Q105's 40th anniversary is 2013

[Tim]

Yes, it won't officially happen til December 13th, 2013...but, I'd like to say "happy birthday Q105!". You're 40!

I was an air personality on the original Q105 airstaff. Was working afternoon drive at top 40 WGCL in Cleveland...when I lucked out big time: WRVQ/Richmond, Va. PD Bill Garcia hired me for 6pm-10pm at Southern Broadcasting's new FM station: Q105 in Tampa.

My wife & I arrived in Tampa the end of November '73...and I helped Bill & our excellent Chief Engineer Ralph Beaver wherever I could getting ready for Q105's launch a few weeks later (the station was totally dark/off the air for a number of months). I remember many hours in the production room with those red carts.

At 6:04pm, on Thursday, December 13, 1973...I was honored to be the first jock ever heard on Q105, and picked the Staple Singers "If You're Ready (Come Go With Me)" as our first song ever as Q105.

"WEZX Tampa IS Q105"...I said...with what seemed like thousands of employees and owners in the halls at Q105 for the launch (more like 20 or 30 folks!).

Q105 rapidly became huge in Tampa Bay.....pulling an 8% share in our first book), thanks to a great staff on and off the radio...and it stayed that way for many years....as a 100,000 watt FM-stereo top 40 station in the days AM radio was still king. It was an amazing experience.

40 years later...as I look back on my lifetime in radio...my 4 years in Q105 were the absolute best. What a thrill to win, and win HUGE. Pweh!

I was blessed to have that opportunity. Thanks, Bill, and everybody on the original Q105/Tampa staff. And, happy 40th...Q105! All the best to the current Q105 staff, as well.

 

[radiodood]

Maybe my memory is fuzzy, but I thought the original call letters of WRBQ were WPKM...not WEZX

 

[Frank Ferreri]

Legendary radio station. Glad to see you mention Bill Garcia. Bill is truly one of the finest people and broadcasters ever to walk into a radio station.

 

[frankberry]

Maybe my memory is fuzzy, but I thought the original call letters of WRBQ were WPKM...not WEZX

WPKM became WEZX and then WRBQ.

 

[badjef]

Except THAT Q-105 left the air in '93 and went Country eventually becoming "104.7 The Bee".

The Q-105, today, originated as U-92 in 1989, moved up the dial to 104.7 in '04, when the Country station moved to 92.5, and renamed "Oldies 104.7" soon after to "Q-105" as in a bad Dallas sleepy episode with Patrick Duffy.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

 

[Frank Ferreri]

"The Bee" was/is radio's version of "New Coke". Why in the love of Pete would someone throw away legendary logo/calls????

 

[badjef]

"The Bee" was/is radio's version of "New Coke". Why in the love of Pete would someone throw away legendary logo/calls????

The only good thing to come out of that were the jingles for "Rise Up Country" with John Ritter on Sunday Mornings.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

 

[FightingIrish]

"The Bee" was/is radio's version of "New Coke". Why in the love of Pete would someone throw away legendary logo/calls????

I guess the Power Pig really destroyed them. Prior to their arrival, I had a chance to hear Q105 when I was down there for Spring Break in '89. Apparently they had no CHR competition because they were TERRIBLE! What kind of CHR in the late 80s still played the friggin' Beach Boys??? Meanwhile, the music that was blasting on the beaches sounded nothing like what Q105 thought of their audience. They were completely out of touch. At that time, Q105 was the worst Top 40 station I had ever heard!

They got a severe ass-whuppin' by WFLZ, when they switched to the format. Power 93 obviously knew what their listeners wanted to hear, and Q105 deserved their roasting, though I do think WFLZ went a bit over the top with their attacks. Nonetheless, I'm sure few people shed tears when Q105 was chased out of the format.