WRKT-FM
104.1
Cocoa
Beach
Original Call Letters: WRKT
Original City of License:
Cocoa
Beach
Originally Licensed: May
8, 1962
Power: 100,000
watts
Original Format: Jazz
Owner(s): 1962-C.
Sweet Smith
1981-Guy
Gannett Broadcasting Services, Inc.
1992-Paxson
Communications Corp ($18.6
Million with WWNZ-AM
740, WINZ-AM 940, WZTA-FM 94.9 Miami)
1993-Press
Broadcasting
($5 million-Gannett Broadcasting)
1996-Paxson
Broadcasting ($25
million)
1997-Clear
Channel Communications, Inc.
History
Of Call Letters and Formats: WRKT-1968-Bonneville
Automated "KPE-FM"
WKPE-1970-Progressive
Rock "Cape
Radio"
WRKT-1980-AOR
WRKT-1977-Top
40 "Rocket
104"
WRKT-1980-Adult
Contemporary
"Rocket
104"
WSSP-1981-Country
"Brevard's Stereo Country
104"
WSSP-1985-Beautiful
Music
"WSSPer 104"
WZTU-1992-Adult
contemporary
"U-104.1"
WHVE-1992-Top
40
"The Wave"
WVRI-1992-Talk-simulcast
of WWNZ-AM
740
WWNZ-1993-Talk
"Real Radio"
WTKS-1993-Talk
"Real Radio
104.1"
WTKS-1997-Talk,
Modern
Rock on weekends "Real
Radio 104.1"
WRKT
History
Dave Rollins
corrects the history of 104.1.
The original call
letters of 104.1 were WRKT. The station was automated with the Bonneville
format. Both WRKT-AM
1300 and WRKT-FM 104.1
were located at the end of the 520 causeway on Cocoa Beach at the site of the
old Caravelle Lounge. It was owned and operated by C. Sweet
Smith, who also owned Smith and Wooten Ford in Cocoa as well as the Blue
Matador Lounge (aka Snuffy's and others). The station was moved to
Pluckebaum Road with a 3 tower AM array in late 60's. Dave started there in
1967, while he was attending Cocoa Beach High School which was then in
Rockledge. Bill Baker did mornings. Bob Young handled middays and Rick
Morton was on from 7 pm to 12 midnight. Other folks there were, Al
Radelin and Bill Marlin (Dowlings) and Clark Ray (from WKKO).
The sales manager was A. R. MacHeliney, known as "Mack". He
later moved to WCKS "Beautiful Music" in Cape Canaveral.
From
Marc
Tyll;
After WKPE dropped its AOR format, the calls went back to WRKT-FM
and the format became Top 40 as "Rocket 104".
WRKT-AM 1300 became Beautiful Music during this same time period. In 1980
WRKT-AM and WRKT-FM began a simulcast operation, switching both
stations to Adult Contemporary, but remaining "Rocket 104". A
year later, 1981, WRKT-FM became WSSP when Guy Gannett
purchased the station with plans to upgrade the 30,000 watt Space Coast FM to a
100,000 watt station with a new 1,600 foot tower at Bithlo. The plan from the
start was to move the new WSSP to Orlando as a Beautiful Music
station to become "WSSPer 104". In the meantime, while
awaiting the completion of the new Bithlo tower, WSSP became a country
station serving the Space and Treasure Coast with its blend of modern and
classic country favorites, known as "Brevard's Stereo Country 104".
WRKT-AM 1300 became a classics hits station, playing top 40 hits
from the 60s and 70s. WSSP was short lived, only lasting a few
years.
WRKT
Personalities
Dave
Rollins
Bill Baker-mornings
Bob Young-middays
Rick Morton-1968-7PM-Midnight-
Lesa Mock tells us more about Rick. "...He
also wrote a weekly column in the Cocoa Evening Tribune called "It's
What's Happening". He used to broadcast the show live from the
old Tiger Den on Peachtree Street in Cocoa on Friday nights.
Al Radelin
Bill Marlin (Dowlings)
Clark Ray
Tom Robinson-1982-1984
Mike Shepard aka Alan
Jackson-Program Director
Bob Thompson
Dave Edwards-1975-1977
Biography
Ben
Hill-Program Director
Jim
Sumpter-Music Director
Jim
“Double Bubble” Pierce
“Brother
Dave” Vasser
“Crazy
Mike” Kessler
Other
Names in WRKT History
A.
R. "Mack" MacHeliney-sales manager
Bob Clarke-1981-WRKT-AM
and FM-vice president and general manager.
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