WBNQ [SEP] licensed to broadcast to
the 1960s, the station aired a home-grown easy listening/beautiful music automated format recorded at the old studio site above the Castle Theater in downtown Bloomington. In August 1972 WBNQ became an oldies station using the Draper-Blore Olde Golde syndicated format, then changed to the Drake-Chenault Solid Gold format in 1974 and evolved Top 40 using Drake-Chenault's XT-40 format in late spring 1975. In the spring 1976 Arbitron, using Drake-Chenault's XT-40 format, WBNQ attained its highest ever 12+ share of
, WBNQ became a "live" operation with a contemporary hit radio station, a format that remains today. WBNQ began airing Casey Kasem's American Top 40 during the XT-40 era and continued to do so through the 1980s.
WBNQ enjoyed #1 ratings in 2000 and had a run of consecutive number one ratings from 2001 to 2004. Despite increased competition in 2005 from WRPW which was then operating as a Rhythmic, but has since changed to News/Talk, WBNQ has remained a top rated station with #1 or