Business

WTZQ to increase power next month

By Bill Moss, Published: January 6, 2014

WTZQ-AM 1600 radio will increase its power to 5,000 watts from 1,000 in early February, the radio station announced.

"This is great news for our loyal listeners and advertisers as well as for new listeners and businesses that have previously been out of signal range for WTZQ," said Mark Warwick, WTZQ general manager and Timeless Media Inc. managing vice president. "It will not change much as far as how we operate other than the fact that we now have the honor of serving surrounding communities in the upstate and Polk, Transylvania and Buncombe Counties as well as Henderson County. WTZQ will continue not only the tradition of playing our popular Timeless Favorite format of music but also our mission of serving our now expanded community."

The Hendersonville Lightning is a media partner of WTZQ, featuring the weekly "Lightning Thursday" news show with Warwick, George Henry and Lightning editor Bill Moss at 8 a.m. on Thursdays and Lightning editorials at 12:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
The Federal Communications Commission in mid-November granted WTZQ a power increase and signal upgrade to boost its non-directional signal strength from 1,000 watts to 5,000 watts, making WTZQ the most powerful standard broadcast commercial station between Asheville and Greenville, S.C., the station said in a news release.
The new 5,000-watt transmitter and related equipment is currently being installed. The power boost and signal upgrade is expected to be completed by early February.