When Tom Arbogast decided to do his master’s thesis on WWCT-FM, the Peoria rock outlet he’s listened to since 1979, it wasn’t just a labor of love for the station.
“I realized when you don’t have a written history, the stories are gone,” said the 59-year-old Normal resident.
Arbogast conducted over 40 interviews for the project, earning the degree last year from Illinois State University. Along with the station’s founder, Paul Carnegie, Arbogast interviewed numerous former and present radio people including Rich Fruin, Rick Hirschmann, Jamie Markley, and Wayne R. Miller.
In addition to individuals who worked at the station and area radio people, Arbocast conducted interviews with concert promoter Jay Goldberg and station fans like Marty Wombacher.
The full line-up of interviews is available at Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free & Borrowable Books, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine.
The station, which started as WWTO in 1971, switched to a rock format in 1976. “That was the big change—when they went to an album rock format from a solid gold station,” said Arbogast.
Through the 70s and early 80s, the station built a large following in what was described as “a magical period” by former deejay Rick Peterson.
Phil Luciano, a Peoria Journal Star columnist and a radio partner with Markley for a time, said the station had “personality.” “It’s not going to happen again. The free-wheeling days are over,” he said.
Through his interviews, Arbogast documents the station’s colorful history including numerous ownership and format changes, including the brief period in 2000 when WWCT became “a pirate station.” In 2003, the station moved from 105.7 on the FM dial to 96.5. In 2006, the station moved to its present position at 99.9.
WWCT closely aligned itself with the greater Peoria community, said Arbogast, citing the “Basement Tapes” releases, albums that featured local bands and received playing time on the station in the early 80s, as an example. The station also introduced the “Louie Louie” parade in Downtown Peoria, an ongoing fundraiser for more than 30 years, he said.
Arbogast said documenting the history of WWCT was such a good experience, he's thinking about doing a follow-up audio history on another Peoria radio station.
