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WQOK is a Mainstream Urban formatted broadcast radio station licensed to South Boston, Virginia, serving the Southside Virginia and Raleigh/Durham areas. WQOK is owned and operated by Radio One.
The station has been on the air since 1960 as a small market 3000 watt FM station serving South Boston Virginia. In 1987, Radio entrepreneur Tom Joyner purchased the station and moved the transmitter tower closer to Raleigh North Carolina and upgraded it's licensed power from 3000 watts to 100,000 watts , though keeping the city of license in South Boston . The new tower and coverage area would maintain a "city grade" signal over South Boston as required by the FCC, but also put a strong signal over Raleigh as well. Closing down the original South Boston facilities, the station later signed on from brand new studios in Raleigh as WQOK doing an Urban format and surpassed their competitors in the ratings. Joyner later sold the station to Ragan Henry Broadcasting , who were eventually purchased by Clear Channel . In 2000, as a result of the Clear Channel / AMFM merger, WQOK was sold to Radio One Broadcasting , who continues to own the station today.
WQOK has received a construction permit to change their city of license from South Boston to Carrboro, decrease from Class C1 to C2, and transmit from Durham. This will eliminate all coverage of Virginia, though it will reduce a short-spacing issue with Charlottesville's WWWV.
WQOK is home to the Russ Parr Morning Show.
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