WSSP-FM 104.1
Cocoa Beach

 

Original Call Letters: WRKT

Originally Licensed: May 8, 1962 

Original City of License: Cocoa Beach

Original Frequency: 104.1

Origin of Call Letters: Slogan: "WSSPer 104"

Original Power: 100,000 watts

Original Location:

Original Format: Jazz


Owner(s):
1962-C. Sweet Smith
1968-Bucks County Radio News
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.
2007-Aloha Station Trust, LLC, as Trustee


History Of Call Letters and Formats:


WRKT-1962-Bonneville Automated  "KPE-FM"
WKPE-1970-Progressive Rock     "Cape Radio"
WRKT-1977-Top 40     "Rocket 104"
WRKT-1980-Adult Contemporary   "Rocket 104"
WSSP-1981-Country     "Brevard's Stereo Country 104"
WSSP-1985-Easy listening  "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"


History Of WSSP-FM
From Marc Tyll;
In 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". WSSP was short lived, only  lasting a few years. 

On May 2,1986 WSSP-FM  began going head-to-head with WJYO-FM 107.7. The ''Wssper,'' as it calls itself, switched its format from country to easy listening and began broadcasting at 100,000 watts via a newly constructed radio tower in Bithlo.


From Rich Kennedy; "Easy Listening "WSSPer 104" was the #1 station 12+ in a number of Arbitron books between 1985-1990. Several books between 12 and 14 shares, with mid-days and overnights exceeding 17 shares!  (WSSP) moved from the Rockledge studios to West Colonial Drive circa 1988, when WSSP became the sister station of WKIS-AM 740."


WSSP Personalities


Gary Van Allen (Gary Warne)-1986-Overnights-Guy Gannett Broadcasting Services, Inc. 

Rich Kennedy-1986-1992-Overnights

Chuck Bennett and Reagan Smith-1985-1992-Mornings

Dave Edwards-1988-Afternoons Biography

Mike Kaye-1989-Mid Days

Tom Brooks-1989-Evenings

Bobby Knight-Afternoons


Other Names In WSSP History

Bob Clark-General manager

Alan Wilkerson-Program Director

Bob Carson-Program Consultant

Allen Dempsey-Production Director

Reagan Smith-News director

Alan Jackson-Program director 


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