The station began as WVOT-FM in Wilson, North Carolina on March 1, 1961. It shared a studio and transmitter building on Herring Avenue in Wilson with its AM sister, WVOT 1420 AM. That building burned in 1992. WVOT is now operating from an old house on Jackson Street. In the early days, both WVOT AM & FM largely simulcast a MOR, full service format until the duo was acquired by Century Communications in 1976. The FM was renamed WXYY and switched to an automatedAlbum Rock format known as "Super Rock." By 1980, WXYY had switched to Country music but was still automated. In 1983, the stations were purchased by Voyager Communications. A new tower, which would allow a much better signal into Raleigh, was built west of Wilson in Middlesex. New studios were set up in Raleigh.
Move to the Triangle/WRDU-FM
In August 1984, WXYY signed off in Wilson and signed on from Raleigh as "WRDU 106." The station returned to the air on Labor Day weekend of 1984, playing the Rolling Stones' "Start Me Up" as its first song. Many of the first on-air personalities migrated over from rival rock station WQDR-FM, including Bob Walton, Gayle Rancer, Bob Robinson and Tom Guild. WQDR-FM, after 11 years as a Rock station, made the switch to country a few days after WRDU's debut. WRDU's early format was AOR with some Hot AC artists such as Cyndi Lauper, Lionel Richie, and the Pointer Sisters added to the mix, probably to soften the sound a bit in anticipation of a duel with crosstown powerhouse WRAL an legendary AC station. But by the late 1980s, WRDU's Hot AC tunes were officially all gone and the station, bolstered by high listenership for its "Reynolds & Silva" morning show, dominated the Triangle ratings. Arguably, the pinnacle of WRDU's success came in the early 1990s when it won the Rolling Stone Magazine Reader's Poll as "best station of the year" for several straight years starting in 1989. Other airstaff members who worked at the station during the late 1980s and the early 1990s were Donna Reed ; Eric Curry, Ron Phillips, Tom Gongaware, Lizz Wall, and Paul Jackson.
Ownership changes
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 brought about many changes to radio, including WRDU. Purchased initially from Voyager Communications Inc. by Hicks, Muse, Tate, & Furst, HMW Communications of Atlanta sold WRDU and WTRG to SFX Broadcasting for $36.8 million in a deal completed in mid-1996. SFX was in turn acquired by Capstar Broadcasting, which was itself taken over by Chancellor Media Corporation, renamed AMFM Inc. When the dust settled in 1999, WRDU was owned by iHeartMedia. Their Raleigh holdings also included sister stations WDCG, WTRG, and WRSN. After the initial purchase of the station by SFX broadcasting, a decline in ratings began. WZZU, also a classic rock station, was brought into the fold when Prism Broadcasting Partners was purchased. With no need for two rock stations in the stable, WZZU was flipped to lite AC as Sunny 93.9. WRDU Program Director Tom Guild was moved to WTRG programming, while former WZZU Program Director Bob Edwards assumed those duties for WRDU. The Silva and the Blade morning show was replaced by the John Boy and Billysyndicated morning show.
More changes at 106.1RDU
On July 4, 2001, the station would shake-up again, flipping from classic rock to mainstream rock. On October 6, 2006, Clear Channel changed the station's format to country. The station then became known as "106.1 The Rooster", with "Today's Country and the Legends". Syndicated duo John Boy and Billy returned to the Raleigh-Durham market to do mornings on the new station.
Talk radio
WRDU general manager Dick Harlow announced on November 2, 2009, that WRDU would change to conservative talk radio in 2010, with Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity as featured shows. The station would feature Limbaugh's first name as its slogan, "Rush Radio." On November 15, 2009, WRDU pulled the plug on its country format and switched to "106.1 RDU Christmas". On January 1, 2010, the station became news/talk as "106.1 Rush Radio." New arrivals to the Triangle, Wyoming native K.C. O'Dea, and NC native Carmen Conners became co-hosts of the 5:30am to 9:00am morning call in show. In 2011, co-owned WPTI in Greensboro added WRDU's morning show. In April 2013, WRDU changed its letters to WTKK and dropped the "Rush Radio" brand.
