WKLT

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WKLT 97.5 Kalkaska and WKLZ-FM 98.9 Petoskey are Album-Oriented Rock stations simulcasting as "KLT The Rock Station". The station serves the Traverse City-Petoskey radio market.

The station was started by Roy Henderson in 1978 at 97.7, playing a CHR/Top 40 format as "Kilt 98". Rumor has it that Henderson, a Texan, named the station after Houston radio station KILT. Due to its limited signal, the station found it difficult to compete with the high-powered WJML-FM and WKHQ, and so in 1981 the station changed format to automated country as "Country 98".

The station added an AM simulcaster at 1420 in 1982, which simulcasted the FM's format. The AM station, WKLT-AM, was a 500-watt daytimer.

In 1982, WKLT became the Grand Traverse region's first AOR station, when Roy Henderson moved to Texas full-time, selling WKLT to a Pepsi-Cola distribution company based in North Dakota. (Northern Broadcast, a division of Northern Bottling, also owns Classic Hits WFCX 92.5/94.3 The Fox and AC WSRT 106.7/100.7, formerly WKPK - 106.7 The Peak.) The new AOR format was the first of its kind in northern Michigan and gave listeners an alternative to the Top 40 fare played on WJML and WKHQ. It was during this period that WKLT would be known to its listeners as "98 Rock".

In 1991, WKLT moved to 97.5, boosting power to 32,000 watts and the company purchased WJML in Petoskey (which by that time had shifted to an Adult Contemporary format in response to competition from WKHQ and WKPK). The company spun off WJML-AM 1110 to local broadcaster Rick Stone (who still owns the station with a news/talk format) and WKLT-AM to the Kalkaska School system, who has since shut the station down for good. WJML 98.9 became WKLZ and Double Rock KLT was born.

Throughout the 1990s, the station, and Northern Broadcast, were managed by Richard Dills of Grand Rapids. In 2005, Charlie Ferguson took over the GM position at Northern Broadcast after a long stint in Minot, ND, Northern Radio's home city. The Double Rock slogan was changed to "The Rock Station" reflecting the long history of the station. With the change, listeners have noted that the station has become more heavily gold-based than before and cut back on the number of current songs on its playlist. In October of 2006, the morning show "OMELETTE & CHARLY" took over the airwaves, with station veteran Jack Jensen as producer. Omelette moved from markets in FL, CT and MA, while Charly Kayle joined him from markets such as Memphis, Little Rock and Kansas City.

[edit] External link

• Official WKLT website