WWLK-FM

The station signed on the air on November 16, 1988. It was owned by Latchkey Broadcasting and aired an adult album-oriented rock format under the call sign WMRQ.{{cite book|title=The Broadcasting Yearbook 1990|year=1990|page=B-198|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1990/B-All-Radio-BC-YB-1990.pdf#page=198|format=PDF|accessdate=July 3, 2020}} The station was founded by Dirk Nadon and his stepfather Bill Forbes.

In a 2018 interview with The Laconia Daily Sun, Nadon recalled that, "At the time, it was the only rock station north of Manchester," with that city's WGIR-FM being the nearest rock station and most Lakes Region stations programming adult contemporary formats.{{cite news |last1=Drapcho |first1=Adam |title=101.5 FM marks 30 years of broadcasting |url=https://www.laconiadailysun.com/business/local/101-5-fm-marks-30-years-of-broadcasting/article_ba8781e0-ec2f-11e8-ba50-e393a5d4bf9d.html |accessdate=July 2, 2020 |work=The Laconia Daily Sun |language=en}}

In May 1990, WMRQ flipped to an adult contemporary format as "Sunny 101.5".{{cite news |title=Radio station alters call letters, format |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/439406482/ |accessdate=July 2, 2020 |work=Boston Sunday Globe |date=May 20, 1990 |page=NH17}} It changed its call sign to WWSS on May 1.{{cite web |title=Call Sign History (WWLK-FM) |url=http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=73216&Callsign=WWLK-FM |website=CDBS Public Access |publisher=Federal Communications Commission |accessdate=July 2, 2020}}

The death of Bill Forbes and the economic impact of a banking crisis eventually forced Nadon to sell the station. In 1992, under a local marketing agreement (LMA), WWSS came under common management with WLNH AM-FM in Laconia.{{cite news |title=Format Changes |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-M-Street/M-Street-Journal/M-Street-1992-02.pdf |accessdate=July 2, 2020 |work=The M Street Journal |date=February 3, 1992 |page=1}} In 1994, Latchkey sold the station to WLNH's owner, Sconnix Broadcasting, for $80,000.{{cite news |title=Pyramid Raises Philly Stakes With $20 Million WJJZ Duopoly Deal |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1994/RR-1994-01-14.pdf#page=7 |accessdate=July 2, 2020 |work=Radio & Records |date=February 14, 1994 |pages=6–7}} Ahead of the sale, WWSS temporarily went silent in January 1994.{{cite news |title=Format Changes & Updates|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-M-Street/M-Street-Journal/M-Street-1994-01.pdf#page=30 |accessdate=July 2, 2020 |work=The M Street Journal |date=January 26, 1994 |page=2}} WWSS had been slated to be acquired by Gary W. Hammond in a $185,000 deal a year earlier;{{cite news |title=Viacom Scores L.A. Duopoly With $40 Million Buy From WW1 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1993/RR-1993-04-02.pdf#page=8 |accessdate=July 2, 2020 |work=Radio & Records |date=April 8, 1993 |pages=6–8}} Hammond ultimately purchased WLNH (AM) from Sconnix.{{cite news |title=Jacor Doubles At Home With $9.5 Million For WIMJ/Cincinnati |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1994/RR-1994-03-25.pdf#page=10 |accessdate=July 2, 2020 |work=Radio & Records |date=March 25, 1994 |pages=6–10}}

On February 28, 1994, the station changed its call sign to WBHG. It relaunched as classic rock station "Big 101.5".{{cite news |title=Format Changes & Updates|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-M-Street/M-Street-Journal/M-Street-1994-03.pdf#page=20 |accessdate=July 2, 2020 |work=The M Street Journal |date=March 16, 1994 |page=2}}

Sconnix sold its Lakes Region stations — WBHG, WLNH-FM, and WEMJ (1490 AM) — to Nassau Broadcasting Partners for $5 million in 2004. The three stations were the last to be held by Sconnix.{{cite news |last1=Fybush |first1=Scott |title=Nassau Grows Again in New Hampshire |url=https://www.fybush.com/NERW/2004/040126/nerw.html |accessdate=July 2, 2020 |work=NorthEast Radio Watch |date=January 26, 2004}} On February 4, 2005, Nassau relaunched the station as WWHQ. It called itself "101.5 The Hawk." Under the new identity, the station was operated jointly with WOTX-FM (102.3) in Concord,{{cite news |last1=Fybush |first1=Scott |title=Qantum Buys the Cape; Cherry Creek Buys the East End; WSMN Goes Dark |url=https://www.fybush.com/NERW/2005/050207/nerw.html |accessdate=July 2, 2020 |work=NorthEast Radio Watch |date=February 7, 2005}} which soon became WWHK.{{cite news |last1=Fybush |first1=Scott |title=Remembering Bruds (and Y100, too) |url=https://www.fybush.com/NERW/2005/050228/nerw.html |accessdate=July 2, 2020 |work=NorthEast Radio Watch |date=February 28, 2005}} In March 2008, WWHQ shifted from classic rock to a more mainstream rock format. WWHQ's simulcast with WWHK ended on August 22, 2008, after Nassau Broadcasting Partners was forced by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to end its joint sales agreement with WWHK owner Capitol Broadcasting.{{cite news|url=http://www.radioink.com/HeadlineEntry.asp?hid=143148&pt=todaysnews|title=FCC Denies Waiver Bid, Rules Nassau Must End JSA|date=August 12, 2008|work=Radio Ink|accessdate=August 26, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131228022757/http://www.radioink.com/HeadlineEntry.asp?hid=143148&pt=todaysnews|archive-date=December 28, 2013|url-status=dead}}

