WQNS (105.1 FM, "Rock 105.1") is a

mainstream rock Mainstream rock (also known as heritage rock) is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada. Format background Mainstream rock stations represent a cross between classic rock, active rock and alternativ ...

radio station in

Asheville, North Carolina Asheville ( ) is a city in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. Located at the confluence of the French Broad River, French Broad and Swannanoa River, Swannanoa rivers, it is the county seat of Buncombe County. It is the most populou ...

. The station is owned by

iHeartMedia iHeartMedia, Inc., or CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc., formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc., a company founded by ...

History

WQNS signed on in 1979 at 104.9 FM and played

easy listening Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to the 1970s. It is related to middle of the road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit s ...

music (the

call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally as ...

stood for "Waynesville's Quiet New Sound"). When the station sold, it turned

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

and was branded Q-105 "Always Your Country". In 1990, WQNS and WHCC owner KAT Communications of

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Myrtle Beach is a resort city on the East Coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is located in the center of a long and continuous stretch of beach known as the "Grand Strand” in the northeastern part of the state. Its ...

, filed for

Chapter 11 Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code ( Title 11 of the United States Code) permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Such reorganization, known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is available to every business, w ...

, but the stations were doing well and no changes were planned. On October 28, 1997, the format changed to

classic rock Classic rock is a radio format that developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, it comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the early-1990s, primarily focusing on comm ...

and country music moved to WHCC (now WMXF). On September 20, 1999, WQNS was paired with

WQNQ WQNQ (104.3 FM broadcasting, FM) is a United States radio station serving the Asheville, North Carolina, area. The station has a Contemporary hit radio, Top 40 (CHR) music format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The station is known on the air ...

(formerly

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 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...

WMXF), and the two stations became "Rock 104". Clear Channel (forerunner of iHeartMedia) bought the three stations in 2001. In 2005, the simulcast was broken off after WQNQ's signal was upgraded and changed back to

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 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...

, but 104.9's Classic Rock format remained. On January 10, 2014, WQNS completed its move to

Woodfin, North Carolina Woodfin is a town in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 6,123 as of the 2010 census. It is part of the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town is named for Nicholas Washington Woodfin, a renowned law ...

, by moving its tower into Asheville and moving from 104.9 FM to 105.1 FM and rebranded as "Rock 105.1". The

Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, internet, wi-fi, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains j ...

issued the license for the move to Woodfin and 105.1 FM on June 25, 2014.

References

External links

* * QNS Mainstream rock radio stations in the United States IHeartMedia radio stations Buncombe County, North Carolina Radio stations established in 1979 1979 establishments in North Carolina {{NorthCarolina-radio-station-stub