 | |
| Broadcast area | Youngstown metropolitan area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 600kHz |
| Branding | AM 600 The Patriot |
| Programming | |
| Format | Talk radio |
| Affiliations | |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WBBW,WHOT-FM,WLLF,WPIC,WQXK,WWIZ,WYFM | |
| History | |
First air date | June 25, 1965; 60 years ago (1965-06-25) |
Former call signs | WSOM (1965–2019) |
Call sign meaning | "Parked" call sign after prior usage onthe former WRQX in Washington, D.C. |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 37547 |
| Class | D |
| Power | 1,000 watts day 45 watts night |
Transmitter coordinates | 40°49′47″N80°55′49″W / 40.82972°N 80.93028°W /40.82972; -80.93028 |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | www |
WRQX (600kHz) – branded asAM 600 The Patriot – is acommercialAMradio stationlicensed toSalem, Ohio, and serving theYoungstown metropolitan area. Owned byCumulus Media, WRQX has atalk radioformat. It is the localnetwork affiliate forCBS News Radio and carries talk shows from co-owned syndicatorWestwood One. The WRQX studios are located in "The Radio Center" in Youngstown.
WRQX is aClass D AM station. By day, it is powered at 1,000watts. To protect other stations on600 AM from interference, it reduces power at night to 45 watts. It uses adirectional antenna with a two-tower array. Thetransmitter is on Winona Road at Butler Grange Road inWinona, near theMahoning River.[2] In addition to a standardanalog transmission, WRQX is available online.
The stationsigned on the air on June 25, 1965 as WSOM, which stood for "The Wonderful Sound Of Music". The station first aired aTop 40 music format, and was followed byMOR in the 1970s, andadult contemporary in the mid-1980s. In 1989, the station flipped to anadult standards format. The lineup featured longtime Youngstown radio personalities Dick Thompson, Johnny Kay and Gary Rhamy. In its early years, WSOM was adaytimer, required to go off the air at night. It eventually got authorization to broadcast around the clock using low power at night.
WSOM changed to atalk radio format on December 13, 2010, mostly carrying an all-syndicated lineup in contrast to co-ownedWPIC, one notable exception being a local afternoon show,Afternoons with Tracey and Friends. The station reverted tosoft oldies and adult standards in September 2016, this time carrying programming from co-ownedWestwood One's "America's Best Music".
WSOM changed formats again, this time toclassic country, on December 26, 2016.[3][4]
With theEducational Media Foundation purchase of WRQX inWashington, D.C., the WRQXcall sign–retained by Cumulus in the deal–was transferred to WSOM in acall sign "parking" move on May 31, 2019. Concurrently, the WSOM letters moved to the former WRQX until new calls were selected for that facility.[5] With the switch toK-Love programming later that day, the former WRQX took theWLVW call sign. In addition, the new WRQX removed all instances of "WSOM" from its website and re-branded as "AM 600 WRQX," with updated imaging,logos and website domain.
On May 24, 2021, WRQX flipped toconservative talk radio, branded as "The Patriot".[6] It began airing theWestwood One line up of conservative talk hosts.
WRQX carries allnationally syndicated talk shows, mostly from Cumulus-ownedWestwood One. Mornings begin withAmerica in the Morning, a news magazine. Other programs carried includeChris Plante,Dan Bongino,Ben Shapiro,Matt Walsh,Mark Levin,Michael Knowles,Rich Eisen, Rich Valdes andRed Eye Radio.[7] World and national news is supplied byCBS News Radio.