WRKT
{{short description|Radio station in Erie, Pennsylvania}}
{{For|the radio station in Cocoa Beach, Florida known as WRKT from 1959-1988|WKQK}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox radio station
| logo = WRKT Rocket105 logo.png
| name = WRKT
| city = North East, Pennsylvania
| area = Erie, Pennsylvania
| branding = Rocket 105
| frequency = {{Frequency|104.9|MHz}}
| airdate = {{start date and age|1970|3|29}}
| format = Active rock
| erp = 4,500 watts
| haat = {{convert|160.5|meters}}
| class = B1
| facility_id = 55063
| licensing_authority = FCC
| coordinates =
| callsign_meaning = "W"e're "Roc"K"e"T"!
| former_callsigns = WHYP-FM (1970–1989)
| former_frequencies = {{Frequency|100.9|MHz}} (1970–2017)
| owner = iHeartMedia, Inc.
| licensee = iHM Licenses, LLC
| sister_stations = WFNN, WJET, WRTS, WEBG, WTWF, WXBB
| webcast = {{listen live|https://www.iheart.com/live/rocket-105-8292/}}
| website = {{URL|https://rocketerie.iheart.com/}}
}}
WRKT (104.9 FM, "Rocket 105") is an active rock radio station in Erie, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by iHeartMedia. WRKT's studios are located in the Boston Store building in downtown Erie while its transmitter is located near NE Sherman Road and Miller Road in Chautauqua County, New York. It plays both old, new, and next rock songs plus an array of sports.
History
The station signed on in 1970 as WHYP-FM. Owned by James D. Brownyard, it was a simulcast of then sister station WHYP (now WZTE) 1530's Country Music format.{{cite web|url=https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=81306 |access-date=2023-09-17|title=Broadcasting Station License Record}} WHYP and WHYP-FM were sold to Rambaldo Communications in 1989. On June 22, 1989, at 12:00 p.m., WHYP-FM became WRKT as Rocket 101 at {{Frequency|100.9|MHz}}, for 28 years before moving up the dial to {{Frequency|104.9|MHz}} and rebranding as Rocket 105 at 12:00 p.m. on October 20, 2017. The final song as "Rocket 101" was "Free Bird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd, while the first song as "Rocket 105" was "For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)" by AC/DC.{{cite news|url=https://formatchange.com/rocket-101-becomes-rocket-105/|title=Rocket 101 Becomes Rocket 105 |date=2017-10-20|work=Format Change Archive|access-date=2017-10-29|language=en-US}} The 100.9 frequency was to be reallocated to Westfield, New York, and sold at auction. Rick Rambaldo, owner of WEHP, won the bid, but was late in getting his down payment sent to the FCC, leading to rejection of his bid. The frequency again went up for auction in April 2020 (later delayed to July 2021). Rambaldo held an agreement to restore the oldies format that had previously been on WZTE until 2017 had he won the auction.{{cite news |url=http://www.goerie.com/news/20170522/fcc-decision-snarls-erie-radio-owners-bid-for-second-station |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726141716/http://www.goerie.com:80/news/20170522/fcc-decision-snarls-erie-radio-owners-bid-for-second-station |archive-date=2018-07-26 |title=FCC decision snarls Erie radio owner's bid for second station |access-date=2023-09-17 |newspaper=Erie Times-News |first=David |last=Bruce |date=2017-05-22}} Rambaldo sold WEHP in 2019, but re-entered the 2021 auction, winning the bidding for the 100.9 license.{{cite web | url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/211423/fcc-auction-109-comes-to-an-end-iheartmedia-wins-107-9-sacramento/ | title=FCC Auction 109 Comes to an End; iHeartMedia Wins 107.9 Sacramento |website=RadioInsight |first=Lance |last=Venta | date=5 August 2021 }} In 2022, Family Life Network claimed that it had acquired the frequency and relocated the {{frequency|100.9|MHz}} allocation back to North East as WCGE.{{cite web | url=https://www.familylife.org/radio/stations/ | title=Stations |website=Family Life}}
On March 27, 2019, Connoisseur Media announced that it would transfer WRKT, along with its sister stations in Erie, to iHeartMedia in exchange for WFRE and WFMD in the Frederick, Maryland, market from the Aloha Station Trust.{{cite web |title=iHeartMedia & Connoisseur Media Swap Frederick & Erie |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/175710/iheartmedia-connoisseur-media-swap-frederick-erie/ |website=RadioInsight |date=27 March 2019 |first=Lance |last=Venta}} The sale closed on May 20, 2019. Since the iHeartMedia ownership, the only remaining local air personalities on the station were Mojo McKay and Allan Carpenter. Although Mojo McKay would be later let go as part of the nationwide iHeartMedia layoffs in August 2024 and would be replaced by Rover's Morning Glory show.{{Cite web |last=Palattella |first=Ed |title=Erie morning DJ Mojo McKay, on air for decades, is let go in iHeartMedia's nationwide cuts |url=https://www.goerie.com/story/entertainment/2024/08/09/longtime-erie-morning-dj-mojo-mckay-is-let-go-in-iheartmedia-shakeup-rocket-105-wrkt/74739158007/ |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=Erie Times-News |language=en-US}} The remainder of Rocket 105's programming originates from the iHeartMedia Premium Choice lineup.
Notable past and present on-air personalities include Kris Earl Phillips, the original Program Director and architect of the "Rocket" format, Steve Bohen, Paul Spinley, Kevin August, Dave Sharp, Amy St. John, Ronnie "Ron Klinester" Kline, Mark O'Brien, Nat Massing, Mojo McKay, Allan "AC" Carpenter, Woody, with Chris Rodler, and "Static 'Stat' Boy".
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://rocketerie.iheart.com/ WRKT official website]
- {{FM station data|55063|WRKT}}
- [https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=81306 FCC History Cards For WRKT (FM)]
{{Erie Radio}}
{{iHeartMedia}}
{{coord|42.08985|N|79.94269|W|type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC|display=title}}