WLLQ

Infobox Radio station
name = WLLQ


city = Chapel Hill, NC WLLQ
Garner, North Carolina WRTG
Mebane, North Carolina WGSB
area =
branding =
slogan =
airdate =
frequency = 1530 kHz WLLQ
1000 kHz WRTG
1060 kHz WGSB
format = Spanish language
power = 10,000 Watts WLLQ, daytime only
1000 Watts WRTG and WGSB
erp =
class = A WLLQ
D WRTG and WGSG
coordinates = coord|35|58|07|N|79|00|10|W WLLQ
coord|35|43|50|N|78|36|12|W WRTG
coord|36|03|28|N|79|16|36|W WGSB
callsign_meaning =
former_callsigns =
owner = Estuardo Valdemar Rodriguez and Leonor Rodriguez
licensee =
sister_stations = WRTP, WRBX
webcast =
website =
affiliations =

WLLQ is a daytime only AM radio station licensed to Chapel Hill, North Carolina heard at 1530 kHz. The station is part of a simulcast of the Spanish language oldies music format called Radio La Grande.

History

Prior to their current Spanish language format with programing from Que Pasa, WLLQ, WRTG, and WGSB broadcast a contemporary Christian format as His Radio WRTP, which now airs from WRTP-FM and WCCE-FM, along with a number of FM translators throughout central and eastern North Carolina.

WLLQ

In 1973, WRBX began life as a jazz-formatted station under the ownership of Stuart Epperson, now the head of national Christian broadcaster Salem Communications. [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Stuart_W._Epperson, Retrieved on 2008/05/09.]

WRBX's studios were located on Chapel Hill's West Rosemary Street and the daytime-only station had 5,000 watts of power. As the jazz format lost listeners to competitors on the FM dial, WRBX moved towards an inspirational Christian format.

By 1978, WRBX had gone Southern gospel, increased its power to 10,000 watts and moved to studios on Durham-Chapel Hill Boulevard (US 15/501) near present-day New Hope Commons Shopping Center.

In 1979, Epperson sold the station to Hugh Johnston, who changed WRBX to a country format. The country format continued until 1985, when WRBX was then sold to L. L "Buddy" Leathers' Carolina Christian Communications.

Under Leathers' Carolina Christian Communications, an inspirational Christian format was reinstated, the station's studios were moved into Leathers' repair shop and WRBX became WRTP.

The inspirational format soon became a contemporary Christian one. Carolina Christian Communications expanded WRTP to a simulcast with Garner-based WRTG, 1000 AM, in 1994 and to Mebane-based WGSB, 1060 AM in 1995. Between these three stations, the Triangle area was covered, but only during daylight hours, as all three stations were licensed only for daytime operation.

In October 2004, the WRTP-AM, WRTG and WGSB were purchased by Estuardo Valdemar Rodriguez and Leonor Rodriguez, owners of WLLN in Lillington, for $1.1 million.

On February 3rd, 2005, WRTP and its sister AM stations ceased broadcasting the "His Radio WRTP" Christian format on AM, but WRTP still continues on a number of frequencies on FM 24 hours a day. After a day off-air, the three stations resumed broadcasting a regional Mexican format on February 4th, 2005, with AM 1530 adopting the new call letters WLLQ. Que Pasa Radio is leasing the airtime of WLLQ, WRTG, WGSB and Durham-based WTIK.

References

External links

* [http://www.radiolagrande.net/ Radio La Grande]
* [http://www.quepasamedia.com/web/content/view/28/52/lang,en/ Que Pasa radio network]
* [http://www.geocities.com/rduhistory/wrtp.html History of WLLQ]
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