Branding Quick Rock 97 Power 100,000 watt | Frequency 96.9 | |
City Pittsburg, KS/Joplin, MO Slogan "Quality Rock 'N' Roll" Format Contemporary Hits Radio | ||
KQWK 96.9 FM ( "Quick Rock 97" ) was a 100,000 watt radio station that served the Pittsburg, KS/Joplin, MO market from mid-1984 to Fall 1986.
Programming
Airing what was by definition a CHR (Contemporary Hits Radio) format, the station took on a much more AOR (Album Oriented Rock) tone in the evening hours. During those times, it wasn't unusual to hear a Huey Lewis and the News song followed by Black Sabbath. In some ways, the station was airing a Jack format about 15 years before the format was commonplace.
The station's Program Director was Frank Bell, and the disc jockey lineup was as follows :
Some of the more popular features the station broadcast were "The Top 5 At 5" ( the 5 most requested songs of the day ), "Lunch Blocks" ( several tunes by the same artist, played during the Noon hour ), "Smash Or Trash" ( listeners call in to vote on a new song ), and "The Side Show" ( a side of an album, broadcast at 3AM ) .
The station hosted concerts by many of the popular artists of the day, such as Ratt, Night Ranger, Survivor, and others. Most of these shows took place at Joplin Memorial Hall, but in particular, the Night Ranger concert was held in Pittsburg and culminated in "Night Ranger Day", in which the band received the key to the city from the Mayor.
KQWK was the home of several syndicated programs, including "Rockline", "Metalshop", and "Ticket To Ride". The station was also affiliated with NBC's "The Source" news service.