WTOS-FM remained locally owned by Mountain Wireless, and gained a reputation as one of the region's more daring stations throughout the 1980s, due to its penchant for playing harder or more obscure rock bands that did not normally appear on commercial radio stations. Music directors Annie Earhardt and Duane Bruce helped to take WTOS-FM in a direction that many others followed. The DJs also had input into what selections were played and an eclectic mix soon prevailed, separating the station from other rock-oriented stations in the region. WTOS-FM struggled with ratings, but was #1 in the Canadian province of Quebec where the signal is heard quite well.