WQHS Radio
- For the Television station in Cleveland, Ohio, see WQHS-TV.
| Broadcast area | Philadelphia, PA |
|---|---|
| Branding | "wqhs.org" |
| Slogan | "Turn us on, and we'll turn you on." |
| Frequency | Currently Internet radio Only |
| First air date | 1975 |
| Format | Freeform |
| Callsign meaning | W Quad Hill Superblock |
| Owner | University of Pennsylvania |
| Website | www.wqhs.org |
WQHS is the only wholly student-operated college radio station at the University of Pennsylvania. WXPN was the University's principal student radio station until 1975, with WQHS as an AM-based training ground for DJs. After 1975, WQHS became the official student radio station of the University, with WXPN being taken over by an external company. The radio station currently broadcasts an eclectic freeform radio format over internet radio, as a result of their radio tower, formerly on top of Harnwell College House, falling down in a severe storm in 2003.
History
In the 1960s, the University had two radio stations: 88.9 WXPN-FM and 730 WXPN-AM; the AM radio station broadcast as a non-licensed carrier current radio station, and able to be heard only in the University dormitories. Both radio stations consisted of educational programming, news and sports coverage, as well as music. In 1965, WXPN-AM started airing popular music shows, stirring interest among the students. At the time, the radio station operated out of Houston Hall, directly in the center of campus.
In 1970, operations moved to a larger, more private location, at 3905 Spruce Street. After problems with the FCC over show content in the 1970s, XPN's broadcast license wasn't renewed. The FM radio station became entirely professionally run by 1980, while the AM radio station was still student-run. WXPN-AM then became WQHS, which stands for Quad Hill Superblock (referring to student dormitories on campus), housing mainly freshmen. As of September 2005, the radio station is located on the 5th floor of the Hollenback Center, on the far east side of campus.
