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Z 93.5 WKQZ in 1986

Discussion pertaining to Flint, Saginaw, Bay City, Midland, Mt. Pleasant, and Michigan's thumb region.
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Colonel Flagg
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Re: Z 93.5 WKQZ in 1986

Unread post by Colonel Flagg »

Ben Zonia wrote: Sat Nov 26, 2022 11:56 am
Colonel Flagg wrote: Sat Nov 26, 2022 11:30 am
Matt wrote: Fri Nov 25, 2022 8:39 am I assumed the idiot initial poster fucked up the frequency - I wasn't aware that Z93 was originally at 93.5...
It was WRCI. The station played "Adult Contemporary" music and was hyper-focused on Midland. I believe the studio and tower were co-located on Gordonville Rd, in my hazy memory. Ben Zonia has a better memory for this stuff. I recall visiting WRCI, but I don't recall who I was with, or my reason for being there.
From what is on the History Card, it was still on 93.5 when they became WKQZ and changed the format. Given that the MacDonald's lawyers try to block competitors at every turn, I was surprised that WKQZ was allowed in the same market as WKCQ. WCFL 1000 tried to change to WWTN (WW Ten) back in the 1970s, and WGN objected and stopped it. Back in the 1940s, WTCB 600 changed to WTAC because it was alliteratively similar to WBBC 1330.
You are correct, sir. I have coffee mug from the original WKQZ, and it says 93.5 on it.

By the way, the late Detroit area consultant, Paul Christy, is the guy who created, and launched, the original Z-93 WKQZ. See, even some of us stodgy "Adult Contemporary" dudes are closet rock & roll gurus. :hat
"Don't you knock when you enter a room?"
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Ben Zonia
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Re: Z 93.5 WKQZ in 1986

Unread post by Ben Zonia »

https://www.fccdata.org/?facid=&call=WK ... d=&lang=en

http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe ... 19881027KB

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WKQZ

Wikipedia is wrong, as is often the case. They were not licensed on 93.3 until 1988.

The History Card only goes until 1980, when records were first computerized. This last FCC computer record system update has a lot of problems, not the least of which is not showing Canadian and Mexican stations and allotments completely and properly.

http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/prod/c ... r_id=82804

Art Vuolo was upset when WRCI signed on 93.5, as he was friends of the owners of WHMI 93.5, and they were counting on being heard in Genesee County. When WHMI signed on, it was stronger in Genesee County, but if you flipped the antenna around, you could still hear WRCI well. The terrain is flatter toward the Tri Cities than toward Howell and the Detroit Area.
"I had a job for a while as an announcer at WWV but I finally quit, because I couldn't stand the hours."

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Realist
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Re: Z 93.5 WKQZ in 1986

Unread post by Realist »

Colonel Flagg wrote: Sat Nov 26, 2022 12:07 pm
Ben Zonia wrote: Sat Nov 26, 2022 11:56 am
Colonel Flagg wrote: Sat Nov 26, 2022 11:30 am
Matt wrote: Fri Nov 25, 2022 8:39 am I assumed the idiot initial poster fucked up the frequency - I wasn't aware that Z93 was originally at 93.5...
It was WRCI. The station played "Adult Contemporary" music and was hyper-focused on Midland. I believe the studio and tower were co-located on Gordonville Rd, in my hazy memory. Ben Zonia has a better memory for this stuff. I recall visiting WRCI, but I don't recall who I was with, or my reason for being there.
From what is on the History Card, it was still on 93.5 when they became WKQZ and changed the format. Given that the MacDonald's lawyers try to block competitors at every turn, I was surprised that WKQZ was allowed in the same market as WKCQ. WCFL 1000 tried to change to WWTN (WW Ten) back in the 1970s, and WGN objected and stopped it. Back in the 1940s, WTCB 600 changed to WTAC because it was alliteratively similar to WBBC 1330.
You are correct, sir. I have coffee mug from the original WKQZ, and it says 93.5 on it.

