WQFS
 | |
| Broadcast area | Triad |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 90.9 MHz |
| Branding | Your Only Alternative |
| Programming | |
| Format | Variety |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Guilford College |
| History | |
First air date | January 6, 1970 |
Call sign meaning | W Quaker Friends School |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 68233 |
| Class | A |
| ERP | 1,900 watts |
| HAAT | 61.0 meters |
Transmitter coordinates | 36°5′39.00″N 79°53′21.00″W / 36.0941667°N 79.8891667°W |
| Links | |
| Website | www |
WQFS (90.9 FM) is Guilford College's student-run radio station, with both students and members of the community serving as disk jockeys.[1] Broadcasting in a variety format, it serves Greensboro, North Carolina and the greater Piedmont Triad area. It is also broadcast on the internet via streaming audio at TuneIn. WQFS ranked 6th among college radio stations in 2016, according to The Princeton Review.[2]
History
The station started as a student club, The Fine Music Broadcasting Society, in 1965. Guilford College obtained a license from the FCC on October 26, 1966 and, once it had the necessary equipment and funds, WQFS began a daily broadcast schedule on January 6, 1970, broadcasting in an adult contemporary or middle of the road format.[3] By its second year of operation, some disk jockeys began to play what a decade later would become known as college rock. Others would play hybrid programming, which could feature avant-garde jazz, contemporary classical, bluegrass, blues, and Musique concrète, sometimes all within the same program.
One early experiment involved celebrating the second anniversary of the Paul is dead hoax by playing not only Beatles, but other rock, and even classical records backwards, or using the station's two turntables to play a Beatles song forwards and backwards at the same time.
WQFS features a wide variety of genres. The main format is indie rock. About one hundred DJs, half of them Guilford College students, work at the station at any given time. Students serve as station managers. Their leadership roles include general management, programming, promotions, news, and production.
WQFS plays many local and North Carolina artists.
Long-running shows include David Butler's "The Sunday Morning Rehab Show," Josh Neas' "J's Indie Rock Mayhem," DJ Midnightt's "Garden of Good and Evil," Chris Roulhac's "North Carolina Show." and Mad Dog's "Friday Night Rock Party."
Programming
All radio shows are independently produced and hosted by volunteer disc jockeys, unless otherwise noted. Some programs include:
- Captain's World
- Democracy Now! (produced by Democracy Now! and distributed by Pacifica Radio)
- DJ Props
- Dr. Dave's Rocket Science
- Dr. Jive
- Jet Set Jazz Radio with Sergio
- Friday Night Rock Party with Mad Dog
- Garden of Good and Evil
- Gate City Soul
- Gospel Chariot
- Hangin' with Higgs
- J's Indie Rock Mayhem
- Ernie's Jazz Show
- Left of Center
- Metropolitan Radio
- Rock and Roll Revival
- Rock and Roll Study Hall
- Roots and Relics
- Sunday Morning Rehab
- Terri's Too Short Show
- The Caravan with Chef Dave
- The Flava Lab
- The Goddess Flow
- The Idiot and the Oddity
- The Magic Bus with Driver Dale
- The North Carolina Show
- The Old Country Store
- The Roots Cypher
- The Stratosphere
- The X Lounge
- Track Blasters with DJ Clash
- Uncle Bill's Basement
- Weekend Beach Party
References
- ^ "WQFS Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
- ^ "Princeton Review's The Best 378 Colleges". 2014 edition. Archived from the original on August 20, 2013.
- ^ "WQFS About Us". Archived from the original on August 22, 2008.
External links
- WQFS web site
- Guilford College's WQFS page
- Facility details for Facility ID WQFS ({{{2}}}) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- {{{2}}} in Nielsen Audio's FM station database