William (Rosko) Mercer

William Roscoe Mercer (1927-2000), better known to millions of radio listeners simply as Rosko, was an American news announcer and disc jockey. He is best known for his stints on New York's WOR-FM and WNEW-FM in the 1960s. In 1965, he was a DJ on KBLA in Burbank, California.[1][2] Rosko and other DJs of the time pioneered alternative-format FM radio, in response to the restrictive playlist programming of Top 40 AM stations.

Mercer died of cancer on August 1, 2000.

References
  1. "KBLA Hikes Power; Bows New Personnel", Billboard. February 27, 1965. pp. 50, 51. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
  2. Station Breaks", Record World. April 17, 1965. p. 19. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
  • Rosko's Obituary in The New York Times


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