WORJ-FM 107.7 Mount Dora

Original Call Letters: WFAC (Construction Permit)

Originally Licensed: 1965

Original City of License: Mount Dora

Original Frequency: 107.7

Origin of Call Letters:

Original Power: 100,000 watts

Original Location:

Original Format: MOR

courtesy of June Myers

At 10 PM on Friday, February 19,1981 "Zeta 7" changed from it's rock roots for easy listening. The disc jockeys cried, and loyal listeners turned their Zeta 7 license plates upside down in protest. That was the day WORJ became WJYO for the "Joy of Orlando". WORJ would move from rock to the sounds of Barbara Streisand, Neil Diamond, etc.
On his last morning show Thom Robinson asked listeners to memorialize "Zeta7" by turning their license plates upside down on their cars. Program director, David Sousa, recalls "Zeta 7"'s last hours. "It was probably the most terrible day of my life. That was my radio station ...my flesh and blood. It was my child and it had to be shot. We had one bad rating book and management pulled the plug on "Zeta 7".

Bob Lyons-1969-News Director-Orlando Radio and TV Broadcasting Corp

Wayne Trout-1969-On air personality/News Director-Orlando Radio and TV Broadcasting Corp Biography In Memory

Pete Forman-1969-Program Director-Orlando Radio and TV Broadcasting Corp

Steve Flesher-1971-Program Director-Orlando Radio and TV Broadcasting Corp

Doug Van Allen (Doug Laby)-1972-1977-Operations Manager/Production Director-Orlando Radio and TV Broadcasting Corp

Lee Arnold-1972-1975-Program Director-Orlando Radio and TV Broadcasting Corp

Chalender "Chal" Martina-1972-Orlando Radio and TV Broadcasting Corp

Michael Z (Ziegenbein)-1972-1973/1974-1977-In 1973 Michael headed to Lincoln, NE to hold an air-chair and staff engineer position at KFMQ. In 1974, Michael returned to WORJ/WORL and worked as the Chief Engineer for a couple years, and presided over design and construction of their new *at the time* studios on mercy drive-Orlando Radio and TV Broadcasting Corp

David Lipstein-1972-Orlando Radio and TV Broadcasting Corp

Neal Mirsky-1973-Orlando Radio and TV Broadcasting Corp

Paul Yeskel-1973-Copywriter-Promotions Director-DJ-Chief booker for The Southern Progressive Radio Network at WORJ-Orlando Radio and TV Broadcasting Corp. Paul would go on to become president of AIM Strategies, a New Jersey-based service that works with music companies to help promote and market records. In Memory

Doug Clifford-1973-1975-Afternoon News Anchor/Assistant News Director-Orlando Radio and TV Broadcasting Corp.

Rick Namey-1975-1976-Station Manager-Orlando Radio and TV Broadcasting Corp

William W. McGathy-1976-Program Director/Music Director-Orlando Radio and TV Broadcasting Corp

Steve McMahan-1976-News Director-Orlando Radio and TV Broadcasting Corp

Brock Whaley (B. Rock)-1978-Sudbrink Broadcasting

David Sousa-1978-1980-Program Director/Afternoon Drive-Sudbrink Broadcasting

Bill Mims-1978-1980-Evenings/Music Director-Sudbrink Broadcasting. Bill left with the format change to Joy 108. He went to the sister station in Honolulu.

David Schulz-1978-1980-Midnight-6AM then 10PM-2AM-host of Feature Artist or Feature Album at Midnight as well as "A Space in Time" on Tuesday evenings-Sudbrink Broadcasting

William McGathy-1979-Music Director-Sudbrink Broadcasting

Larry Besler-1979-1980-2AM-6AM-Sudbrink Broadcasting

Chris Wolf-1980-Production Manager-Sudbrink Broadcasting

Thom Robinson

Frank Reed Biography

Pat O'Day (Jerry Thompson)

Mike Lyons-Mid-days In Memory

S.W. "Happy" Ison-1966-Commercial Manager/1967-Vice President of Sales-Orlando Radio & Television Broadcasting Corp. In Memory

Emil Corona-1972-President/1979-President/General Manager-Orlando Radio and TV Broadcasting Corp

Jim Moore-1972-Chief Engineer-Orlando Radio and TV Broadcasting Corp

John Curran-1973-Vice President/General Manager/Sales Manager-Orlando Radio and TV Broadcasting Corp

Don Welsh-1973-Sales Manager-Orlando Radio and TV Broadcasting Corp

Vincent Ziegenbein-1973-Chief Engineer-Orlando Radio and TV Broadcasting Corp

Woody Sudbrink-1978-1981-President-Sudbrink Broadcasting

Al Baker-1979-Commercial Manager-Orlando Radio and TV Broadcasting Corp

Don Hiedshiem-1979-Chief Engineer-Orlando Radio and TV Broadcasting Corp

Vince Ziegenbein-Chief Engineer

Lise Ruby-Sales

photos courtesy of Thom Robinson   click photo for full sized view

                         The WORJ staff                       David Sousa (L) unidentified girl and Thom Robinson

"...We were also on the air with tributes and open phone lines the day John Lennon was shot. We organized a candlelight vigil at the Lake Eola Bandshell and broadcast a 2-hour live special that evening in his honor. All the deejays gathered in the control room that night, each one contributing a bit to the show..."

ThomRobinsonScript4LennonRembranceShow_Page_1.jpg (140869 bytes)

ThomRobinsonScript4LennonRembranceShow_Page_2.jpg (164417 bytes)

Here's "...a memo that was actually posted on the studio wall from Harvey Tate, the Zeta7 G.M. at the time who praised the staff for how we handled the Lennon tragedy..." courtesy of Thom Robinson

GMsLetterToStaffOnLennonVigilatLakeEola.jpg (154019 bytes)

Here's "...an article about ZetaFest '80 we staged and produced near Lakeland that summer."

courtesy of Thom Robinson

St. Petersburg Times article 2-23-1981                              ZETA7 Club Card
                                                                                          courtesy of Kevin Coldiron

What's New Biographies In Memory Sounds Misc. Links Chronology What's News?

Network Affiliation(s):	Mutual Broadcasting System
	Associated Press
	United Press International

Owner(s):	1965-Frasure Hull, Inc.
	1969-Orlando Radio and TV Broadcasting Corp
	1978-Sudbrink Broadcasting
	1981-Metroplex Communications of Orlando Inc.
	1993-Paxson Communications ($5.6 million with WWZN-AM 1440)
	1997-Clear Channel Communications

History Of Call Letters and Formats:	WFAC-1965-Construction Permit
	WHIY-1966-MOR/Country Western
	WORJ-1969-MOR/Country Western (Country Western 125 hours weekly)
	WORJ-1971-Progressive Rock
	WORJ-1978-AOR "Zeta 7"
	WJYO-1981-Soft Adult Contemporary "Joy 108", "Joy of Orlando"
	WMGF-1990-Soft Adult Contemporary "Magic 107.7"


Zeta 7 bumper sticker courtesy of Kevin Coldiron	Zeta 7 window sticker courtesy of Kevin Coldiron
Other Names In WORJ History