WCTF

WCTF (1170 AM) is a silent radio station licensed to Family Radio and located in Vernon, Connecticut. The station operated during the daytime only with 1,000 watts of power, using a two-tower directional antenna system.

WCTF

Currently silent
Vernon, Connecticut United States
Broadcast area	Hartford, Connecticut
Frequency	1170 kHz
Programming
Format	Silent
Ownership
Owner	Family Radio (Loam Media, Inc.)
History
First air date	November 21, 1982; 42 years ago (1982-11-21)[1]
Former call signs	WRTT (1979–1986)
Call sign meaning	"Connecticut Family Radio"
Technical information[2]
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	20826
Class	D
Power	1,000 watts (day) 500 watts (critical hours)
Transmitter coordinates	41°52′7.35″N 72°29′2.31″W
Links
Public license information	Public file LMS

History

On May 24, 1979, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted a construction permit to Tolland County Broadcasting, Inc., for a new daytime-only radio station on 1170 kHz in Vernon.^[3] The company was owned by Massachusetts interests: Edward F. Perry Jr., an engineering and sales consultant and owner of WATD-FM in Marshfield and WGFP in Webster, owned 80 percent of the station, while 10 percent stakes were held by Bruce Blanchard, general manager of WTCC in Springfield, and Albert C. Pryor III, a Massachusetts legislative aide.^[4] The firm's efforts were troubled by delays obtaining a site. Taking the call letters WRTT for "Radio Tri-Town",^[5] the station did not begin broadcasting until November 21, 1982,^[1] operating from studios in Rockville with programming of interest for listeners in and near Vernon.^[6]

By the time of a planned $250,000 sale to Radio-Television-Tele-Communications Inc.—controlled by WRTT general manager Lee R. Tyrol—in 1984, 20 percent of the station was owned by WGGB-TV program director Tom Schnyt, with Edward Perry's interest reduced to 70 percent and Bruce Blanchard keeping his 10 percent stake.^[7] The outlet went silent on June 14, 1985, after the station's antenna was damaged by a lighting strike; Perry announced that WRTT would not return to the air until the completion of a planned sale of the station, but would not comment on reports that the new owners would replace its oldies format with religious programming beyond hinting that "listeners will be pleasantly surprised by the change in format".^[8] Perry filed to sell the station to Oakland, California–based Family Stations that September for $136,900,^[9] with the transaction finalized in January 1986.^[1]