The station began in 1972 as WWRM "Warm 107", airing primarily beautiful music, evolving in 1977 into an easy listening format with a mixture of "B/EZ" instrumentals and vocal adult contemporary hits.
DeGroot bought Catt out, however, and in 1984 he switched the format and changed the call letters from WWRM to WKPK in an attempt to go head-on with the highly successful WKHQ.
The station's alumni include Brent Carey (went on to WDRQ & WDVD Detroit, 96.5 KOIT in San Francisco and PD of WIOG Saginaw, WTWR-FM Toledo, and KCIX/KXLT in Boise, ID), McConnell "Man @ Large" Adams (went on to WIOG, WDRQ, KKDA/K-104 (APD/Nights)Dallas Texas, My 103.9 and Wild 96.3 in Ft. Wayne, and KFAT 92.9 [2] in Anchorage, Alaska; now morning show host at WJIM-FM in Lansing, MI) Aaron Santini (KKHQ PD in Waterloo, Iowa), WQAL (Cleveland) morning jock Rebecca Wilde, Radio Disney jock Aaron K., Terry Cruise (went on to WKFR in Kalamazoo and KHFI in Austin, Texas).
Andrew Delancey (now Assistant News Director at WCPO in Cincinnati, Ohio, and former WDRQ (Detroit) jock Jake Edwards (now on WDVD).
Rob Weaver, who was at the station for over 20 years, is currently the PD of variety hits "Eagle 101.5" (WMJZ) in Gaylord, MI.
In late Summer 2005, The Peak changed its call letters to WSRT, which stands for "Soft Rock and Talk".
Northern Radio also consolidated their operations, moving the station from its long-time home in a converted Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses to their Traverse City studios.
Despite the move back toward a Hot AC direction, the station's basic setup remained in place, with Mary Rogers as morning host and Delilah at night.
[4] In October 2007, Arbitron announced that the Spring 2007 ratings for the Traverse City/Petoskey radio market would be reissued after they discovered diaries had been returned from "media affiliated households."
In the notice to subscribers of the report, Arbitron stated that "ratings for radio station WSRT could be substantially affected."
Later press reports in various radio related trade websites, including AllAccess.com, revealed that two WSRT employees were either asked to resign or were terminated for their involvement in the incident.
All Access and Radio and Records later reported a letter, written by one of the terminated WSRT employees, admitting culpability in the incident with a story about receiving the diaries but not intending to mail them in.