WXQR-FM is eastern North Carolina's oldest rockradio station. Originally based in Jacksonville, North Carolina, the station is now headquartered in New Bern. Having been broadcasting for over 40 years, "Rock 105" is the "original rock station" for the Carolina Coast. For a brief time, it also simulcasted on WQZL/101.1, giving it coverage in inland areas, but this was discontinued in January 2012.
History
WXQR-FM is one of the oldest Rock stations in America. It was known as "The Rock and Roll Animal" from the 1970s until the mid-1990s. The station was once owned by Sidney Popkin, a member of one of the most prominent families in Jacksonville. The station was headquartered for many years on New Bridge Street near Downtown Jacksonville, in what was once the Iwo Jima Theater. Because of its location, it was a favorite among Marines stationed at Camp Lejeune for decades. The station operated with 3,000 watts of power, which put them at a competitive disadvantage against its Newport-based rival Z-103, but WXQR had a solid following of loyal listeners. When Z-103 finally switched to Adult Contemporary, WXQR's main competition became New Bern's WSFL-FM. WXQR-FM was never competitive with WSFL until its power was increased in the mid-1990s. HVS Partners, its longtime owners, sold WXQR-FM to Cumulus in the mid-1990s who then sold it to NextMedia Group a few years later. From October 2010 to January 2012, it simulcast to inland areas on WQZL/101.1. NextMedia sold WXQR-FM and their 32 other radio stations to Digity, LLC for $85 million; the transaction was consummated on February 10, 2014. Effective February 25, 2016, Digity, LLC and its 124 radio stations were acquired by Alpha Media for $264 million. In September 2017, Dick Broadcasting announced the purchase of Alpha Media stations in three markets — 18 stations and two translators in total, at a purchase price of $19.5 million. The acquisition of WXQR-FM by Dick Broadcasting was consummated on December 20, 2017.
