WLQH-AM 940                                             
Chiefland

Original Call Letters: WLQH

Originally Licensed: June 6, 1968

Original City of  License: Chiefland

Original Frequency: 940

Origin of Call Letters: We Love Quarter Horses

Original Power: 500 watts 

Original Location: 12750 Old Fanning Springs Rd

Translator: 2017-W227AV-FM 93.3  250 watts

Original Format: Country/Religious/MOR


Network Affiliation(s):

Florida Radio Network
Associated Press

Owner(s):

1968-White Construction Co. Inc. 
1999-Ocala Broadcasting Corporation
2010-Suncoast Radio (LMA began 12-1-10)
2011-Suncoast Radio 

History Of Call Letters and Formats:

WLQH-1968-Country/Religious/MOR
WLQH-1977-Country “94 Country” (6AM - 3:30PM) 
WLQH-1977-Top 40 “94 Rock“  (3:30 PM - Sign Off)
WLQH-1982-Country  “94 Country”
WLQH-1999-Classic Country
WLQH-2003-Adult Standards  "Music of Your Life"
WLQH-2007-Classic Country  "Classic Country 940 AM"
WLQH-2009-Easy Listening   "Timeless Favorites"
WLQH-2010-Oldies  "The Music of Our Generation"
WLQH-2010-Oldies  Scott Shannon's True Oldies 
WLQH-2017-Country    "Country Legends"  (Westwood One)


History of WLQH 
Thanks to Marc Tyll for this history of WLQH.
WLQH-AM (We Love Quarter Horses) began broadcast operations on June 6Th 1968 when Chiefland resident, local rancher and highway road construction contractor Luther White was granted the frequency 940 KHz for Chiefland.  WLQH was the only radio station serving a wide geographical area between Gainesville, Ocala and Tallahassee. The station originally provided a mix of country, bluegrass,  MOR and religious programming with its 500 watt daytime only signal. The station had a relatively large staff for such a small radio station, having over 20 employees at one time.  The staff was directed by White’s sister, Norma Schossler, who was the WLQH general manager for over 31 years.  The morning programming consisted of religious devotionals during the very early hours, with country and western music interspersed with some bluegrass during the rest of the morning and into the early afternoon.  “Big Sam”, as he was known by all the locals (no one really knew his real full name), hosted the morning country show from sign on till 9 AM.  Big Sam was a typical old time radio guy, doing many live reads for various sponsors,  always ending every commercial with his signature  “… and tell ‘em Big Sam sent ya, and I appreciate it, ya hear?”  In 1975 WLQH began programming a more distinct block format, adding Top 40 music in the afternoons from 3:30 till sign-off, but keeping the country hits airing during the mornings and midday hours.  The reasoning, according to White “…. the kids are out of school in the afternoon, so we’ll play the music they like…”.  Billy Mayo, a local who was very knowledgeable of top 40 music, was hired as the afternoon jock spinning the popular hits for the area’s youth. After about eight years as afternoon jock and Top 40 music expert,  Mayo left fulltime radio to become an evangelist,  forming Billy Mayo Evangelical Ministries. Mayo remained associated with WLQH on a limited basis, mainly so he could promote his religious crusades. On one occasion he interviewed Evangelist Demond Wilson of "Sanford and Son" fame live on the air.  Another time Mayo interviewed Little Richard.  The year 1978 saw many technical changes and advancements when WLQH received a construction permit to double its power from 500 watts to 1,000 watts. With the anticipated power increase,  White completely rebuilt the station, including a new transmitter and a completely rebuilt on-air studio,  bringing the station‘s technical facilities up to state-of-the-art status.  Unable to find anyone local who knew pop music very well,  in the mid 1980s management decided to drop Top 40 from the afternoon rotation,  returning to a fulltime country schedule, remaining with that format throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Keeping with the times, in 1991 WLQH was granted a construction permit for WLQH-FM 97.3.  With the addition of the FM, WLQH was now able to expand to a 24 hour operation, providing country music, news, weather and other information to Chiefland,  Levy County and the surrounding area around the clock.  For eight years, between 1991 and 1999, WLQH-AM and WLQH-FM operated as one station as a simulcast operation. However, due to stiff competition  from stations in Gainesville and Ocala,  WLQH switched from mainstream country to classic country, playing country  favorites from the 60s, 70s, and early 80s. In 1999,  White decided to sell the station he had brought to the area and owned for 31 years.  Dix Communications, owner of WOGK-FM 93.7 and WNDD-FM 95.5 Ocala,  wanted WLQH-FM to extend coverage of its highly rated WIND-FM network which consisted of stations WNDD-FM 95.5 Ocala and WNDT-FM 92.5 Gainesville.  With the addition of WLQH-FM,  later becoming WNDN-FM, WIND FM was able to create a three station tri-mulcast operation,  covering the entire metro and Total Survey Area. As WNDN-FM,  the classic country was dropped from the FM in favor of classic rock.  WLQH-AM, however, continued to play the country classics for a few more years.  Unable to effectively compete with the bigger country signals that were now heard in the market,  after 34 years as the areas heritage country outlet,  WLQH dropped its long standing programming in favor of becoming the area’s Music of Your Life station, playing the adult standard hits that Al Ham re-introduced to radio in the late 1970s, playing the standards from the 50s through the early 80s.  