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On April 27, 2009, it was announced that WWHQ and WNNH (99.1 FM) in Henniker would be spun off into a divestiture trust and sold as part of a debt-for-equity restructuring of Nassau Broadcasting in which Goldman Sachs became 85% owner of the company. The new ownership structure ended Nassau's grandfathered status with respect to how many stations in the Concord (Lakes Region) market it could own. On November 4, 2009, WWHQ began stunting while its "Hawk"-branded classic rock format moved to WLKZ (104.9 FM) in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. WWHQ went silent on March 1, 2010, due to power failure. With the loss of electricity, management did not intend to return the station to the air until the completion of the transfer of ownership.{{cite web|url=http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/prefill_and_display.pl?Application_id=1355875&Service=FM&Form_id=910&Facility_id=73216|title=Notification of Suspension of Operations / Request for Silent STA|date=March 4, 2010|work=CDBS Public Access|publisher=Federal Communications Commission|accessdate=March 5, 2010}} However in February 2011, WWHQ resumed broadcasting as a simulcast of Nassau's WBACH network of classical music stations in Maine.

WWHQ and 29 other Nassau stations in Northern New England were purchased at bankruptcy auction by Carlisle Capital Corporation, a company controlled by Bill Binnie (owner of WBIN-TV in Derry and WYCN-LP in Nashua), on May 22, 2012. The station, and 12 of the other stations, was then acquired by Vertical Capital Partners, controlled by Jeff Shapiro.{{cite news|title=Carlisle Capital Corp. Wins Bidding For Rest Of Nassau Stations|url=http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/106283/carlisle-capital-corp-wins-bidding-for-rest-of-nas|accessdate=May 22, 2012|newspaper=All Access|date=May 22, 2012}}{{cite news|last=Venta|first=Lance|title=Nassau Broadcasting Auction Results|url=http://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/57250/nassau-broadcasting-auction-results/|accessdate=May 24, 2012|newspaper=RadioInsight|date=May 22, 2012}} (updated May 23, 2012) The sale of WWHQ and the other 12 stations was consummated on November 30, 2012, at a purchase price of $4.4 million. After a brief silent period, the station returned to the air with a simulcast of new sister station WTPL (107.7 FM).

On December 24, 2012, the station changed its call sign to WZEI. Several days later, on January 4, 2013, the station switched to a sports talk format provided by the WEEI Sports Radio Network.{{cite press release|title=WEEI adds new affiliate to the largest sports radio network in New England|date=January 3, 2013|publisher=Entercom Communications|url=http://www.weei.com/extras/press-release/weei-adds-new-affiliate-largest-sports-radio-network-new-england|accessdate=January 3, 2013}} As WWHQ, the station had previously planned to join the network in January 2008,{{cite press release |title=Nassau Broadcasting Brings A Championship To New Hampshire |publisher=Nassau Broadcasting Partners |date=October 26, 2007 |url=http://www.nassauholdings.com/NassauPressCenter/pressreleases/pr_07_102607.htm |accessdate=October 27, 2007 }} but the deal between Nassau and Entercom ended up collapsing.{{cite news |title=Entercom-Nassau Deal Falls Through |url=http://www.radioink.com/HeadlineEntry.asp?hid=140600&pt=todaysnews |work=Radio Ink |date=January 4, 2008 |accessdate=January 7, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120209192656/http://www.radioink.com/HeadlineEntry.asp?hid=140600&pt=todaysnews |archive-date=February 9, 2012 |url-status=dead }} The Vertical Capital Partners stations were transferred to Shapiro's existing Great Eastern Radio group on January 1, 2013.{{cite web|title=APPLICATION FOR CONSENT TO ASSIGN BROADCAST STATION CONSTRUCTION PERMIT OR LICENSE OR TO TRANSFER CONTROL OF ENTITY HOLDING BROADCAST STATION CONSTRUCTION PERMIT OR LICENSE|url=http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/prefill_and_display.pl?Application_id=1533507&Service=FM&Form_id=316&Facility_id=17798|date=December 11, 2012|work=CDBS Public Access|publisher=U.S. Federal Communications Commission|accessdate=June 8, 2013}}{{cite web|title=Consummation Notice|url=http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/prefill_and_display.pl?Application_id=1536345&Form_id=905&Facility_id=17798|date=January 4, 2013|work=CDBS Public Access|publisher=Federal Communications Commission|accessdate=June 8, 2013}}

Effective August 1, 2017, Great Eastern Radio sold WZEI, WLKZ, and WTPL to Dirk Nadon's Lakes Media, LLC for $2.6 million.{{cite news |last1=Venta |first1=Lance |title=Great Eastern Radio Sells New Hampshire Trio |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/117863/great-eastern-radio-sells-new-hampshire-trio/ |accessdate=July 2, 2020 |work=RadioInsight |date=May 15, 2017}} Nadon had long sought to reacquire the station. In the interim, for a time he was program director of Boston-area FM station 93.7 WCGY, a forerunner to WEEI-FM. He later served as the vice president of engineering for Binnie Media.

On July 1, 2020, WZEI replaced the WEEI sports programming with a soft adult contemporary format, branded "Lakes 101.5". The call sign was changed to WWLK-FM.{{cite news |last1=Venta |first1=Lance |title=Soft AC Debuts In New Hampshire's Lakes Region |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/189981/soft-ac-debuts-in-new-hampshires-lakes-region/ |accessdate=July 2, 2020 |work=RadioInsight |date=July 2, 2020}}

{{reflist}}

• {{official|https://www.lakes1015.com/}}
• {{FM station data|73216|WWLK}}

{{Concord (Lakes Region) Radio}}

{{Adult Contemporary Radio Stations in New Hampshire}}

WLK-FM

Category:Radio stations established in 1989

Category:1989 establishments in New Hampshire

Category:Meredith, New Hampshire

Category:Soft adult contemporary radio stations in the United States