Quad Cities FM Flips to Classic Hits Hours After Competitor Goes Country

Hours after Townsquare Media ended the Quad Cities’ only Classic Hits format, iHeartMedia adopted the format on one of its stations.

The former “Q106.5” (KCQQ Davenport) is now “Big 106.5,” switching from Classic Rock to Classic Hits at 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 24. RadioInsight, which first reported the format change, notes that the new format will continue to carry the syndicated “Bob & Tom Show” in the mornings.

The change came following Townsquare’s flip of KIIK-FM/104.9 (De Witt-Quad Cities) from Classic Hits to Country as “US 104.9,” taking on iHeart’s WLLR-FM/103.7 (Davenport). KCQQ has a much bigger signal than KIIK, using 100kW/273m (class C1).

KCQQ had used the “Q106.5” branding for a quarter century and positioned the format as Classic Hits until the mid-2000s. iHeart, then known as Clear Channel, had programmed Classic Hits on KUUL-FM/101.3 (East Moline) until flipping the station to Contemporary Hits in 2012.

The previous “Q106.5” Classic Rock format had ranked fourth in the market, according to Nielsen Audio’s Spring 2021 12+ ratings, but had half the average quarter hour share of Townsquare’s “97X” (WXLP/96.9 Moline).