WROX (AM)

WROX is a rhythmic oldies radio station in Clarksdale, Mississippi. It is a class C station operating at 1000 watts on 1450 kHz. The WROX business office is located at 628 DeSoto Avenue.

WROX
CityClarksdale, Mississippi
Broadcast areaCoahoma County, Mississippi
Frequency1450 kHz
BrandingWROX 97.5FM - Clarksdale - AM1450
SloganClassic Soul Rhythm & Blues
Programming
FormatRhythmic oldies
AffiliationsFox News Radio
Ownership
OwnerLL James Media, LLC
History
First air date
June 5, 1944
Call sign meaning
sounds like "rocks"
Technical information
Facility ID11611
ClassC
Power1,000 watts
Transmitter coordinates
34°12′40″N 90°34′42″W
Translator(s)97.5 MHz (W248CL - Clarksdale)
Links
WebcastListen Live
Websitewroxradio.com
WROX Building
Original WROX building at 257 Delta Avenue in Clarksdale
Location257 Delta Ave., Clarksdale, Mississippi
Coordinates34°12′5″N 90°34′29″W
NRHP reference No.02000854[1]
Added to NRHPAugust 9, 2002

WROX is noted for having had the first black radio announcer in Mississippi, Early Wright, also known as "The Soul Man" and "Brother Early Wright," hosted a show on WROX for over 50 years.[2] Notable blues musicians who hosted programs or performed on air at WROX include Ike Turner, Robert Nighthawk, Sonny Boy Williamson II, Raymond Hill, and Doctor Ross.[3]

Effective November 17, 2020, all broadcast and business operations of WROX Radio were indefinitely suspended. [4]

History

WROX started transmitting on June 5, 1944, operating from 321 Delta Avenue with 250 watts. It moved to 257 Delta Avenue in July 1945,[5] presently the location of the WROX. For 40 years, the station was located inside the Alcazar Hotel until moving out in the 1990s.[6][3]

WROX Studios

In 1947, station manager Preston "Buck" Hinman hired Early Wright as the black radio announcer in Mississippi. Musicians Wright hosted on WROX included Sonny Boy Williamson II, Sam Cooke, B.B. King, Little Milton, Pinetop Perkins, Elvis Presley, Charley Pride, Bobby Rush, Rufus Thomas, and Muddy Waters.

Bandleader Ike Turner who worked at the Alcazar Hotel as an elevator operator in the 1940s, eventually became a disc jockey at WROX and hosted his own show called "Jive Till Five."[3] Turner later played live broadcasts with his band, the Kings of Rhythm. Raymond Hill, called "chief of the hepcats," who was a saxophonist in Turner's band also had a show.

The station's power was increased to 1000 watts in 1964, using a RCA BTA-1R transmitter.[7]

The 257 Delta Avenue location was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002, and in 2012 a Mississippi Blues Trail marker was placed there.[3][1] In 2004, Clarksdale businessman Kinchen "Bubba" O’Keefe opened a WROX Museum.[3]

The AM transmitter was updated with a Broadcast Electronics AM-1A transmitter in 2006. The FM simulcast on 105.7 FM was set up in 2010.[7] WROX is still on the air, broadcasting on 105.7 FM and 1450 AM from its current location on Desoto Avenue.

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. Cheseborough, Steve. Blues Traveling, The Holy Sites of Delta Blues. 3rd ed. University Press of Mississippi, 2009. ISBN 978-1-60473-124-8. p. 93.
  3. "WROX - Clarksdale". Mississippi Blues Commission. Retrieved 2016-08-15.
  4. Official Website
  5. Audra Leslie Brecher (August 2001). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: WROX Building" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 2014-11-06. Photos
  6. Wilkerson, Lyn (2010). Slow Travels-Mississippi. Lyn Wilkerson. ISBN 978-1-4523-3229-1.
  7. "WROX History". WROX Radio. Retrieved 2016-08-15.

W248CL in the FCC's FM station database

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