WQSE-LD
A low-power television station serving the Syracuse, New York area, operating on digital channel 6 and associated with the 87.75 MHz FM6 service.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
WQSE-LD is a low-power television station serving Syracuse, New York, United States. The station is owned by Metro TV, Inc., a broadcasting holding company associated with Craig Fox, and transmits from the WOLF radio tower on West Kirkpatrick Street northwest of downtown Syracuse. Its current identity follows a sequence of call-sign, technical, and programming changes that moved the station from an analog low-power television operation to a digital ATSC 3.0 service. The station previously operated under the call signs WMBO-LP and WVOA-LP before becoming WVOA-LD and, in May 2025, WQSE-LD. Before 2013, the station carried NASA TV programming after returning to the air in November 2010. In October 2013, it adopted a brokered religious format branded Love Radio. That service consisted largely of paid religious programming supplied by producers from around the United States, with Salem Radio Network's The Fish network filling unsold airtime and a limited number of secular music programs appearing mainly on weekends. Love Radio had earlier been heard on 103.9 FM in the Syracuse area, a frequency later identified with WSEN. While operating in analog on channel 6, the station's audio could be received on the FM dial at 87.75 MHz. The station used an unusual technical arrangement to satisfy the visual-content requirements of television broadcasting: an Atari Video Music device generated the accompanying visual display while the station's audio programming was transmitted. This made the operation part of the small group of channel 6 low-power television stations whose analog audio could be heard on nearby FM receivers. Federal Communications Commission requirements for the end of low-power analog television led the station to terminate analog transmission on July 13, 2021. Its programming was moved to sister station WSIV. The station was subsequently authorized to begin digital television operations on January 11, 2022, using the WVOA-LD call sign. In July 2023, the FCC permitted WVOA-LD to seek authority for separate audio operations at 87.75 MHz through a modified implementation of the ATSC 3.0 NextGen TV standard. The station converted to ATSC 3.0 on December 15, 2023, and began FM6 service under special temporary authority three days later. It became the fourteenth and final station permitted to provide this type of FM6 operation. The FM6 service initially simulcast programming from WOLF as an ancillary or supplementary analog service of the television station. The FCC authorized the call-sign change from WVOA-LD to WQSE-LD on May 2, 2025, effective May 12, 2025. The former WSIV was then cleared to use the WVOA call sign. Reference material also reports a later programming change on May 28, 2026, when the station adopted the classic-hits identity The Spot 87.7, emphasizing music from the 1990s and early 2000s. Because that reported date is later than the present period, the current status of that programming identity should be independently verified.
History
WQSE-LD is a Syracuse-area low-power television station whose history spans several call signs, programming identities, and transmission standards. The station operated under the WMBO-LP designation before returning to the air in November 2010 with NASA TV programming. In October 2013, it shifted to a brokered religious format known as Love Radio. The service was built primarily from paid religious programs produced outside the Syracuse market, supplemented by Salem Radio Network's The Fish programming when airtime remained unsold. Some secular music programs were also carried, particularly on weekends. The station's analog channel 6 assignment gave it an unusual relationship with the FM band. Analog channel 6 television audio is centered at 87.75 MHz, allowing compatible receivers to hear the station's audio near the bottom of the FM dial. During its WVOA-LP period, the station used this characteristic as part of its operating model. To provide the visual component required for a television transmission, it displayed imagery generated by an Atari Video Music machine while carrying the audio programming. The FCC's mandated retirement of low-power analog television required a major technical transition. WVOA-LP ended analog broadcasting at 5 p.m. on July 13, 2021, and the programming was transferred to sister station WSIV. The station was later authorized to begin digital television service on January 11, 2022, under the WVOA-LD call sign. The transition to digital broadcasting did not eliminate the station's channel 6 audio potential. On July 20, 2023, an FCC Report and Order allowed WVOA-LD to apply for separate audio operations at 87.75 MHz through a modified ATSC 3.0 NextGen TV implementation. WVOA-LD converted to ATSC 3.0 on December 15, 2023. Three days later, it began FM6 operations under special temporary authority, becoming the fourteenth and final station permitted to provide this type of service. The FM6 operation initially carried a simulcast of WOLF programming as an ancillary or supplementary analog service associated with WVOA-LD. The station's corporate ownership is attributed to Metro TV, Inc., one of a number of broadcasting holding companies owned or co-owned by Craig Fox. Its transmitter is located on the WOLF radio tower on West Kirkpatrick Street, northwest of downtown Syracuse. The FCC approved a call-sign change on May 2, 2025. Effective May 12, the station became WQSE-LD, while the former WSIV was permitted to use the WVOA call sign. Reference material further reports that WQSE-LD adopted The Spot 87.7, a classic-hits format centered on music from the 1990s and early 2000s, on May 28, 2026. Since that date is in the future relative to the available record, the programming change and its continuing status should be checked against authoritative station and FCC sources.
