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WYQS

WYQS
Frequency90.5 MHz
BrandingBPR Classic
Programming
FormatPublic radio (classical music; news, jazz)
Ownership
OwnerWestern North Carolina Public Radio, Inc.
WCQS
History
First air date
1975 (1975) (as WVMH-FM)
Former call signs
WVMH-FM (1975–2005)
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID40436
ClassA
ERP250 watts
HAAT389 meters (1,276 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
35°53′12.00″N 82°33′23.00″W / 35.8866667°N 82.5563889°W / 35.8866667; -82.5563889
Repeater(s)
Links
Public license information
Websitewww.bpr.org

WYQS (90.5 FM; "BPR Classic") is a radio station licensed to Mars Hill, North Carolina, United States. The station is owned by Western North Carolina Public Radio, Inc. (styled as "Blue Ridge Public Radio"), owner of the area's flagship public radio station, WCQS.[2][3] The format is a mixture of classical music, NPR programs, and jazz.

As well as being available via a number of low-power translators as far apart as Brevard, Bryson City, Hendersonville, and Waynesville,[4] BPR Classic is carried on WZQS (90.5 FM) in Cullowhee and the second HD Radio channel of WCQS. It is also streamed live via the Blue Ridge Public Radio mobile app and on the station's website, making it available over a much wider area than its FM reach alone would allow.[5][6][7]

History

The station went on the air as WVMH-FM in 1975; it was originally owned by Mars Hill College.

On April 12, 2005, after being purchased by Blue Ridge Public Radio, the station changed its call sign to the current WYQS and became a full repeater of WCQS. In 2008, the station broke off and began airing programming from the BBC World Service 24 hours a day.[8] This 24-hour relay of BBC programming continued, uninterrupted, for almost a decade.

This station's transmitter was relocated to Big Knob after the Madison County Board of Commissioners voted to allow space to be leased on the tower there.

Relaunch as BPR News

In the spring of 2017, WCQS and its associated stations rebranded under the name "Blue Ridge Public Radio", with WCQS (and its repeaters and translators) continuing to air the established format of NPR programming and classical music. At this point WYQS became the home for a new channel, BPR News, with the aim of providing listeners with the choice of an all-speech format station in addition to the established NPR/classical format on WCQS.[9]

The reception areas of WCQS and WYQS overlap significantly in some areas due to the topography, giving listeners a choice of FM listening from Blue Ridge Public Radio. The station also makes efforts to push uptake of its mobile app and streaming services.

Switch to BPR Classic

On October 11, 2022, Blue Ridge Public Radio announced that it would swap the formats of WCQS and WYQS on October 31. The BPR News programming moved to WCQS and its satellites, while BPR Classic—which carries classical music, some news programming (including Morning Edition, Fresh Air, All Things Considered, and Marketplace), and an evening block of jazz—moved to WYQS and WZQS.[10]

Translators

In addition to WYQS, WZQS, and WCQS HD2, BPR Classic is heard over five translators in western North Carolina:

Broadcast translators of WCQS-HD2
Call sign Frequency
(MHz) 		City of license Facility ID
W300CR 107.9 Asheville, North Carolina 156283
W252DN 98.3 Balsam, North Carolina[a] 148241
W268CL 101.5 Brevard, North Carolina 156074
W256CY 99.1 Bryson City, North Carolina 144138
W276CT 103.1 Hendersonville, North Carolina 156266

On October 31, 2022, W268CL swapped places with W213BX, which was simulcasting WCQS.[11]

Notes:

  1. ^ Near Waynesville-Hazelwood, North Carolina

References

  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WYQS". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ "WYQS Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Archived from the original on 2020-09-29. Retrieved 2009-02-25.
  3. ^ "WYQS Station Information Profile". Arbitron. Archived from the original on 2012-06-01. Retrieved 2009-02-25.
  4. ^ "WNC Frequencies | Blue Ridge Public Radio". Retrieved 2017-09-23.
  5. ^ "New Radio Station to Serve Areas in Madison, North Buncombe," Asheville Citizen-Times, November 17, 2007.
  6. ^ Tony Kiss, "New Radio Station on the Air," Asheville Citizen-Times, October 1, 2008.
  7. ^ "WYQS Call Sign History". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  8. ^ Blake, Casey (September 5, 2014). "Answer woman: WCQS ghost stations, men in dresses". Asheville Citizen-Times. Archived from the original on September 29, 2020. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  9. ^ "Changes for WCQS, new station in WNC". Citizen Times. Archived from the original on 2020-09-29. Retrieved 2017-09-23.
  10. ^ "Blue Ridge Public Radio To Swap Network Frequencies". RadioInsight. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
  11. ^ "BPR's Big Switch". Blue Ridge Public Radio. Archived from the original on October 19, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
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