WWQM-FM


WWQM-FM is a radio station licensed to Middleton, Wisconsin and serving the Madison area. Owned and operated by Mid-West Family Broadcasting, the station has aired a country music format since 1981.

History

WWQM signed on in 1970 as WMAD-FM, owned by Hudson Broadcasting. As WMAD-FM, it simulcast with country-formatted WMAD. "The Country Giant" was an early station slogan, followed by "Music of America." WMAD-AM became WWQM in 1976, running an automated oldies format featured PAMS jingles, while WMAD-FM adopted its own country format, though competitor WTSO continually beat it in the ratings, forcing WMAD-FM to drop Country for Top 40 rock in 1978. WMAD adopted the WWQM call letters in 1978, running a live-assist format using TM Programming Stereo Rock. In mid-1978, the station hadn't reached the high ratings expected and Q106 became a fully automated station. In January 1980, Q106 dropped automation and went live Top 40. This version of Q106 only lasted a short time and a switch to country would follow in 1981.
On November 3, 2008, Q106's reach would expand outside of the immediate Madison area with a simulcast on WWQN at 106.7 FM, a signal that covers Iowa County and far Western portions of Dane County. The 106.7 frequency was previously home to Rhythmic Top 40 station WJQM, which moved to 93.1 FM to accommodate the Q106 simulcast. WWQN simulcast the programming of WWQM until December 13, 2011, when it moved to a simulcast of talk station WTDY.
The Q106 format was adjusted in July 2009 when new program director John Sebastian instituted a new "Q106.3". The adjusted format featured less talk by DJ's and more music. The playlist was also broadened to include vintage country songs and pop and rock songs with crossover appeal. After Sebastian departed the station in Summer 2011, new program director Fletcher Keyes gradually reversed the format back to contemporary mainstream country.

Madison Country Music Awards

For more than 20 years, WWQM hosted the "Madison Country Music Awards," an annual awards ceremony honoring local and national country artists. The ceremonies, which were popular among the station's Madison audience, featured performances by local and national country acts as well as presentations of awards as voted by Q106 listeners. The Madison Country Music Awards were discontinued in 2009 at the time of Q106's format adjustment.