WAQQ is among the more interesting radio stations to be featured on FMairchecks.com. The “Edge” name instantly brings to mind “Alternative”. But while the station certainly played a lot of Modern Rock selections, it was still very much a CHR that even played recurrents from the likes of C&C Music Factory and Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch. Also included is a rather amusing, lengthy sweeper (voiced by Mark Driscoll) listing many (if not all) areas in the market capable of receiving the station.
This aircheck was recorded presumably at the beginning of the “Edge” area. According to Wikipedia, the call letters changed to WEDJ at some point — they were apparently still WAQQ at the time of this recording.
Please be aware that while this montage is quite listenable, some rather significant doses of static are heard throughout.
Podcast: Embed
Thanks for posting this. I do remember this period very well and it was a refreshing change hearing a younger-skewering CHR in an era when CHR was in the doldrums and many stations were either leaning Hot AC, Rhythmic, or Alternative. The Edge was owned by Pyramid Broadcasting (which owned Kiss 108-Jamn’ 94.5/Boston at the time) and this was their attempt to bring new life the CHR format on 95.1. For those that don’t know, 95.1 has gone through quite a number of call-letter and name changes between 1987 and 1996, but, with the exception of their Oldies attempt as Kool 95.1 from December, 1990 to September, 1991, has always has a CHR format in one form or another since September, 1984.
Initially, The Edge tried to play a variety of hits from various genres, but by 1995 begin to lean toward Alternative (like Z100/NY was doing at the time). This didn’t work and the station was back to Mainstream CHR by early 1996. By that point, Pyramid had sold their stations to Infinity and decided to rebrand the station as Kiss 95.1. Suddenly, after years of lukewarm ratings, the station became a dominate player in the Charlotte market, going to #1 for the first time in the frequency’s history on a number of occasions. Sadly, Kiss has been having ratings problems as of late as rival Channel 96-1 has taken a chunk of Kiss’s audience.
Also, on listening to this a second time, the jock here is Jo Jo “Cookin'” Kincaid (of Kiss 108/Boston, Q106/San Diego, etc fame). He was there at The Edge’s start-up, then left to go back to Boston a short time later.