WXXU-AM 1300     
Cocoa Beach

Original Call Letters: WRKT

Originally Licensed: Jun 22, 1959

Original City of License: Cocoa Beach

Original Frequency: 1300

Origin of Call Letters: 

Original Power: 5,000/1,000 watts

Original Location: 1801 Clark Rd., Orlando

Original Format: Black Gospel (simulcast of WXTO 1600 AM)


Network Affiliation(s):


Owner(s):

1959-Mel Wheeler 
1962-C. Sweet Smith
1968-Bucks County Radio News
1977-Bostwick Management
1981-Cocoa Beach Broadcasting (Guy Gannett Broadcasting Services, Inc)
1981-Triplett Broadcasting of Florida
1986-Guy Gannett Publishing Co.
1988-Champion Broadcasting of Florida ($325,000) 
1993-Rama Communications (Purchased with WOKB AM 1600)
2008-Twin Towers Broadcasting (LMA)
2015-321 Corporation ($150,00)


History Of Call Letters and Formats:


WRKT-1959-MOR

WRKT-1968-Top 40

WRKT-1975-MOR/Top 40

WMOD-1978-Beautiful Music

WRKT-1979-Top 40

WRKT-1980-Adult Contemporary (simulcast with WRKT-FM 104.1)

WRKT-1981-Contemporary Country

WRKT-1985-Classic Hits

WRKT-1987-Oldies

WXXU-1988-Black Gospel (simulcast of WXXO 1600 AM)

WXXU-1990-Spanish

WXXU-1994-Ethnic

WXXU-1995-Travel Information

WXXU-1996-Urban

WXXU-1998-Black Gospel/Urban

WXXU-2002-Traveler Information

WTIR-2003-Traveler Information  

WTIR-2006-Spanish

WMEL-2008-Talk  "The Talk To Me Station"

WKQK-2015-Variety  "Radio 1300 - All Local - All the Time"

WKQK-2022-Licensed/Silent (May)

WKQK-2022-Information    "Space Coast Information Radio"
WXXU History
WRKT drops golden oldies for gospel 
By Sarah Randall 
Florida Today 
May 3, 1988

The doo-wop sounds of golden oldies on Cocoa's WRKT Radio, AM-1300, will change at the end of the month to gospel. The station, purchased by Champion Broadcasting of Orlando for $325,000 in March, has changed its call letters to WXXU and will make the musical format change on May 31, according to Champion Broadcasting Vice President Jane Duncklee. Duncklee called the purchase price "a bargain" and said gospel music is growing in popularity throughout the South. Guy Gannett, WRKT's former owner, wanted to purchase WKIS radio in Orlando and had to give up the Cocoa station in order to meet government requirements, she said. The Federal Communications Commission prohibits a company or individual from owning two AM radio stations in the same market. WXXU will be Champion's second Florida station. The company moved into the Florida market a year ago after purchasing WXXO(-AM 1600), a gospel station in Orlando. WXXU broadcasts cover an area from New Smyrna Beach to Fort Pierce during the day. According to Duncklee, none of the station's 10 employees have been terminated because of the change.

Radio format change on hold
Florida Today 
Jun. 1, 1988

Cocoa's WXXU radio, formerly WRKT AM-1300, has decided to delay its plans of changing from golden oldies to gospel for at least a few weeks, according to Jane Duncklee, vice president of Champion Broadcasting, which owns WXXU. Duncklee had said the change would take place at the end of May, but plans were delayed in part because the station is installing some new electronic equipment. WRKT was purchased by Champion Broadcasting of Orlando in March and later changed its call letters to WXXU, which broadcasts over an area from New Smyrna Beach to Fort Pierce during the day.

Gospel radio hits the air in Brevard

By Rita Elkins 
Florida Today 
Oct. 24, 1998
Professional players are wrapping their radio hearts around a long-slumbering vision in Brevard County: a full time gospel radio station serving the African American community. Several have come and gone over the years, unable to attract the revenue needed to keep a niche format on the air. But this time, a company with a proven track record is taking to the local airwaves. RAMA Communications, owner of WOKB 1600AM in Orlando, has taken over one of the Space Coast's most historic dial positions: WXXU 1300AM in Cocoa. Back in the 1960s, 1300AM was known as WRKT and was the only station in town playing Top 40. Through several format and ownership changes in the 70s, the Cocoa-based 5,000-watt station kept up with commercial FM's growth by offering country music during the Urban Cowboy craze, then Classic Hits on the leading edge of the retro trend in the 1980s. After struggling through the '90s with a string of owners and several periods off the air, 1300AM found core support in Central Brevard's sizeable African American community. RAMA Communications plans to capitalize on that and expand its influence throughout the county, says Steve January, station manager. A 20-year veteran of radio broadcasting, January envisions a 24-hour format providing solid gospel music and community information. Of course, that takes staff and that takes money, so that will take some time. Meanwhile, "we're here to serve the community with gospel programming from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, Saturday from 6 a.m. to noon, and all day on Sunday," says January. "We are committed to make a positive change for this whole station. We're here to stay." Howard Lewis, also known to his percussion fans as Xhabbo, promotes WXXU 1300AM as "Gospel 13" and hosts The Community Affairs Broadcast from 3:30 to 4 p.m. Sunday. During the program, Lewis interviews representatives of key civic and social groups such as Child Care Association, Brevard Cultural Alliance, and PREVENT! of Brevard. For information on WXXU AM1300, call 636-2060.


Names In WXXU History

Jane Duncklee-1986-Vice President-Champion Broadcasting of Florida


Jeff Allen (Cassell)-1986-1989-Program Supervisor/Mornings-Guy Gannett Publishing Co./Champion Broadcasting of Florida   Biography

   



Denise Moore-1988-Champion Broadcasting of Florida
Mathew Hoffman-1993-President-Rama Communications
J.D. Ricci-1993-General Manager-Rama Communications
Pedro Sanchez-1993-Program Director-Rama Communications


Jay Waggoner-1993-Chief Engineer-Rama Communications    In Memory
Pastor Sylvester V. Jones-1996-1996-"Power Talk"-Rama Communications
Cardell Randle-1996-1996-Co-host "Power Talk"-Rama Communications



Steve January-Station Manager-Rama Communications

Cleo Sears-2001-Lease holder/General Manager

Cheryl Sears-2001-Lease holder



Max Johnson-News Director-Champion Broadcasting of Florida



George Hampton

Charles Morse 



Chris Hill   Biography

Stacey Freeman

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