WFIV-AM
1080 Kissimmee
Original Call Letters: WFIV
Originally Licensed: Apr 1964
Original Power: 5,000 watts daytime
Original City of License: Kissimmee
Original Format: Country
Network Affiliations: The Farm Bureau Network
Owner(s): 1964-Radio Florida Broadcasters (Edward C. Allmon)
1995-Kissor Communications (Jorge Perez) ($900,000)
1999-Genesis Communications (Bruce C. Maduri, president) ($1.1 million)
History Of Call Letters and Formats: WFIV-1965-Country "The Mighty Five"
WFIV-1995-Contemporary Hispanic "Radio Selecta" "Radio Exito"
WFIV-2000-"Positive Talk" "Genesis 1080 Home of the good guys"
WFIV-20001-Adult Standards "Music of your Life"
WHOO-2001-Adult Standards (Calls and format would move from 990 AM)
WHOO-2002-Sports ESPN radio
WFIV History
Air Force engineer Ed Allmon was putting the finishing touches on his personally designed country radio station, WFIV-AM 1080, in 1964. WFIV took to the air in 1965 as a "daytimer", signing on at sunrise and signing off at sunset. Allmon spent $600,000 to upgrade the station in 1983. At 10,000 watts, WFIV was one of the most powerful AMs in Central Florida. WFIV played traditional and contemporary country music. With the philosophy of ''more music, less talk'' they averaged about 12 songs per hour off the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, plus four or five tunes by "classic country" artists such as Ernest Tubb, Hank Snow and Kitty Wells.
In 1995 owner Ed Allmon signed a $900,000 agreement to sell the business to Kissor Communications, an Orlando-based company headed up by mortgage broker Jorge Perez. The sale included the station's three towers, transmission equipment and the 16 acres of land where they are located just outside the Buenaventura Lakes community. The studio building, however, was not included.
WFIV History During The Kissor Days
In September, 1996 Kissor Communications, programmers of the all-Spanish "Radio Selecta" format on WFIV, were silenced after the station owner Ed Allmon evicted them. Kissor Communications began purchasing air time on WFIV in 1994 and later arranged to put money toward buying the small, 10,000-watt station from Allmon. Allmon said he evicted the Kissor staff recently from the station off Orange Blossom Trail north of Kissimmee because of a $107,000 debt. Kris Persaud, the head of Kissor, who disputes that money is owed, tried to broadcast from WFIV's transmission tower in Buenaventura Lakes, but he was kicked out of there, too. In a quote to the Orlando Sentinel, Persaud said; ''We went to the transmitter tower because we thought that we still had access to it.'' Persaud recently moved "Radio Selecta" up the radio dial to WOKB-AM 1600, a station he has worked with for several years. He hopes to return to Osceola soon if he can resolve financial differences with Allmon. Allmon began his own Latin music broadcasting after WFIV spent three days off the air. He said several other mostly Hispanic companies are interested in buying the station from him.
