WOCA-AM 1370
Ocala
Original call Letters: WHYS
Originally Licensed: 1957
Original City of License: Ocala
Original Power: 1,000 Watts
Owner(s): 1957-Kingdom of
the Sun Broadcasting
1965-Greater Ocala Broadcasting
Corporation
2000-Westshore Broadcasting
Corporation
History of Call Letters and Formats: WHYS-1957-Variety
WKOS-1959-Black/Urban
Contemporary
WKOS-1963-Off the Air
WWKE-1965-Top 40
WOCA-1983-Adult Contemporary
WOCA-1987-Oldies
WOCA-1989-News/Talk
History Of WOCA
Thanks to Marc
Tyll for this history of WOCA.
WOCA began operations in 1957 as WHYS,
a variety formatted station. Two years later the station switched to "Urban
Contemporary" under the calls letters WKOS until the FCC revoked the
station license due to an incident that happened one afternoon. "The
Zodiac", as he was called, made a statement over the air regarding then
Marion County sheriff in which the "Zodiac" was basically going
to kill the sheriff and cut him into pieces and place the remains in a plastic
bag. He then further said he would place the plastic bag over the studio control
console. That way, the Zodiac claimed, the sheriff would no longer be a
problem for him. The FCC happened to be in town that day, heard the comments,
recorded them, and suspended WKOS’ operations. The station went silent
for two years until a buyer could be found. Robert Hauck and his
partners, who also owned WKKE-AM 1380 Asheville, North Carolina, formed
the Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corporation, who purchased WKOS,
changed the call letters to WWKE - to reflect the slogan "Key
Radio" - and changed the format to top 40. "Key Radio" remained a
driving top 40 force in Ocala for 18 years until FM competition in 1983 forced
"the Key" to reformat as an adult contemporary station.
The call letters WOCA were implemented to reflect 1370s commitment to
Ocala as a community leader. Four years later WOCA became an oldies
station, finally switching to "News/Talk", becoming one of the first
50 station in the nation to carry Rush Limbaugh in 1988. Greater Ocala
Broadcasting sold WOCA to Westshore Broadcasting in 2000 after
35 years of ownership. WOCA was co-owned with WMFQ - FM 92.7 (now
92.9) from 1977 until 1995.
Names in WOCA history
Larry Whitler-Operations
Director/Host of “AM Ocala Live"
Ken Steele-Program Director/Mornings
Greg Richards
Nat Travis
Jay Marks
Bill Early-Program Director/Mornings
Fred Petty-Program Director/Mid Days
Rick James-Program Director/Mornings/Later Sales
Manager
Earl Knight
Robert "Bob" Hauck-1965
- 2000-Founder/President/General Manager
Tish
Moeller-Station Manager
Steve Mack
Dick Warn
"Big Bad" John Lunde-2002-2007-5PM-6PM-“The
Big Bad John Show”
Christopher Cod-1977-News
Director
Lynn
Miller-1977-News Director
Mariynn
King-1978-News
Director
Sean
Smith-1977-1978-Operaions Manager
Bob
"The Weird Beard"' Beard-1979-News
Director
Gil
Johnson-1977-Weekends
Ann
Hulton-1978-Weekends
Gary
Kruger-1980-1985-General Sales
Manager
Michael
Solt-1980-1984-Local
Sales Manager
Bill
Patten-1979-1989-News Director (also anchored news headlines on WBSP-TV
and WOGX-TV)
Cal
Thomas-“Cal
Thomas Commentary” -Weekdays
8:30AM
Rush
Limbaugh-Weekdays-Noon-3PM
Sean
Hannity-Weekdays-3PM-6PM
Michael
Reagan-Weekdays,
6PM-8PM
Paul
Harvey-“Paul
Harvey News and Comment” -Weekdays
11:35AM-11:50AM
Father
Patrick J. O’Doherty-"Burning
Hearts” -Sundays 7:30AM
Pat
Boone-“The
Pat Boone Show”-Sundays-11AM-Noon
Hank
Wittier-“Veterans
News”-Thursdays
9AM 10AM
Greg
and Peggy Pittas-“Real
Estate with Greg and Peggy Pittas”
Fridays 9AM – 10AM
Suzanne
Shuffitt- “You’ve Got To Garden”-Tuesdays 9AM–10AM
Dr.
Michael Lange-“Ask The
Doctor”
Chip
Morris-Mornings
click photo for full sized view
photos courtesy of Marc Tyll
Here are two photos of the Cascades Office Complex which is the present location
for WOCA, having moved there in 1977 as WWKE. The first photo
shows the waterfall in the center towards the far rear which at one time was the
Foxfire restaurant. The WOCA studios and offices are to the extreme
left, lower level unseen in the first photo. The second photo is looking
from the WOCA studio facing East towards the front of the complex. The
former Foxfire Restaurant is to the extreme left in the second photo. .
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