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WCTQ - A History

WCTQ-FM 92.1 Venice – Hall Communications (Robert M. Hall, president) acquired Venice’s 3,000-watt WRAV-FM in 1986 from Comco Inc. of Florida (Walter Windsor, president) and, the following year, switched its format to Proud Country WCTQ.

Asterisk Radio, Inc. (Fred Ingham, president) bought WCTQ in 1988 and had boosted its power to 6 kilowatts by the time Jacor and Clear Channel took over in 1996. When WSRZ-FM on 106.5 moved to 107.9 in 1999, WCTQ relocated to 106.5. Although licensed to Sarasota, studios at the time were still in Venice at its transmitter site at 282 N. Auburn Road before eventually relocating to the iHeartmedia (formerly Clear Channel) headquarters in Sarasota at 1779 Independence Boulevard. Power was increased to 13,000-watts and the FM promoted itself as Bradenton’s Country Station 106.5 CTQ with a new transmitter/tower site just north of Palmetto off 33rd Street West. 

In early 2016, iHeartMedia moved WCTQ back to 92.1 to replace its adult contemporary WLTQ-FM 92.1 The Coast. 106.5 became Sarasota’s Spanish CHR RUmBa 106.5 WRUB.

Over the Labor Day 2022 weekend, 92.1 CTQ flipped to a classic country format, positioning itself as "Country's All-Time Favorites for the Suncoast".

Some other names from WCTQ history include Tim White (chief engineer 1987-1988; 2006-2009), Dave McClure (GM 1988-2003), Kim Ashley (PD-1988), Scott Douglas (music director-1989), Ron Merritt (PD-1989), Tracy Black (middays 1991-2005; Public Files Director 2002-2005), John Brooks (PD-1993), Ed Couzins (PD-1995), Frank Benny (news-2000), Rob Carpenter & Maverick Johnson (mornings-2000), Wanda Myles (afternoons-2000), Michael J. Foxx (nights-2000), Scott Marino (traffic reporter-2001), Tim & Willy (mornings-2001), Scott Innes (nights-2002), Mark the Shark (2003), Heidi Decker (MD/middays-2005; PD-2009), Maverick Johnson (mornings with Sammi Jo-2005; APD/afternoons 2009), Sammy Cruise (PD/middays-2008), Big D & Bubba (syndicated morning show-2008), and Kurt Anderson (evenings-2009).

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Station History