- 2026
Reportedly launched The Spot 87.7
[1]Reference material reports a May 28, 2026 conversion to the classic-hits identity The Spot 87.7, a change requiring independent verification.
- 2025
Adopted the WQSE-LD call sign
[1]The call-sign change from WVOA-LD to WQSE-LD became effective May 12, 2025.
- 2023
Converted to ATSC 3.0
[1]WVOA-LD converted to ATSC 3.0 operation on December 15, 2023.
- 2023
Began FM6 service
[1]The station began FM6 operations at 87.75 MHz under special temporary authority on December 18, 2023.
- 2022
Started digital operation as WVOA-LD
[1]The station began digital television operations on January 11, 2022, using the WVOA-LD call sign.
- 2021
Analog transmission ended
[1]WVOA-LP ended analog operation on July 13 as part of the FCC-mandated transition away from low-power analog television.
- 2013
Adopted the Love Radio format
[1]In October 2013, the station replaced NASA TV with the brokered religious Love Radio format.
- 2010
Returned to the air with NASA TV
[1]The station, then operating under the WMBO-LP call sign, returned to broadcasting in November 2010 and carried NASA TV.
Products and positioning
A locally operated low-power broadcast outlet that combines digital television transmission with an unusual channel 6 FM6 audio service. Its programming history has included NASA TV, brokered religious content, radio simulcasts, and a reported classic-hits format.
Low-power television broadcasting · 2022
WQSE-LD digital television service
The station's primary broadcast service on digital channel 6. Following the end of analog transmission in 2021, the operation transitioned to digital television and later adopted ATSC 3.0 technology.
Ancillary broadcast audio · 2023
FM6 service at 87.75 MHz
A channel 6 audio service that uses the station's television transmission framework to provide programming near 87.75 MHz on the FM dial. The service began under special temporary authority in December 2023 and initially simulcast WOLF programming.
Classic-hits music format · 2026
The Spot 87.7
A classic-hits identity reported in reference material as focusing on music from the 1990s and early 2000s. The reported launch date is May 28, 2026, so the format's current status should be confirmed.
Brand decisions
2025
Changed the station call signOtherBackground
The owner reorganized the use of call signs among related Syracuse-area stations.
Action taken
WVOA-LD became WQSE-LD effective May 12, 2025, while the former WSIV was authorized to use WVOA.
Aftermath
The station continued operating as a low-power television and FM6 outlet under the WQSE-LD identity.
2023
Introduced ATSC 3.0 FM6 operationsProduct launchBackground
The station sought to preserve separate channel 6 audio service after the end of analog television.
Action taken
It converted to ATSC 3.0 in December 2023 and began FM6 service at 87.75 MHz under special temporary authority.
Aftermath
The station became the fourteenth and final permitted FM6 operation and initially carried a WOLF simulcast.
2021
Completed the move away from analog televisionGeneration changeBackground
FCC rules required low-power analog television stations to discontinue analog transmissions.
Action taken
WVOA-LP shut down analog broadcasting on July 13, 2021, and its programming was moved to WSIV.
Aftermath
The station later resumed service as a digital television operation under the WVOA-LD call sign.
2013
Shifted from NASA TV to brokered religious programmingStrategyBackground
After carrying NASA TV following its 2010 return to the air, the station changed its programming direction in October 2013.
Action taken
The station adopted the Love Radio format, combining brokered religious programs with network fill-in programming and limited secular music.
Aftermath
Love Radio remained the station's principal identity until the analog shutdown in July 2021.
Recent events
- 2026
WQSE-LD reportedly adopted The Spot 87.7[1]
Product launch · Campaign
Reference material reports that the station changed to a classic-hits format branded The Spot 87.7 on May 28, 2026, focusing on music from the 1990s and early 2000s. The reported future date requires verification against current FCC and station records.
- 2025
WVOA-LD changed its call sign to WQSE-LD[1]
Other
The FCC authorized the station's call-sign change on May 2, 2025, with the new WQSE-LD designation taking effect on May 12. The former WSIV was cleared to adopt the WVOA calls.
- 2023
FCC authorized an FM6 application pathway[1]
Regulation
An FCC Report and Order stated that WVOA-LD could apply to resume separate audio operations at 87.75 MHz using a modified form of ATSC 3.0 NextGen TV technology.
- 2023
WVOA-LD launched ATSC 3.0 and FM6 service[1]
Product launch · Product generation · Regulation
The station converted to ATSC 3.0 operation on December 15, 2023, and began FM6 service under special temporary authority three days later, initially simulcasting WOLF programming.
- 2022
The station began digital operation as WVOA-LD[1]
Product generation · Regulation
The station was licensed to begin digital television operations on January 11, 2022, adopting the WVOA-LD call sign.
- 2021
WVOA-LP ended analog television transmission[1]
Regulation · Other
The station ended its analog low-power television operation on July 13, 2021, in connection with FCC requirements for the shutdown of low-power analog television. Its programming was moved to sister station WSIV.
Sources2 sources
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