WTRS
Encyclopedia
WTRS, known as "Thunder Country", is a commercial radio station
in Dunnellon, Florida
, broadcasting to the Gainesville
-Ocala, Florida
area on 102.3 FM
.
," 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.
. 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.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
in Dunnellon, Florida
Dunnellon, Florida
Dunnellon is a city in Marion County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,898 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 1,951...
, broadcasting to the Gainesville
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
-Ocala, Florida
Ocala, Florida
Ocala is a city in Marion County, Florida. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 53,491. It is the county seat of Marion County, and the principal city of the Ocala, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated 2007 population of 324,857.-History:Ocala...
area on 102.3 FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
.
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 ListeningEasy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
," a hybrid of beautiful music
Beautiful music
Beautiful music is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in American radio from the 1960s through the 1980s...
and adult contemporary. WTRS was converted to a country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
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
Drake-Chenault
Drake-Chenault Enterprises was a radio syndication company that specialized in automation on FM radio stations. The company was founded in the late-1960s by radio programmer and deejay Bill Drake , and his business partner, Lester Eugene Chenault...
's beautiful music
Beautiful music
Beautiful music is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in American radio from the 1960s through the 1980s...
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 standardsAdult standards
Adult standards is a North American radio format heard primarily on AM or class A FM stations.Adult standards is aimed at "mature" adults, meaning mainly those persons over 50 years of age, but it is mostly targeted for senior citizens...
. 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.