After the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement (NARBA) went into effect in 1941, WHBQ switched to 1400 kHz, powered at 250 watts.
Young, aspiring DJs, such as Rick Dees and game show host Wink Martindale worked there with hopes of being moved up to RKO's larger markets, like Boston, New York City, San Francisco, or the biggest Top 40 station in the chain, KHJ in Los Angeles.
In the 1960s, under the guidance of programmer Bill Drake, WHBQ became Boss Radio, known for playing the hottest hits with the most popular DJs.
Klein, a former Program Director for WHBQ, went to trial after being indicted on four counts of conspiring with a former postal employee to steal Arbitron diaries.
WHBQ tried playing oldies from 1981 to 1983 before switching to a full service talk radio format.
The arrangement lasted until the end of December 2020; in January 2021, it began running a rock format known as "Drake Hall Memphis Radio.
The station's hosts include: Peter Edmiston, Anthony Sain, Dave Woloshin, Greg Gaston, Eli Savoie, Gabe Kuhn, Brett Norsworthy, and John Hardin.