WMFQ-FM 92.9 Ocala

WMFQ-FM 92.9
Ocala

Original Call Letters: WMFQ

Originally Licensed: 1978

Original City of License: Ocala

Original Frequency: 92.7

Origin of Call Letters: Slogan; We Mean Fine Quality

Original Power: 50,000 watts

Original Location:

Original Format: Beautiful Music

Network Affiliation(s):

Owner(s):	1978-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corporation
	1995-Asterisk Communications, Inc. ($2.7 million)

History Of Call Letters and Formats:	WMFQ-1978-(Bonneville’s) Beautiful Music "Q 92"
	WMFQ-1989-Easy Listening "Q-Lite 92.9"
	WMFQ-1995-Adult Contemporary "Q 92.9"
	WMFQ-2004-Oldies "Big Oldies 92.9"

History Of WMFQ
Thanks to Marc Tyll for this history of WMFQ.
WMFQ began operations on July 11, 1977 a Ocala’s only 24-hour radio station, programming Bonneville’s Beautiful Music automated format. The station was co-owned with WWKE-AM 1370 (now WOCA) and remained Beautiful Music until late 1989 when the switch was made to Easy Listening as "Q-Lite 92.9". That was the same year WMFQ upgraded from a 3,000 watt FM operation on 92.7 to a 50,000 watts powerhouse operating on 92.9. In 1995, Robert Hauck sold WMFQ to Asterisk Communications for $2.1 million. Asterisk already owned country formatted 50,000 watt WTRS-FM 102.3 and switched WMFQ from Easy Listening to Adult Contemporary. The slogan "Q-Lite 92.9" was modified to simply "Q-92.9". In 2004, Asterisk Communications switched WMFQ from Adult Contemporary to "Big Oldies 92.9" as it remains today.

The frequency 92.7 mHz was originally assigned to Inverness, Florida, but was reassigned to Ocala after WTMC owner Vernon Arnette petitioned the FCC to move the 92.7 frequency from Inverness to Ocala. The argument was that 102.3 mHz (currently occupied by WTRS-FM) was assigned Ocala along with 93.7, therefore it was intended for Ocala to have two FM assignments. The FCC, however, "...gave one of those assignments away..." when it reassigned 102.3 to Dunnellon in 1969 when a group petitioned the FCC to construct an FM station for rural West Central Florida, therefore, according to Arnette, the FCC was depriving Ocala of its second FM assignment. The FCC granted Arnette’s request to reassign 92.7 to Ocala, and Hunter-Arnette Broadcasting filed an application for the new FM channel. Concurrently, Robert Hauck of Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corporation, which owned WWKE (a daytimer), filed an application for the same frequency. Arnette had planned to debut 92.7 as WTMC-FM with an automated Easy Listening format. Hauck had planned to debut 92.7 as WWKE-FM and move the Top 40 programming from WWKE-AM to the FM, and WWKE-AM would become a country station. After about 18 months, the FCC finally ruled through its comparative hearing process that Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corporation was more deserving of the new FM channel since it’s application specified an commonly owned AM station with daytime ONLY status, while WTMC specified a 24-hour license. Hauck constructed 92.7 FM and, at the last minute, decided to take the FM in a different direction. Instead of 92.7 becoming Top 40 WWKE-FM, it became WMFQ, "We Mean Fine Quality", programming Beautiful Music with special weekend classical programming. WMFQ was Ocala’s first 24-hour radio station and billed itself as "Ocala's ONLY 24-Hour Radio Station" for many years until WTMC and WFUZ-FM began 24-hour service 4-years later.