WZCC And WLQH Combine Their Signals     12-5-10
Suncoast Radio, Inc. is in the process of acquiring WLQH-AM 940 from Ocala Broadcasting. An LMA began on Dec. 1. WZCC-AM 1240 is now simulcast on WLQH in Chiefland. This more than doubles the coverage area. Details and a combined coverage map is on their website at www.suncoastradio.com.

WLQH Purchases FM Translator    3-26-13
Suncoast Radio, Inc has purchased an FM translator from Reach Communications. The translator is located in Newberry. The sale price was $20,000. Suncoast will be re-broadcasting The True Oldies heard on WLQH-AM 940 and WZCC-AM 1240.

From John Elliot CEO of Suncoast Radio     10-19-17 
We did a recent format flip from “Classic Hits” to “Country Legends” utilizing the Classic Country format from Westwood One.  Like Classic Hits, this format will be simulcast across all three of our stations
WLQH-AM 940 Chiefland and its translator currently on 93.3 (more on that in a moment) and WZCC-AM 1240 in Cross City. WZCC used the Country Legends brand prior to our purchase of the station in 2010.  WLQH had a long history of country music formats, including Classic Country 940 AM, under previous owners.  I always felt this was a strong format for our area but in our formative years we were not in a position to challenge WDVH FM when it was programmed by Mr. Jim Brand.  With the recent sale and format flip of 101.7 FM to Joy FM we hope that lovers of great classic country songs performed by the true country legends will tune us in!  We will continue our local programming including Chiefland High School varsity football in season plus a special version of the Prep Zone Nature Coast produced 3 days a week for us by Mike Ridaught featuring other sports and other schools in the Tri-County area year round, provide local weather from the Radio Forecast Network, hourly news updates from Westwood One, stock market reports from Lou Dobbs, the Daily Community Check bulletin board, and of course affordable advertising opportunities for local businesses to promote their goods and services to local listeners.  Also, when Hurricane Irma closed in on our area we teamed up with WCJB TV Channel 20 in Gainesville to simulcast their wall to wall weather coverage until the storm passed. WLQH has received a CP to change the frequency of our Chiefland translator W227AV 93.3 to 93.1 (new W226CI) to escape co-channel interference from WJBT FM in Callahan.  This should be happening in the next week or so.  Also we appear to be a “singleton” applicant for a new translator for WZCC AM in Cross City on 96.3.  Since the final list of applicants is not expected until November we do not have any prediction of when we may get that translator on the air.  It will be 250 watt ERP from the WZCC tower in Cross City.  


Names In WLQH History

Luther White-1968-1999-President-White Construction Co. Inc.

Norma Schossler-1968-1999(Owner Luther White’s sister)-General Manager-White Construction Co. Inc.

C. Wesley Ward-1968-1999-GeneralManager/News Director-White Construction Co. Inc.

Ruth Ward-1968-1999-Program Director-White Construction Co. Inc.

Billy Mayo-1975-Program Director/Afternoons-White Construction Co. Inc. 

Jerry Prater-1987-Air Talent/Sales-White Construction Co. Inc. (directed the Championship Wrestling from Florida TV show from 1962-1974)

Richard Bailey-General Sales Manager-White Construction Co. Inc.
Donna Stacey-Music Director-White Construction Co. Inc.
Bill Schossler-Chief Engineer-White Construction Co. Inc.

David Dix-1999-President-Ocala Broadcasting Corporation  

Bob Moody-Traffic Manager-Ocala Broadcasting Corporation



John Elliott-2010-President-Suncoast Radio, Inc.
Pat Elliott-2010-Suncoast Radio, Inc.

Big Sam

Jim Robertson

Nina Prater-Sales

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