WQMU (92.5 FM) is a

hot adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet ...

radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radi ...

. It is owned and operated by

Renda Broadcasting Renda Broadcasting (RBC) is a privately held Pittsburgh-based radio broadcasting company founded by chief executive, Tony Renda. Renda Broadcasting operates stations in Pennsylvania and Florida. Most stations are identified as “A hometown radio ...

History

WQMU signed on in August 1968 at 103.1 MHz. From the day of its first sign-on until January 1990, WQMU was mostly automated, with formats varying from beautiful music to album rock, with music delivered on 10-inch reel-to-reel tape. The WQMU call letters alluded to its position statement promising Quality MUsic'. The station did however, air a live morning show program for many of its years, hosted by Mike Cavanagh, who was with the station since its sign-on in 1968 until 2007. In January 1990, WQMU began a relationship with the Transtar Radio Network (now Westwood One), first affiliating with the network's "Niche 29" format of classic rock and Top 40. The network later changed the name of the format to "Adult Rock 'n Roll", and the Transtar affiliation was later dropped in favor of another affiliation agreement with the Jones Satellite Network in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The station moved to 92.5 after then owner RMS Media petitioned the FCC for an FM license north of Indiana at 103.3 FM in Brookville. In order for the new station to go on the air, WQMU would have to move its frequency, which took place in 1997. WQMU was then marketed as "The Planet" and continue to play Adult Rock 'n Roll until 2000. That year, U-92.5 was born with a U2 tour tie in. Many changes were taking place in the business and airstaff positions, the biggest coming in 2004.

had already acquired rival stations

WCCS WCCS (1160 AM) is a commercially licensed American radio station, in Homer City, Pennsylvania, about 50 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, and 25 miles northwest of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. WCCS broadcasts with a maximum daytime power output of 10 ...

& WLCY with plans of relocating them to a renovated building at 840 Philadelphia St., in downtown Indiana, PA. In 2004 RMS Media Management finalized the sale of both WQMU and

WDAD WDAD (1450 AM) is a radio station in Indiana County, Pennsylvania. It is owned and operated by Renda Broadcasting. History WDAD was the first radio station in Indiana County, and was one of the first radio stations in the nation granted licens ...

to Renda. In need of additional studio space to accommodate four radio stations (

, WLCY, WQMU), Renda Broadcasting acquired the former Gatti Pharmacy building at the corner of 9th and Philadelphia Streets in downtown Indiana, where the four stations and its business operations occupy the first and second floors. WQMU is now marketed as U92.5, using a new logo designed to tie in closely with the changing mascot of IUP. The new location has 3 studios with ground level windows looking into the busy intersection at 9th and Philadelphia Streets. WQMU is slightly tucked into the building down 9th, but the studio is still visible from the sidewalk.Jim DeCesare, Renda Operations Director

Sports

Since 2006, WQMU has been the voice of IUP Crimson Hawk Sports with Sports Director Jack Benedict. Starting in 2007, WQMU became the home for

Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...

hockey. U92.5 FM is also the local affiliate station for the Pittsburgh Steelers Football Network.

Local Sports

WQMU features Heritage Conference football games in the Fall and many basketball games in the Winter.

References

External links

* {{coord, 40.638, N, 79.146, W, type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC, display=title QMU Indiana County, Pennsylvania Renda Broadcasting radio stations