This is where WTRR first broadcast from 1947 until 1949.
The hotel 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'll 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.

In the early 1950’s the station was 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. In 1961 the station boosted its power from 250 watts to 1,000 watts and in 1968, it moved into Its new studios on Celery Avenue. The first building built by Myron, then later a second building built by Bill Reck.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Station as it appears today on Celery Ave.

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. Bill Reck told the Orlando Sentinel in 1982; "For years the "Rhythm Hour" was probably WTRR's most popular program. Letters and requests poured in." "...Numerous commercials for hair snuff and barbecue made it the most lucrative 60 minutes on the station's schedule. Ironically, the "Rhythm Hour" eventually fell victim to the enormous popularity of rock music, the genre that had its roots in rhythm and blues. The show was dropped in 1967, as WTRR gradually evolved into a predominantly rock station, and the sounds that had once made the Rhythm Hour so distinctive melded into the general format. WTRR, Seminole County's first radio station, began broadcasting in 1947 from studios in the old Mayfair Inn, overlooking Lake Monroe in Sanford. It is still the only station in the county.
1967 would see a more standard format of Adult contemporary, news and Seminole High School Football. 

In 1992 Spanish-language programming was added to its English-language format, the station's new owners, J&V Communications announced. The station, based in Sanford, debuted Spanish-language programming July 5 after its June 15 acquisition by J & V Communications Co., a communications company established by John and Virgen Torrado of Deltona. The two purchased the station for $300,000 from William A. Masi, president of Metro-Orlando Broadcasters Inc. Spanish programming airs on Sundays from 2PM to 6PM.

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