WTHQ-FM (104.5 FM) is a commercial radio station in Buffalo, New York and is owned by iHeartMedia. It broadcasts an adult hits format branded as "104.5 Jack FM" with its HD2 sub-channel carrying a simulcast of sister station, WTHQ-AM. WTHQ-FM's studios and offices are located on Hazelwood Drive in Buffalo, and it's transmitter is located in West Seneca, New York.
The station has no on-air staff expect for Kevin Rankin and his "Jacktivities" (events and whatever announcements deemed worthy by "Jack"). As with most Jack FM stations, Jack's voice is provided by Howard Cogan who supplied prerecorded quips and remarks between songs.
History[]
As WKBW-FM[]
WTHQ-FM launched on January 18th 1959, as WKBW-FM being a sister station to WKBW-AM (now WWKB). WKBW-AM and WKBW-FM both carried a top 40 format, aired the ABC Radio Network, and owned by local christian, Clinton Churchill. Both radio stations also were sister stations to companion TV stations, WKBW-TV. Only 2 years after signing on, Churchill would sell WKBW-FM, alongside WKBW-AM, and WKBW-TV to Capital Cities Broadcasting, earning a handsome return on his original investment into WKBW-AM in 1926.
In 1969, WKBW-FM would completely split off its simulcast with WKBW-AM, and would begin broadcasting an automated easy-listening/beautiful music format under the branding "Soft Hits 104 1/2". The format was supposed to be CapCities' answer to CBS Radio's "The Young Sound" format used their FM stations.
WBLJ-FM and WLJN-FM[]
On April 10, 1971, WKBW-FM would relaunch as WBLJ-FM carrying an album-oriented rock format. Initially, Capital Cities want the station's new call letters to be "WPLJ", however ABC owned and operated radio station WABC-FM in New York City changes its name to that call-letters after the FCC mistook the planned call-letters "WRIF" as the new call-letters of WXYZ-FM. The new format also brought the station's first on-air staff which included Bill Tapia, Winston Major, Alex Kaye, Gage Fischer, and Dane Dotson. Despite competition with WBEN-FM and WGRF, the station was mostly at the top of charts in Buffalo.
Seeing the success of the station, Jack Friedman would acquire WBLJ-FM from Capital Cities Broadcasting for $5 million, making the station a sister station to WMMY-AM and WLJN-TV. As part of brand unification, WMMY-AM and WBLJ-FM were both renamed as WLJN-AM-FM on February 8th, 1980. Under Friedman's ownership, the station would still broadcast its AOR format with most of the same on-air staff. But by 1983, WGRF overtook WLJN-FM on ratings, and as such the station would switch its format to an urban contemporary station branded on-air as "W104.5". In a interview with Friedman, he stated that the station's flip to urban contemporary was done due to the fact that there was no black-oriented station in Buffalo despite the rise of African-Americans in Buffalo. Despite the change in the format, many of AOR era staff was retained during the switch to urban contemporary. This is somewhat ironic since most of the AOR era on-air staff were mostly white. The urban contemporary was extremely popular towards black people in Buffalo because it was the only station at the time to carry the format.
Around the time that WLJN-FM switched to an urban contemporary, many ownership changes occurred. On March 26, 1985, Jack Friedman would sell 63% WLJN-AM-FM-TV and LJN Inc. to MCA Inc for $67 million. On March 13, 1990, Friedman and MCA would sell the three stations and LJN to Acclaim Entertainment.
WTHQ-FM years[]
As "Q105"[]
In 1994, as part of the company's exit from broadcasting, Acclaim would sell its Buffalo broadcasting assets to fellow video game publisher, THQ (also founded by Jack Friedman). Under THQ ownership the stations would rename to WTHQ-AM, WTHQ-FM, and WTHQ-TV. On September 8th 1995, both WTHQ-AM and WTHQ-FM would swap formats with WTHQ-AM taking over the urban contemporary format while WTHQ-FM would switch to an all international hits format branded as "Q105". The format would launch on WTHQ-FM at 12:00pm that day with the first song to broadcast was "Loadsamoney (Doin' Up the House)" by Harry Enfield. After 24 years, the original on-air staff was let go and WTHQ-FM hired a new on-air staff consisting of Kevin Rankin, Jeanne Conley, Coby Conrad, Theresa Gamble, and Branden Dickson were hired. Although having similar branding to WRBQ-FM in Tampa, but stations are not related.
On October 10th, 1995, Kevin Rankin would become the host of WTHQ-FM's morning show "Rankin & Friends". Rankin & Friends is well-known in the Buffalo radio market as it was the leading radio show made in the market with the show running throughout 1995 up til 2020. The show would also popularize WTHQ-FM and its format as it was replicated with other radio stations in throughout Western New York, many with little to no success.
On June 31, 1996, WTHQ-FM would change its branding to "Buffalo's Q105", which was done to end the common confusion between that station and WRBQ-FM. The station would also change its format to become a more traditional Top 40 format.
As "104.5 The Beat"[]
Citing an intense rivalry with WKSE-FM, WTHQ-FM exerted plans to discontinue its Top 40 format. The top 40 format ended on June 28, 2001 with the last song on "Buffalo's Q105" being It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine) by R.E.M. The next day, WTHQ-FM would switch to a rhythmic CHR format branded as "104.5 The Beat" with the first song the station being Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now) by C+C Music Factory.
Meanwhile, WTHQ-FM also had numerous ownership changes. THQ would spin off its radio assets to a division called "THQ Radio Inc." on August 8, 2002. When THQ started selling off its assets, WTHQ-TV was sold to WTHQ, Inc. (a consortium owned by 25% Sega and 75% local investors) while WTHQ-AM-FM would be sold to Clear Channel Radio, the sale of the three stations were approved on June 2, 2013 and finalized by June 9, 2013. On September 2014, Clear Channel would rename itself to iHeartMedia.
As "104.5 Jack FM"[]
On November 25, 2020, WTHQ-FM would switch to an adult hits format using the Jack FM branding. This was part of iHeartMedia's deal with Townsquare Media in which 3 of their station would switch formats with WTHQ-FM taking over WBUF-FM's adult hits format, WBUF-FM taking over WBRX-FM's mainstream rock format and WBRX-FM now carrying WTHQ-FM's rhytmic CHR format. As a result of this deal, most of the on-air staff excluding Kevin Rankin would leave their jobs. The first song to play on "104.5 Jack FM" was The Jack by AC/DC.