CHR “94Q” WQXI-FM flips to Hot AC “Star 94″ WSTR
WQXI was THE definition of Top 40 radio in Atlanta, starting in the late 50’s at 790 AM and later at 94.1 FM. But by the late 80’s, the station had evolved into Hot AC territory with ratings in the 4-share range. With the demise of WZGC (Z-93) as a CHR in January 1989, the station reverted to CHR as “Atlanta’s Hit Music Station†for a few months, but faced serious competition from WAPW (Power 99), which kept their ratings down in the 3 to 4 share range. Realizing that they needed to drop their 30+ heritage as a CHR and start from scratch, the station was “blown up†at midnight on November 15th, 1989 and reborn as WSTR (Star 94). Star 94 started out as a Hot AC but switched to Adult CHR in September of 1991. When Power 99 became WNNX (99X) in October 1992, it left Star 94 as the only station that resembled a CHR in the market, and spent the rest of the 90’s straddling between Hot AC and CHR..
i wish i had a master copy of the last 94Q promo (about them signing-off the air) and the final announcement from 94Q and the launch of star 94
I still miss 94Q! Garo, Atlanta needs you back!
As much as it always sucks to lose a good station, the CHR format was going down the tubes, but I think they could have at least held onto the Q branding until the early 90s and then re-imaged as Hot AC, maybe preserving the Q moniker.
I knew all those djs and they were great fun to hang out with. Remember the ferris wheel in buckhead? Russ and Craig and Harriett we miss you.