WRUF-FM 103.7
Gainesville
 
Original call Letters: WRUF
Origin of Call Letters: Radio University of Florida
Originally Licensed: 1948
Original Power: 27,500 watts
Original Network: MBS (Mutual Broadcasting System) 

Owner(s): 1948-Board of Regents for the University of Florida

History of Call Letters and Formats: WRUF-1948-Simulcast of most WRUF-AM 850 programming
                                                        WRUF-1969-Beautiful Music/Classical/Educational     "Stereo 104"
                                                        WRUF-1979-Disco (Saturday Evenings ONLY)  "Studio 104 w/Professor Chuck Woods"
                                                                           WRUF-1982-AOR/Rock    "Rock 104"
                                                                           WRUF-2001-Modern Active Rock/Alternative      "Rock 104"

History Of WRUF
Thanks to Marc Tyll for this history of WRUF
WRUF-FM began operations in 1948 with 27,500 watts operating on 103.7 mHz as North Central Florida’s ONLY FM radio station. There were very few FM stations in 1948 with WDBO-FM 92.3 Orlando, being the next FM station, within 100 miles of Gainesville, which began in operation 1952. WRUF-FM was constructed and owned by the University of Florida. By the early to mid 60s, WRUF-FM began programming Beautiful Music combined with classical music, billed as "Fine Arts Radio". In the early '70s the format became totally beautiful music with special weekend classical music and other fine arts programming. As a beautiful music station, WRUF-FM became known as "Stereo 104" and was North Central Florida’s CBS Radio affiliate, broadcasting CBS World News and the popular CBS Mystery Theatre. Weekends consisted of the classical sounds of Mozart, Strauss, Beethoven, Chopin and many others. Sunday afternoons consisted of Fine Arts and cultural programming where you could hear your favorite Opera selections.
In 1979 at the height of the '70s disco era, WRUF-FM made a bold move when program director Harry Guslott hired Professor Chuck Woods to produce and host "Studio 104" heard Saturday evenings. "Studio 104" consisted of all the hottest disco tunes that were being played on Top 40 radio and also heard in all the dance clubs. "Studio 104" was quite a contrast from normal "Stereo 104" programming and became a huge hit among the University students and the general population.
By mid 1981, WRUF-FM constructed a new 1,000 foot tower and raised the power to 100,000 watts, greatly extending their coverage area into Ocala, Palatka, the Gulf Coast, and all of North Central Florida. The station could be heard from Ocala to Valdosta, Georgia, and soon after completing the power increase, WRUF-FM made another bold move when Progressive Rock station WGVL-FM 105.5 switched format to Contemporary Hits as "Kiss 105". WRUF-FM saw a void left by WGVL and made the jump to Progressive Rock, dropping all "Stereo 104" programming. Gone were all the cultural and fine arts programming. The CBS Radio Network was replaced with CBS Radio-Radio, a news network geared towards AOR radio listeners. However all was not lost for Fine Arts listeners. The University of Florida constructed a new 100,000 watt non-commercial FM station broadcasting on 89.1 known as "Classic 89". The call letters were WUFT-FM and, with he exception of the CBS Mystery Theatre, all former "Stereo 104" programming was placed on "Classic 89". "Rock 104", as it was called, started out as a hard rock Top 40 sounding station, but quickly eliminated all the Top 40 music and added only hard rock tunes to the play-list. "Rock 104" was widely accepted and embraced by the market as it filled a void left by the former "Quadship" WGVL-FM 105.5. "Rock 104" made a few music adjustments over the years going from hard rock, to classic rock, and back to mainstream AOR, but has always remained a highly rated radio station within the Ocala/Gainesville market. Soon Jacksonville based syndicated Lex and Terry were added to the line-up as the new "Rock 104" morning show. The rest of the broadcast day is hosted by communications students who receive college credit for interning on "Rock 104". In 2001, after 20 years as the market’s album rock station, Rock 104 completely revamped its programming to Active/Alternative rock, but remains known as "Rock 104". 
 
From Don Smith, who was with  WRUF-AM&FM between 1950 and 1954 adds to the history of WRUF-FM.
"...The management of WRUF -- which operated well beyond the 1950s as a separate component of the University of Florida and with no academic function whatsoever -- used the new FM facility mostly as a training ground for on-air talent who hoped to "graduate" to the AM side.  Typically, it separated its daily duplication each afternoon and broadcast its own schedule of mainly sustaining programs.  Some of these were parts of the MBS schedule disdained by AM; most were locally originated music shows that tilted toward an easy listening format.  And, from time to time, WRUF-FM aired University of Florida sporting events (baseball, basketball, track) as yet another means of giving young talent an opportunity to develop those skills. 

Names In WRUF History
Don Smith-1950-1954



Dan Hogan-Biography



Robert W. Leach-1977-1985-General Manager  (Robert passed in 1985)
Robert Clark-1985-Present-General Manager
Harry Guscott-Program and Operations Manager
Lex and Terry-(Syndicated Mornings from "Rock 105" WFYV Jacksonville)
Professor Chuck Woods-1979-1982-Host of Studio 104             
Todd Louis-Morning co-host
Chad Cruz-Morning co-host
Rick Miles
Matt Adams
Chip Thomas
D. Nail
Grant Stone
Dave Warren
Duane F. McConnell-Chief Engineer 
Steve Street                
Tony Tyler (Tony Simon)-1996-1998-Second to last host of the "Seventies At Seven" on Saturday mornings before the show got cancelled. Also hosted other dayparts and was Assistant Program Director from 97-98


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