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WYKT

Wilmington, Illinois
Broadcast area	Joliet, Illinois
Frequency	105.5 MHz
Branding	105.5 The Ticket
Programming
Format	Sports radio
Affiliations	Fox Sports Radio
Ownership
Owner	STARadio Corporation
Sister stations	WKAN, WXNU
History
First air date	September 29, 1980; 44 years ago (1980-09-29)
Former call signs	WLMT (1980–1982) WDND (1982–1995)
Call sign meaning	Y kat
Technical information
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	36120
Class	A
ERP	1,300 watts
HAAT	147 meters (482 ft)
Transmitter coordinates	41°17′11″N 88°14′23″W / 41.28639°N 88.23972°W / 41.28639; -88.23972
Links
Public license information	Public file LMS
Webcast
Website	www.1055theticket.com

WYKT (105.5 FM, "The Ticket") is a radio station in northeastern Illinois. It is licensed to Wilmington, Illinois and is a Fox Sports Radio affiliate. It has an effective radiated power of 1,300 watts at 147 meters height above average terrain.

History

The station began broadcasting on September 29, 1980, and held the call sign WLMT. The station was originally owned by Viking Broadcasting Corporation, and had an ERP of 3 kw at an HAAT of 275 feet. WLMT initially aired a MOR format, later switching to a top 40 format. In 1982, the station was sold to DBC Broadcasting for $160,000.

On November 1, 1982, the station's call sign was changed to WDND by then-owner Donald T. Burgeson. WDND aired an adult contemporary format. In 1994, the station was sold to L.B.R. Enterprises for $257,000.

In February 1995, the station's format was changed from adult contemporary to Triple-A. In April 1995, the station's call sign was changed to WYKT. The station was branded "The Kat". In July 1995, the station picked up the WDRE Underground Network at night, while continuing to air its local Triple-A format during the day. In 1998, the station was sold to STARadio Corporation. WYKT would continue airing a Triple-A format until 2003.

On August 18, 2003, WYKT adopted an oldies format branded as "The Pickle", playing music from 1964 to 1983. In October 2007, WYKT began airing a Top 40 format and was branded as "My 105.5". "My 105.5" carried American Top 40, along with local personalities. In September 2009, the station switched to a classic rock format, and was again branded "The Kat", with the slogan "The Southland's Rock and Roll Animal". The station's format would gradually shift to active rock.

On July 10, 2014, the station's format was switched to sports, as "105.5 The Ticket". "The Ticket" was initially a CBS Sports Radio affiliate, but by 2018, it would become an affiliate of Fox Sports Radio.

References

1. ^ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2002-2003, Broadcasting & Cable, 2002. p. D-148. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
2. ^ Call Sign History, fcc.gov. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
3. "Facility Technical Data for WYKT". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
4. "WYKT-FM 105.5 MHz - Wilmington, IL". Radio-locator.com. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
5. ^ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1981, Broadcasting & Cable, 1981. p. C-75. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
6. Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1982, Broadcasting/Cablecasting, 1982. p. C-77. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
7. "Ownership Changes", Broadcasting, February 1, 1982. p. 90. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
8. Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1984, Broadcasting/Cablecasting, 1984. p. B-85. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
9. Chicagoland Radio Waves, MediaTies. Summer 1988. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
10. ^ "Format Changes & Updates", The M-Street Journal. Vol. 12 No. 8. February 22, 1995. p. 1. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
11. "Transactions", Radio & Records, October 28, 1994. p. 8. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
12. "WYKT -The Kat - 105.5FM". WYKT. Archived from the original on February 8, 1999. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
13. "Vox Jox" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 30. July 29, 1995. p. 114. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
14. "Proposed Station Transfers", The M-Street Journal. Vol. 15 No. 22. June 3, 1998. p. 6. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
15. The M-Street Radio Directory. 2002-2003. p. 203. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
16. "Oldies radio parties like it's '79 but not '99", Daily Journal, November 3, 2003. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
17. "The Pickle". WYKT. Archived from the original on August 30, 2004. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
18. The M-Street Radio Directory. 2004-2005. p. 208. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
19. ^ "MY 105.5!". WYKT. Archived from the original on January 10, 2008. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
20. ^ "Rocker 'The Kat 105.5' To Flip To All-Sports '105.5 The Ticket'", Chicagoland Radio and Media, June 19, 2014. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
21. "The Kat 105.5 - The Southland's Rock and Roll Animal". WYKT. Archived from the original on January 5, 2010. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
22. "Shows - 105.5 The Ticket". STARadio Corp. Archived from the original on September 11, 2014. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
23. "Shows - 105.5 The Ticket". STARadio Corp. Retrieved July 17, 2018.

External links

• Official website
• Facility details for Facility ID 36120 (WYKT) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• WYKT in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
• History Cards for WYKT

• 1980 establishments in Illinois
• Fox Sports Radio stations
• Kankakee County, Illinois
• Radio stations established in 1980
• Radio stations in Illinois
• Will County, Illinois