be late nights and early mornings or not enough caffeine.
Click to expand...
 
WLHC is in Sanford. WIOZ plays similar music in Southern Pines, but it's on AM. However, the WLQC signal probably reaches Southern Pines.
 
I cant stand the format. We needed a real oldies format or some kind of classic top 40 station. Either way Jammin 99.3 needs to change formats.
 
What i don't understand is why Pinestone Media decided to simulcast his other 103.1 here, they could have
hired local talent, at least for morning drive, but since they are new to the market, they want to give it time
to build a audience.
 
Actually, they are using a local automation system at the moment. The announcers are recording separate voicetracks for Sharpsburg. The studio is still being built. The playlist is the same that is running in Sanford...but, in reality, it isn't a 'simulcast' per se.
 
I only had two opportunites to listen to Life 103.1 last week, and sadly, the one time I heard music, they were playing "Green Onions" by Booker T and the MGs.

Everything else I've heard from them has been so much better.

Actually, the other time I might have heard music and just forgotten. There's a narrow window between where Lite 102.9 drowns them out and where WEOM takes over.
 
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