WTRS

WTRS, known as "Thunder Country", is a commercial radio station in Dunnellon, Florida, broadcasting to the Gainesville-Ocala, Florida area on 102.3 FM.

History

WTRS-FM

WTRS began broadcasting in March 1969 with 3,000 watts of power at 102.3 MHz as a Top 40 music station. WTRS was the Dunnellon area's first local radio station and one of the earliest successful FM Top 40 stations. The station was sold in 1975 after one of its owners died in an automobile accident, and the format was changed to "Contemporary Easy Listening," a hybrid of beautiful music and adult contemporary. WTRS was converted to a country format in 1978, and became one of west-central Florida's most popular stations. The station was sold again in 1981 and switched to Drake-Chenault's beautiful music format, only to switch back to country music after only six months following a deluge of listener complaints. WTRS has been a country station continuously since. In 1983 the station was sold to its current owner, Asterisk Communications, who upgraded the WTRS signal from 3,000 to 50,000 watts and in 1988 moved the station to new studios in Ocala. WTRS continues as one of the Ocala/Gainesville area's top-rated radio stations.

WTRS-AM (1970-1992)

In 1970, WTRS added an AM station, broadcasting on 920 kHz with 500 watts of power. Beginning as a beautiful-music station, AM 920 alternated between country and easy-listening formats through the 1970s. The calls were briefly WGAM from 1980 to 1982, programming first country (Drake-Chenault's "Great American Country" format) and then adult standards. In 1982 the station once again became WTRS-AM and settled into a simulcast of 102.3 FM, which it remained until 1992 when the station surrendered its license to the FCC and its frequency was deleted.

References

• WTRS-FM history
• WTRS-AM history

External links

• WTRS Official Website
• Query the FCC's FM station database for WTRS
• Radio-Locator information on WTRS
• Query Arbitron's FM station database for WTRS