City Onaway, Michigan Branding Easy 106-3 Translator(s) 98.1 W251AD (Alpena) | Broadcast area Cheboygan, Michigan Frequency 106.3 MHz | |
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WQEZ (106.3 FM) is a radio station licensed to serve the community of Onaway, Michigan. WQEZ is imaged as "Easy 106.3". The station is owned by Black Diamond Broadcasting.
Contents
ABC Entertainment Network news is featured at the top of each hour. WQEZ is also heard on translator 98.1 W251AD in Alpena. The Easy format was also heard on WQEZ 95.5 FM of Glen Arbor, Michigan from 2013 until 2017, who separately imaged as "Easy 95.5". 106.3 was then known as WOEZ. The two stations aired the same musical format with the same songs in the same order (with a slight delay), but were not simulcast, as station imaging, commercials, and weather forecasts were separate. 95.5 is now known as WGFE, simulcasting sister station WGFM 105.1.
Programming
WQEZ broadcasts a "super-soft" adult contemporary format (similar to that of WDUV in Tampa, Florida, or WFEZ in Miami, Florida) to northwestern lower Michigan. Typical artists include Barbra Streisand, Barry Manilow, Elvis Presley, Carpenters, Olivia Newton-John, Elton John, Celine Dion, and Kenny Rogers among others, with a small scattering of more contemporary AC hits from artists like Adele, Colbie Caillat, and Lady Antebellum. WQEZ's signal covers the northern tip of the lower peninsula and much of eastern Upper Michigan.
History
In June 2011, broadcast veteran Del Reynolds applied to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for a construction permit for a new broadcast radio station. The FCC granted this permit on August 8, 2011, with a scheduled expiration date of August 8, 2014. The new station was assigned call sign "WQEZ" on August 16, 2011.
After construction and testing were completed, the station began broadcasting on November 5, 2011, with a Christmas music format, stunting as "Santa 97-7". The station was granted its broadcast license on December 6, 2011. On December 26, 2011, the station debuted its regular soft adult contemporary music format, branded as "Easy 97-7".
On April 1, 2013, WQEZ swapped call letters with WJZJ 95.5 FM, and the two stations began mirroring the "Easy" format, displacing 95.5 FM's former "Real Rock" format.
On May 20, 2013 WOEZ moved to 106.3 FM licensed to Onaway, Michigan, which had previously been WYPV with a conservative/Christian talk format. (The 106.3 frequency had tested with Christmas music during the summer of 2012 prior to commencing regular programming.) The WYPV calls and talk format are now on 94.5 FM in Mackinaw City, which had been the former home for "The Bear" simulcast. The Bear is now on 97.7, which has since changed calls again to WCHY. WOEZ is also heard on 98.1 W251AD in Alpena.
On March 17, 2017, the Easy format ended on 95.5 FM, as WQEZ would become a simulcast of sister station WGFM as WGFE. This left WOEZ as the standalone "Easy" outlet. On March 24, 2017, the WQEZ call letters moved to 106.3, who got rid of their former WOEZ callsign.