By the way, the late Detroit area consultant, Paul Christy, is the guy who created, and launched, the original Z-93 WKQZ. See, even some of us stodgy "Adult Contemporary" dudes are closet rock & roll gurus. :hat
You’re forgetting one part of that story - WRCI flipped from AC to Country for a bit. I remember seeing a billboard for them along US 10 towards Auburn back then, as they had a cowboy on it. Format didn’t last long and I believe they went bankrupt. They were off the air for a bit before coming back as Z93.5. They were difficult to pick up initially on the east side of Bay County
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Ben Zonia
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Re: Z 93.5 WKQZ in 1986

Unread post by Ben Zonia »

As a 3000 watt Class A from the far West side of Midland, they probably weren't in a position to market themselves to anything but Greater Midland. Maybe that's why MacDonalds let the call letter similarity go.
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matt1
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Re: Z 93.5 WKQZ in 1986

Unread post by matt1 »

In January 27, 1986 after 5 months, WRCI 93.5 Country station was no more & was blank. The next week, WKQZ stepped in!! I also remember V.L.J. (YEP, that is his name) on "Rock & Roll Saturday Night" (oldies show from the 60's & 70's) also on WRCI 93.5 back when I graduated from high school back in the Summer of 1985 till mid September.
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Re: Z 93.5 WKQZ in 1986

Unread post by matt1 »

There was also a DJ who worked for WRCI & that was Jimmy Lee in 1980 till early 1982. That station did NOT have a big record collection. Either it was on album or a 45 edited version single.
matt1
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Re: Z 93.5 WKQZ in 1986

Unread post by matt1 »

I was working hard at the Midland Daily News instering papers when the Roger Daltrey song "Under A Raging Moon" (title track from the late 1985 album) & that was the first time that I heard of WKQZ Z 93.5 at around 11:00 in the morning in February 4 OR 5 of 1986!!! HATE the damn black ink but they had Lava soap to clean it off!!!
matt1
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Re: Z 93.5 WKQZ in 1986

Unread post by matt1 »

For those who don't know the Roger Daltrey song, here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cad8qbe ... trey-Topic
Realist
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Re: Z 93.5 WKQZ in 1986

Unread post by Realist »

OMG!!!

Someone get him off the computer in mom’s basement!
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Ben Zonia
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Re: Z 93.5 WKQZ in 1986

Unread post by Ben Zonia »

I didn't even realize how closely spaced WRCI 93.5 was to WHMI 93.5 Howell. As 3 kW Class As, it was 64.67 miles, which was just 0.17 miles, 898 feet, fully spaced, which was 64.5 miles with the allowed rounding to 65 miles. This is 104.08 kilometers, which is below the 104.5 km with allowed with rounding to 105 km. It wouldn't have been allowed under the newer metric rules, or under present Section 73.213 rules. It would have to be under 73.215.

6000 watt Class A rules were adopted in 1989, and required new cochannel stations to be 114.5 km apart with rounding, around 71 miles. Even then, WHMI was short spaced to WDRQ 93.1, and it took a lot of effort to get to the 6 kW Class A equivalent. Search for FCC-89-232A1.pdf for details, Adopted July 13, 1989.
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Re: Z 93.5 WKQZ in 1986

Unread post by Deleted User 15867 »

Love the music
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kager
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Re: Z 93.5 WKQZ in 1986

Unread post by kager »

Deleted User 15867 wrote: Mon Nov 28, 2022 4:30 pm Love the music
Love your decision.
"Enjoy every sandwich."
matt1
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Re: Z 93.5 WKQZ in 1986

Unread post by matt1 »

The FM station was near Bullock Creek High School on Gordonville Road near Poseyville, MI back in 1986. I was there at the building in the Summer of 1987 when the DJ was playing Grateful Dead "Touch Of Grey" because I did NOT go to the Boston "Third Stage" concert at the old Joe Louis Arena because my DAMN late mom said Detroit is dangerous. My male friend also had that ticket BUT he did not go either. When did WKQZ (Z 93) moved from Bullock Creek to Saginaw?? Does anyone know??
Matt
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Re: Z 93.5 WKQZ in 1986

Unread post by Matt »

matt1 wrote: Tue Nov 29, 2022 3:07 am The FM station was near Bullock Creek High School on Gordonville Road near Poseyville, MI back in 1986. I was there at the building in the Summer of 1987 when the DJ was playing Grateful Dead "Touch Of Grey" because I did NOT go to the Boston "Third Stage" concert at the old Joe Louis Arena because my DAMN late mom said Detroit is dangerous. My male friend also had that ticket BUT he did not go either. When did WKQZ (Z 93) moved from Bullock Creek to Saginaw?? Does anyone know??
Is your fascination with TMZ related to the fact that your "DAMN late mom" was called TMZ, short for Too Many Zimas, when she was pregnant with you?
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matt1
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Re: Z 93.5 WKQZ in 1986

Unread post by matt1 »

My late mom loved "Beautiful 102" WGER (102.5 FM) back then until September of 1986!!
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