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WQRM (850 kHz) is a non-commercial AM radio station licensed to Duluth, Minnesota. It is an owned and operated by Milwaukee-based VCY America. It carries VCY's listener-supported Christian talk and teaching format, with soft Christian music heard some hours.

WQRM is a daytimer station. By day, it transmits 50,000 watts non-directional, the maximum for AM radio stations in the U.S. 850 AM is a clear channel frequency so WQRM's AM transmitter must go off the air at night to avoid interfering with other stations. During critical hours, it transmits 14,000 watts. The tower is on East McCuen Street in Duluth, near the St. Louis River. Programming is heard around the clock on 250-watt FM translator W249CX at 97.7 MHz.

History

The station signed on the air on April 26, 1963; 61 years ago (April 26, 1963). The original call sign was WWJC. It has always broadcast a Christian radio format. The original owner was the Twin Ports Christian Broadcasting Corporation. It originally broadcast at 1270 kHz and ran 5,000 watts. Its original city of license was Superior, Wisconsin. In 1970, its frequency was changed to 850 kHz which was coupled with a power increase to 10,000 watts. The city of license was changed to Duluth, Minnesota.

In 2014, the station was sold to VCY America for $400,000. In 2016, WQRM was granted a license to increase daytime power to 50,000 watts, with critical hours set at 14,000 watts.

On August 8, 2021, WQRM was the victim of a fire that totally destroyed the new transmitter as well as the backup transmitters. The fire caused over $500,000 in damage to the transmitter and other equipment and $75,000 in structural damage.

References

1. "Facility Technical Data for WQRM". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
2. WQRM fcc.gov. Accessed April 18, 2014
3. Radio-Locator.com/WQRM
4. ^ "Duluth Christian radio station WWJC to be sold", Duluth News Tribune. February 1, 2014. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
5. ^ History Cards for WQRM, fcc.gov. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
6. "Application Search Details". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
7. "WQRM 850 AM off air due to fire". August 9, 2021.
8. Harlow, Tim. "Fire heavily damages Duluth Christian radio station", Star Tribune. August 9, 2021. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
9. "WQRM Duluth Knocked Off-Air Due To Transmitter Fire", InsideRadio. August 9, 2021. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
10. Rahman, Arman. "Decades-Old WWJC Radio Station Heavily Damaged In Early Morning Fire", KQDS-TV. August 8, 2021. Retrieved October 5, 2021.

External links

• Facility details for Facility ID 74191 (WQRM) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• WQRM in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
• Facility details for Facility ID 138738 (W249CX) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• W249CX at FCCdata.org

• Christian radio stations in Minnesota
• Radio stations established in 1963
• 1963 establishments in Minnesota
• Daytime-only radio stations in Minnesota
• VCY America stations