NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Don Peterson, III For Immediate Release
Program Director: WDJQ/WDPN Radio
Phone: (330) 450-9250
RADIO STATION Q92 ACQUIRES NEW CALL LETTERS
ALLIANCE, STARK COUNTY, OHIO MARCH 7, 2008. Radio station Q92 has acquired the call letters W-D-J-Q previously found on that frequency from 1980 until 1992.
“This was a major undertaking and we are elated to be given this opportunity to make the change. It means a great deal to me, my family and most of all, my staff,” explains Station Manager Don Peterson, III. “There has been an underlying disconnect between the station positioning statement, ‘Today’s Hit Music, Q92’ and our call letters, W-Z-K-L. We have always had the intention of re-acquiring the W-D-J-Q call letters ever since becoming Q92 in September of 2002. The opportunity was investigated and finally after a great deal of effort, we were able to get it done.”
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) assigned the W-D-J-Q call sign to a vessel named the Damon B. Bankston after the station dropped the call sign in 1992. The station worked through the management company for the vessel, the United States Coast Guard and the FCC to make the change a reality. According to several employees at the FCC, this is the first time a call sign has been “decommissioned” by a vessel at the request of a radio station attempting to acquire that specific call sign.
The history of the W-D-J-Q call sign dates back to the 1980 when the original “Q92” came into existence. It replaced W-F-A-H which the station held since it had been founded in 1947 by Arthur Hoiles as a tribute to his father, Frank Austin Hoiles (FAH). Station management at the time of the switch in 1980, selected WDJQ in part because the names of the station owners began with the letter D and the letter J (Don and Josephine (Hoiles) Peterson as did their children (Don Jr. and Jill). The “Q” was selected because it rhymed with the dial position 92.
The station changed call signs to WZKL in 1992 when it became an Oldies station “Kool 92”.
“This change should eliminate any confusion between our “brand” on-air and our station call letters. We have been very fortunate that our listeners understand and identify us as “Q92”. This will help us with everyone else to ultimately put WDJQ with Q92,” Peterson noted. “It took a tremendous amount of patience to wait until we were able to make this switch. Five and a half years ago, we had experienced so much change musically and with the staff that, in my opinion, it would have been a big mistake to add on new call letters. It would have compromised the initial goals of the “new” station. And that was, to try to capture the feeling and heritage of the Q92, WDJQ brand. Now the on-air staff and the account executives at the station can tell the whole call sign story, with a happy ending.”
Q-92 is a 50,000 watt Top 40 station and is Canton’s Hit Music Station. It is also NE Ohio’s first FM station and Stark County’s only locally owned FM radio station.
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Contact: Don Peterson, III For Immediate Release
Program Director: WDJQ/WDPN Radio
Phone: (330) 450-9250
RADIO STATION Q92 ACQUIRES NEW CALL LETTERS
ALLIANCE, STARK COUNTY, OHIO MARCH 7, 2008. Radio station Q92 has acquired the call letters W-D-J-Q previously found on that frequency from 1980 until 1992.
“This was a major undertaking and we are elated to be given this opportunity to make the change. It means a great deal to me, my family and most of all, my staff,” explains Station Manager Don Peterson, III. “There has been an underlying disconnect between the station positioning statement, ‘Today’s Hit Music, Q92’ and our call letters, W-Z-K-L. We have always had the intention of re-acquiring the W-D-J-Q call letters ever since becoming Q92 in September of 2002. The opportunity was investigated and finally after a great deal of effort, we were able to get it done.”
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) assigned the W-D-J-Q call sign to a vessel named the Damon B. Bankston after the station dropped the call sign in 1992. The station worked through the management company for the vessel, the United States Coast Guard and the FCC to make the change a reality. According to several employees at the FCC, this is the first time a call sign has been “decommissioned” by a vessel at the request of a radio station attempting to acquire that specific call sign.
The history of the W-D-J-Q call sign dates back to the 1980 when the original “Q92” came into existence. It replaced W-F-A-H which the station held since it had been founded in 1947 by Arthur Hoiles as a tribute to his father, Frank Austin Hoiles (FAH). Station management at the time of the switch in 1980, selected WDJQ in part because the names of the station owners began with the letter D and the letter J (Don and Josephine (Hoiles) Peterson as did their children (Don Jr. and Jill). The “Q” was selected because it rhymed with the dial position 92.
The station changed call signs to WZKL in 1992 when it became an Oldies station “Kool 92”.
“This change should eliminate any confusion between our “brand” on-air and our station call letters. We have been very fortunate that our listeners understand and identify us as “Q92”. This will help us with everyone else to ultimately put WDJQ with Q92,” Peterson noted. “It took a tremendous amount of patience to wait until we were able to make this switch. Five and a half years ago, we had experienced so much change musically and with the staff that, in my opinion, it would have been a big mistake to add on new call letters. It would have compromised the initial goals of the “new” station. And that was, to try to capture the feeling and heritage of the Q92, WDJQ brand. Now the on-air staff and the account executives at the station can tell the whole call sign story, with a happy ending.”
Q-92 is a 50,000 watt Top 40 station and is Canton’s Hit Music Station. It is also NE Ohio’s first FM station and Stark County’s only locally owned FM radio station.
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