
WTRR-AM
1400
Sanford
Original
call Letters: WTRR
Originally Licensed: May
20, 1947
Original Power: 250
Watts
Original City of License: Sanford
Original Format: Block
Programming
Origination Of Call Letters: Named
for first owners son, Tolliver
R. Rivers
Manager: Myron Reck
Network Affiliations: Associated
Press, FRN, ABC
Owner(s): 1947-(May 20) James Rivers (Georgia)
1947-Radio Station WTRR (Myron and Bill Reck)
1977-Seminole Radio Corp (Smith Broadcasting Co.)
1982-
1984-Seminole-Orange Broadcasting ($325,000)
1987-Metro Orlando Broadcasters
1988-John Torrado
1989-River Country Broadcasting-Larry
Hadley, President and General Manager
-Metro-Orlando Broadcasters Inc.
1992-J&V Communications ($300,00)
History Of Call Letters and Formats :WTRR-1947-"Block"
Programming/Pop
WTRR-1973-Top 40
"The Rock On The River"
WTRR-1978-MOR
"TR14"
WTRR-1979-Country
"1400 Radio"
WWJZ-1983-Oldies
WUEZ-1984-Big
Bands
WUEZ-1986-
Adult Contemporary "Z-14"
WKUS-1987-Adult
Contemporary/MOR, Country
WTRR-1998-Christian,
News/Talk
WNSI-1988-Adult
Contemporary
"News, Sports & Information"
WTRR-1991-Adult
Standards ABC "Stardust"
format
WTRR-1993-Oldies/Talk
WTRR-1998-Spanish
WSDO-1999-Spanish
History
of WTRR
This is where WTRR first broadcast from, when it was
called the Mayfair Inn.
The New Tribes Mission today.
In June of 2003, I had the pleasure of speaking with Mr. Bill
Reck. He was a partner along with his father, Myron Reck
in the ownership of WTRR. He gave me invaluable "first
hand" information which you find here.
The origin of the call letters: Named for first owner, Mr. Rivers son, Tolliver R. Rivers
Originally broadcast
from the Mayfair Inn on 1st Street in Sanford.3 Now the New
Tribes Mission.
The station had "block programming", which meant blocks of time were
set aside for a variety of programming that spanned the musical spectrum. There
was a slot for popular music, a slot for easy listening, a slot for country,
and, as a sound called rock 'n' roll percolated, a slot for rhythm and blues.
There were also live broadcasts on election nights and "Sanforama,''
a three-day trade show for local merchants broadcast live from the Sanford
Civic Center.
Early 1950’s-moved from the Mayfair to a building “across the side
street” from the "old" Central Florida Regional Hospital, which now
is the Seminole County Services Bldg.
1968- moved
to Celery Ave. First building built by Myron, then later a second building built
by Bill Reck.

Station as it appears today on Celery Ave.
1977-Myron
Reck would retire, Bill was in full partnership with his dad, and sold the
station to Smith Broadcasting
out of Wisconsin. Bill would move to
Canton, North Carolina and open WPTL-AM
950, which he continues to
own and operate.
1981-Bill
Reck moved back to Sanford and managed Sanford's WTRR for Bob Smith
who wanted to move back to
Wisconsin.
Formats: Block programming.
1947-1967 "Pop" in the A.M., Easy listening mid days, and a
Country/Western program called the “Bar None Ranch”. After school
hours “pop” skewed toward a younger audience. “The Rhythm Hour”
would be on the air from 5 to 6PM nightly. This was the first African American
oriented program and would run from 1949 until the 1960’s. 1967 would see a
more standard format of Adult contemporary, news and Seminole High School
Football.