WTKS-FM
104.1
Cocoa Beach
Original
Call Letters: WRKT
Original City of License:
Cocoa Beach
Originally Licensed: May
8, 1962
Original
Power: 30,000 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)
1996-Paxson
Broadcasting ($25
million)
1997-Clear
Channel Communications, Inc.
2007-Aloha
Station Trust, LLC, as Trustee
History
Of Call Letters and Formats: WRKT-1962-Jazz
(Bonneville
Automated)
WKPE-1970-Progressive
Rock
"Cape Radio"
WRKT-1977-Top
40 "Rocket
104"
WRKT-1980-Adult
Contemporary
WSSP-1981-Country
"Brevard's Stereo Country 104"
WSSP-1985-Beautiful
Music
"WSSPer 104"
WZTU-1992-Hot
Adult
contemporary "U-104.1"
WHVE-1992-Top 40
"One
Hundred Four Point One, The Wave" 1
WHVE-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"
WTKS
History
From Brian Douglas;
"...WKIS-FM was on 100.3, not 104.1 (first as WORZ-FM and later as WKIS-FM). This station was an AM/FM simulcast in mono until the FM became Solid Gold WDIZ:..." When Press Broadcasting bought WVRI, they started simulcasting the News/Talk format of WWNZ (740 AM) on
104 as WWNZ-FM. In 1993, when Press acquired 104.1, they changed the calls to WTKS, and launched "Real Radio". The original lineup included Guy Kemp in the mornings, G. Gordon Liddy (syndicated) middays, and Jim Philips in the afternoons, with '80s/'90s music on the weekends, evolving to alternative.
Howard Stern was picked up for mornings, Ed Tyll was brought in for middays and
Philips
remained on afternoons."
More from Rich Kennedy. "...Other early evening shows included Ms. B and Bill Cross. 10p-12mid was the wildly successful "Passion
Phones" with
Erin Sommers. Rich Kennedy produced (as "Fluffy The Gay Producer") all of these shows. "Passion
Phones" moved to WIOD in Miami and was simulcast unsuccessfully. Russ and Bo moved to middays (replacing Ed Tyll, on his way to Los Angeles) and became the "Monsters of the Midday". Rich continued to produce the Monsters of the Midday until leaving for sister station Magic 107.7 in November 1999.
Interns serving during this time included Defoe, "E.T.", Pickleboy and ReTodd "Roger That Russ" McClernan. Rich was replaced by Defoe at Christmas 1999. Former Drew Garabo and Ed Tyll producer Daniel Dennis was brought back to Real Radio to produce the Monsters in 2000.
Walt Sabo was the original consultant. Karen Kjos was station and sales manager. Chris Kampmeier (aka: "T.C. DOOLEY" from his WBJW days) has been PD/OPS guru since 1998.
Program Directors at Real Radio included: Jay Clark (former PD at WABC, now VP Talk at Sirius) and Harry Valentine (became GM at WIOD, now with Sabo). Creative Services guru Rich Boerner (KSLX Los Angeles Creative Services) convinced management to switch to alternative "Real Music" weekends, which he programmed to great success. Rob Frazier (Production Director KSLX Los Angeles) was one of the most creative production directors ever to hit Orlando.
Melissa Foxx handled morning duties as producer/news for (the syndicated) Howard Stern (show). She also anchored
"The News Thang" early mornings. Carol Dedman originally handled producing Stern, before becoming assistant PD.
WTKS Personalities
Clive Thomas-Biography
Jim Philips
Biography
A "Jim on a
stick"
Moira-(Lynn
Levine)-Member of the Philips Phile
Oddo-Member
of the Philips Phile
Jack
(Bradshaw)-Member of the Philips
Phile
Jana
Banana-Member of the Philips
Phile
Ms. B-(Leslie Brewington)
Biography
Ed Hartley-host of
"Cryin' Lovin' & Leavin'"
Ed Tyll-1993-1997
2005-Edward Tyll is doing "stand up" throughout New York and New Jersey.
Ed Tyll and Jennie Sue Rhodes of Paxson Communications
Rich Kennedy-1993-1998
("Fluffy" The Gay Producer)
Biography
"Monsters"-Russ
Rollins, "Dirty" Jim, Bubba
"WhoopAss" Wilson, the sexy Savannah, Jeff Howell, Daniel
Dennis, Black Bean (Carlos Navarro), Whopper
Jr.
