WMZQ-FM (98.7MHz) is a commercial FM radio station inWashington, D.C. owned byiHeartMedia, it has had acountry music radio format since 1977. The station's studios and offices are onRockville Pike inRockville, Maryland,^[5] and itstransmitter is on Tower Street inFalls Church, Virginia.^[4] WMZQ-FM has aneffective radiated power (ERP) of 50,000 watts, the maximum power for radio stations in the Washington area.

WMZQ-FM broadcasts in theHD Radio format.^[6] Its HD2digital subchannel airs aconservative talk format, known as "Freedom 104.7." It feedsFM translator W284CQ at 104.7 MHz.^[7]

This station signed on the air on April 2, 1947, as WWDC-FM, originally on 100.9 MHz, moving to 101.1 MHz a few months later.^[8] It was owned by the Capital Broadcasting Company with its studios at 1000Connecticut Avenue NW. The station originallysimulcast itssister station,WWDC (1450 AM).

Meanwhile, WOL-FM signed on at 98.7 MHz in 1947, simulcasting its sister station,WOL (1260 AM). In 1950, WWDC and WOL came under common ownership; that February 20, WWDC moved to the far higher-powered 1260 kHz allocation, and WOL was shifted to 1450 kHz to be resold. WWDC-FM also swappedcall signs and facilities with WOL-FM on the same day, and each simply modified their licenses to continue operating on their same frequencies.^[9][10] As the actual licenses were not exchanged, WMZQ-FM is thelegal successor of the original WWDC-FM.

WOL-AM-FM aired a full servicerhythm and blues format, featuring personalities, news and talk for the African-American community. It was owned by the Peoples Broadcasting Company, relocated to the 1000 Connecticut Avenue NW studios and offices.

In 1965, WOL-AM-FM were acquired by theSonderling Broadcasting Company.^[11] In 1968, Sonderling switched the FM station to anoldies format, as WMOD, while the AM continued as an R&B station. WMOD played the rock-era hits of the 1950s and early 1960s, includingdoo-wop music. By the mid-1970s, the format shifted toclassic rock.

In 1977, Sonderling switched 98.7 tocountry music as WMZQ-FM.^[12] Although press reports at the time attributed the call sign as a simple abbreviation of "music", then-program director Bill Figenshu claims to have chosen it in homage toWMAQ Chicago, which was at the time a successful large-market country station. A since-repealed FCC rule also required stations to notify their competitors of a call sign change, and Figenshu suspected the "Q" – then as now, a common branding for contemporary music stations – might fool them into thinking aTop 40 format was about to launch.^[3][2]

The Washington market already had one FM station playing modern country, but it was based inNorthern Virginia, 105.9 WXRA (todayWMAL-FM) licensed toWoodbridge, Virginia. Its signal had a hard time reaching the D.C. suburbs north of Washington, while WMZQ-FM covered the entire D.C.radio market. The change proved a success for WMZQ-FM and the station at 105.9 eventually switched to classic rock.

Viacom acquired WMZQ-FM a few years after the switch to the country format. In 1987, Viacom began simulcasting WMZQ-FM on AM stationWMZQ inArlington, Virginia.^[13][14]

In 1997, WMZQ-FM switched hands again, this time acquired by Chancellor Media.^[15] In 2000, Chancellor was acquired by Clear Channel Communications, which a few years later becameiHeartMedia, the current owner.

On July 10, 2023, WMZQ-FM HD2 dropped its simulcast withBlack Information Network stationWUST (1120 AM), and launched aconservative talk format, branded as "Freedom 104.7".^[16]

WMZQ rebroadcasts its HD2 format on the following translator:

• Official website
• Facility details for Facility ID 73305 (WMZQ) in theFCC Licensing and Management System
• WMZQ inNielsen Audio's FM station database
• Facility details for Facility ID 31140 (W284CQ) in theFCC Licensing and Management System
• W284CQ at FCCdata.org

38°53′13″N77°12′04″W / 38.887°N 77.201°W /38.887; -77.201

• HD Radio stations
• 1947 establishments in Washington, D.C.
• Country radio stations in the United States
• IHeartMedia radio stations
• Radio stations established in 1947
• Radio stations in Washington, D.C.

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