WTRS-AM
920
Dunnellon
Original call Letters: WTRS
Originally Licensed: March
2, 1970
Original Power: 500 Watts
Original Format:
Country Western/Adult
Big Band
Owner(s)-1970-Rainbow Communications Service, Inc.
1975-Tri-County Broadcasters, Inc.
1980-Citrus Broadcasters, Inc.
1982-Asterisk Communications, Inc.
History of Call Letters and Formats: WTRS-1970-Country
Western/Adult Big Band
WTRS-1975-Country
"King Kountry 920"
WTRS-1978-Beautiful
Music "Bright and
Beautiful"
WTRS-1979-Country
(Simulcast with WTRS-FM
102.3) "Stereo
Country"
WGAM-1980-Drake-Chenault's
"Great American Country"
WGAM-1981-Big
Bands
"The Unforgettable
AM"
WTRS-1982-Country
(Simulcast with WTRS-FM
102.3)
WTRS-1992-Ceased
operations and frequency deleted form Dunnellon
History Of WTRS
Thanks to Marc
Tyll for this history of WTRS.
WTRS-AM
began operations in 1970 on 920 kHz, operating with 500 watts daytime. The
station was co-owned with WTRS-FM
from 1970-1992. In the early days of WTRS,
the owners originally applied for an FM frequency for Dunnellon, Florida, and
had no interest in constructing an AM
station. In those days, the FCC required all FM stations to maintain its main
studio within the city limits of the city of license. The only exception to this
rule was if an FM station was commonly owned with an AM
station licensed to the same community of license. In this case, the FM studios
could be located at the transmitter site even though the site was located
outside the city of license so long as the AM
studios were also located at the same transmitter site. For this reason, since
the owners wanted the FM studio to be located outside the city of license at the
transmitter site, WTRS
Radio, Inc. applied for the frequency 920 kHz with 500 watts daytime, was
granted a construction permit, and constructed its studios at the transmitter
site. This enabled the FM studio to also locate at the same location. Originally
WTRS-AM
programmed a live "beautiful music" format. There was no
automation, only turntables and cart machines in the WTRS-AM
studio. WTRS-FM
programmed "Top 40" until both stations were sold in 1975. The FM
switched to "Contemporary Easy Listening" while WTRS-AM
switched to "Country and Western". This format lasted for three
years until it was decided overnight that the FM should become "Stereo
Country". The AM
once again returned to its "Beautiful Music" programming in 1978. This
lasted until the station was sold in 1980 and both station swapped formats: the
FM to "Beautiful Music"; the AM-"Country".
The "Beautiful music" lasted only six months on the FM and it switched
back to "Country" after receiving numerous complaints from listeners.
The AM changed call
letters to WGAM and began programming "Big Bands" as "The
Unforgettable AM"
only to begin simulcasting WTRS-FM’s
"country" format on both stations a year later. The AM
call letters were changed back to WTRS
and the simulcast programming remained in placed until 1992. By this time, the
FM had upgraded to 50,000 watts and moved its studios to Ocala. The new owner, Asterisk
Communications, had no more interest in operating WTRS-AM,
and the license was mailed back to the FCC. WTRS-AM
ceased operations on June 2, 1992 and the frequency 920 kHz was deleted from
Dunnellon.
Names
In WTRS History
John Morrison, Jr.-1970-1975-President-Rainbow
Communications Service, Inc.
Larry
Scarborough-1970-Vice President/General Manager/Commercial Manager
Marian
Nell Walker-1970-Program Director
Alfred
Hammock-1970-Chief Engineer
Garry Manning-General Manager
Dennis Miller-Program Director
Dave Matthews
Terry Organ
Burl McCarty "Captain
Mack"
Gil Johnson
"Crazy" Ron Goss
Jay Quesenberry aka "Jay
Q"
Steve Hall-Sports Director/Program Director
Robert G. Webb-1987-Station Manager
John Rutledge Biography
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