Thanks to Rich Kennedy for more on "the Monsters". "...The original name when the show began on "Real Radio" was...
"The Russ and Bo Show with Dirty Jim". The show aired from 7-10pm, replacing Mike Wiley who made a run for the U.S. Senate as the libertarian candidate."
1998-E.T., "Brother Man From the Other
Land''-is fired after lying about how the Polk County Sheriff's Office
detained him along I-4.
1998-Producer
Rich Kennedy, known as "Fluffy"
on the midday Russ & Bo Show,
leaves 104.1 work as overnight jock at sister station WMGF-FM
107.7
1998-"Dafoe"
(Thomas Carley)
replaces Rich Kennedy as producer. Dafoe moved from Erik
Dennison's overnight program back to
The Russ and Bo Show with Dirty Jim",
where he once worked as an intern.
1999-"Dafoe"
(Thomas Carley) was
fired after being arrested and charged with lewd and lascivious assault on a
13-year-old girl he met through his job at the station.
1999-Bo Rhodes-is let go after being suspended.
2000-Tuddle (Patrick Fowler)-Joins the Monsters
2002-"The Monsters" were syndicated live on stations in West Palm, Ft. Myers, Sarasota and Augusta, Georgia. The show is now simulcast on XM satellite radio.
2004- "The Monsters" are moved to mornings after Clear Channel removes the Howard Stern Show from 6 of it's stations including WTKS.
2004-"The Monsters" add "Drunky the Bear" to crew.
2005-"The Sexy Savannah" leaves The Monsters and joins the Shannon Burke show.
2006-"The Sexy Savannah" leaves the Shannon Burke show.
2006-Tiffany joins the Monsters
2007-"Black Bean" (Carlos Navarro) leaves the
show.
Guy Kemp
Peter Rocchio-1992-1993
Wanda Roland-1993-"Passion Phones"
Susie
Cerone-(Aug)1993-(Nov)1993"Passion Phones"
Erin Sommers-1993-1996-"Passion Phones"-9PM-Midnight
Boodreauxx
Soul Brother Kevin
Melissa Foxx-"The News Thang"
Robert Segal
Robert William Milford III
(Rob Williams)-1993
Bailey Quarters-Traffic
(Kathryn Adkins) Biography
Drew Garabo
Biography
Mandy-1996-1998-Drew
Garabo Show Producer/sidekick
Melanie
Bill Cross-1993-1994-host of "Cross Talk"-7PM-9PM
Shannon Burke (Eddie Burke)-2004-Shannon takes over the mid-day slot, leaving
WFLF-AM 540
mornings
Steadman-Producer for the Shannon Burke Show
Bethann Shaffer
El Heffe (Dro Hinojosa)-2005-2006-co-host of
"The Hideout"
J
Dubbs-2005-2006-co-host of
"The
Hideout"
J. Moore-5AM-6AM weekdays
Cathy Taylor-News Director
''Flounder''
(Stew Williams)-1993-11AM-3PM
Rick
Morgan-1993-Noon to 3PM
Cabin
Boy-Producer-Shannon Burke
Show/co-host of 2
Guys, 1 Sports Show with Jack
Bradshaw
Other
Names In WTKS History
Carol Dedman
Doug
Silver-Program
Director
Harry Valentine-Program Director
Bill Wise-Program
Director
Karen Kjos-General Manager
John
Dziuba-Vice
President/General Manager-Press Broadcasting's radio division
Mark Lass-General
Manager
Bill Pasha-1992-Program
Director
Rich
Boerner-1993-Program Director
Katherine
Brown-1999-Present-Program
Director
Other Programs
In WTKS
G. Gordon
Liddy-Jun 1993-Sep 1993-syndicated
Howard Stern-1994-2004-syndicated
Tom Olsen-"Olsen On Law"
Robert Vincent Sims-"The
Garden Rebel"
XFL Football-Marc
"the Freak" Loyd of WQTM-AM
740-play-by-play
with Jack
Bradshaw of "The
Philips Phile"
and Dirty
Jim
as
sideline reporters
1. The Wave was a ratings disaster. Within 6 months WHVE began simulcasting
WWNZ-AM 740.
What's
New Biographies
In Memory Sounds
Misc. Links
Chronology What's News?