WRR (FM)
Encyclopedia
WRR is a municipally-owned radio station
, owned by the city of Dallas, Texas
, that broadcasts a classical music format
.
WRR (AM), now known as KTCK
), began broadcasting via AM in 1920 and received its license and call letters on August 5, 1921. In 1948, WRR-FM received its first FM license. After WRR 1310 was sold WRR-FM changed its call letters to WRR.
Despite its public ownership, WRR is a commercial station and sells advertising
. Over the years, private broadcasters in the Dallas-Fort Worth
market have made numerous but unsuccessful calls for privatizing the station.
KTCK 1310, formerly WRR, is the oldest commercially operated radio station in Texas and the second oldest in the United States behind KDKA
in Pittsburgh.
's radio career. Peel, who later became a British
disc jockey
, notably covered the arraignment
hearing of Lee Harvey Oswald
shortly before Oswald was shot and killed.
WRR 1310 also first brought the voice of singer Kay Starr
to the airwaves.
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...
, owned by the city of Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, that broadcasts a classical music format
Radio format
A radio format or programming format not to be confused with broadcast programming describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. Radio formats are frequently employed as a marketing tool, and constantly evolve...
.
WRR (AM), now known as KTCK
KTCK
KTCK , is a sports talk radio station based in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The station, currently owned by Cumulus Media, has been made popular by the incorporation of humor alongside the sports talk....
), began broadcasting via AM in 1920 and received its license and call letters on August 5, 1921. In 1948, WRR-FM received its first FM license. After WRR 1310 was sold WRR-FM changed its call letters to WRR.
Despite its public ownership, WRR is a commercial station and sells advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
. Over the years, private broadcasters in the Dallas-Fort Worth
Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex
The Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington Metropolitan Statistical Area, a title designated by the U.S. Census as of 2003, encompasses 12 counties within the U.S. state of Texas. The area is divided into two metropolitan divisions: Dallas–Plano–Irving and Fort Worth–Arlington. Residents of the area...
market have made numerous but unsuccessful calls for privatizing the station.
KTCK 1310, formerly WRR, is the oldest commercially operated radio station in Texas and the second oldest in the United States behind KDKA
KDKA (AM)
KDKA is a radio station licensed to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Created by the Westinghouse Electric Corporation on November 2, 1920, it is one of the world's first modern radio stations , a distinction that has also been challenged by other stations, although it has claimed to be the first in...
in Pittsburgh.
Notable figures
The station is the starting point of John PeelJohn Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
's radio career. Peel, who later became a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
, notably covered the arraignment
Arraignment
Arraignment is a formal reading of a criminal complaint in the presence of the defendant to inform the defendant of the charges against him or her. In response to arraignment, the accused is expected to enter a plea...
hearing of Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Harvey Oswald was, according to four government investigations,These were investigations by: the Federal Bureau of Investigation , the Warren Commission , the House Select Committee on Assassinations , and the Dallas Police Department. the sniper who assassinated John F...
shortly before Oswald was shot and killed.
WRR 1310 also first brought the voice of singer Kay Starr
Kay Starr
Kay Starr is an American pop and jazz singer who enjoyed considerable success in the 1940s and 50s. She is best remembered for introducing two songs that became #1 hits in the 1950s, "Wheel of Fortune" and "The Rock And Roll Waltz"....
to the airwaves.