WCXT had various rock formats, including ABC's heavy metalZ-Rock music service. In 1988, it shifted to Soft Adult Contemporary as "Light Mix 105.3." As an AC station, WCXT was mostly automated and voice-tracked except for morning drive time, which was hosted by Mark Waters (son of the station's owner Nancy Waters).
On July 2, 1999, control of the station was transferred under a Local Marketing Agreement (LMA) to Harbor Pointe Entertainment, which then switched the format to rhythmic contemporary and dance music as "105.3 The Whip," targeting the Grand Rapids market. 105.3 The Whip played dance mixes of CHR and Rhythmic CHR hits with a scattering of hits from Billboard's dance music charts. A call letter change to WWIP was planned, but never happened.
In the fall of 1999, the LMA was canceled due to legal problems with Harbor Pointe Entertainment. WCXT returned to its AC format under a slightly different slogan/positioner, "105-3, Your More Music Station." Other than the new slogan, the format was much the same as before "The Whip" experiment, largely voicetracked and automated, with few commercials.
In late 2004, WCXT was granted a construction permit to move into the Grand Rapids-Muskegon area. The new city of license became Coopersville and the station's class changed from C to B.
Change in ownership and transmitter
In early 2005, it was announced that WCXT would be sold to Citadel Broadcasting, a forerunner of today's Cumulus Media. With the sale came speculation about what would air once the station was newly built near Grand Rapids. In winter 2005, the format flipped to an automated and commercial-free classic country sound. The new owners called the station "Classic Country 105.3" with Citadel's takeover. This would turn out to be a filler format until the transmitter move would be completed.
In late April 2006, the new transmitter hit the airwaves. The station began stunting with various sound effects such as drills and hammers. Announcements were made that a new station is being built and that classic country had been moved to 92.5 FM (WKOQ, later changing to WLAW). A few days later, the station began calling itself "Reality Radio," featuring various Citadel hosts talking about the upcoming format.
On May 2, 2006 at 7:40 pm, 105.3 relaunched as Top 40 (CHR) "Hot FM." The first song played was "Bad Day" by Daniel Powter. Until the midday hours of May 3, the station ran a 20–30 song loop with an extended period of dead air between the songs. This was likely due to automation problem. The station picked up the WHTS call letters after 98.9 in Rock Island, Illinois, dropped it in 2006. The old WHTS also was a top 40 station.
