WOCA-AM 1370 Ocala

Original Call Letters: WHYS

Originally Licensed: May 1958

Original City of License: Ocala

Original Frequency: 1370

Origin of Call Letters:

Original Power: 1,000 Watts

Translator: 96.3 250 watts (W244BC-2013)

Original Location: The Cascades complex on East Silver Springs Boulevard

Original Format: Adult Contemporary

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. See more here. 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.

2010-Tampa based Westshore Broadcasting, Inc. (Ron Roseman, Ed Roseman, Mike Smith) has sold WOCA to Orlando, Florida based Generations Broadcasting Corporation (Joseph Martone, Dan Martone, Patsy Martone, Melisa Martone) for undisclosed price and terms. Mark Tillery of J. M. Tillery & Associates, P. A. represented the buyer and assisted in the negotiations in this transaction.

Nov 20, 2010-WOCA-AM Ocala begins broadcast operations on Ocala translator station W244BC-96.7 FM. They renamed the station The Source and added a 96.3 FM signal to the already-existing 1370 AM. They also added community-oriented talk shows, featuring local gardeners, mechanics, law enforcement officials. They also added weekly remote broadcasts from Mark's Prime Steakhouse and Gateway Bank.

Robert "Bob" Hauck-1965-2000-President/General Manager-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corporation *In Memory*
Christopher Cod-1977-News Director-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corporation
Lynn Miller-1977-News Director-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corporation
Marilynn King-1978-News Director-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corporation
Sean Smith-1977-1978-Operaions Manager-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corporation
Bob "The Weird Beard"' Beard-1979-News Director-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corporation
Bill Patten-1979-1989-News Director-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corporation
Gil Johnson-1977-Weekends-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corporation
Ann Hulton-1978-Weekends-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corporation
Gary Kruger-1980-1985-General Sales Manager-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corporation
Michael Solt-1980-1984-Local Sales Manager-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corporation
Doug Clifford-1991-Mornings-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corporation
Chip Morris-1999-2013-Westshore Broadcasting Corporation/Generations Broadcasting Corporation
Mike Smith- 2000-President-Westshore Broadcasting Corporation
Ron Roseman-2000-Westshore Broadcasting Corporation
Ed Roseman-2000-Westshore Broadcasting Corporation
Larry Whitler-2002-2020-Operations Director/Host of "AM Ocala Live"-Westshore Broadcasting Corporation
"Big Bad" John Lunde-2002-2007-5PM-6PM-“The Big Bad John Show”-Westshore Broadcasting Corporation
Robin MacBlane-2004-2020-Joined Larry Whitler to co-host “AM Ocala Live" -Westshore Broadcasting Corporation
Joseph Martone-2010-President/General Manager-Generations Broadcasting Corporation

Dan Martone-2010-Chief Operating Officer-Generations Broadcasting Corporation
Patsy Martone-2010-Vice President/Office Manager-Generations Broadcasting Corporation
Melisa Martone-2010-Traffic Manager-Generations Broadcasting Corporation
John Tesh-2010-Syndicated-Generations Broadcasting Corporation
Adam Mikulin-2020*Mornings-Generations Broadcasting Corporation
Bill Ashford-Mornings
Ken Steele-Program Director/Mornings

Owner(s):	1957-Marion County Broadcasting, Inc.
	1959-Associated Broadcasters, Inc.
	1957-Kingdom of the Sun Broadcasting
	1961-R.L. Gilliam
	1961-WKOS, Inc.
	1965-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corporation
	2000-Westshore Broadcasting Corporation
	2010-Generations Broadcasting Corporation ($265,000)

History of Call Letters and Formats:	WHYS-1957-Variety
	WKOS-1959-Black/Urban Contemporary
	WKOS-1963-Silent
	WWKE-1965-Top 40
	WOCA-1983-Adult Contemporary
	WOCA-1987-Oldies
	WOCA-1989-News/Talk "Marion County's Information Station"

Carol Ann Baldwin-"You've Got A Garden"
Galen Unold
Paul Delaney *Biography*
Buddy Martin-"The Voice Of Ocala"-M-F-3PM-6PM-Generations Broadcasting Corporation
Tom Schmitz-"The Voice Of Ocala"-3PM-6PM-Generations Broadcasting Corporation
J.J.-"The Voice Of Ocala"-3PM-6PM-Generations Broadcasting Corporation
Hunter-"The Voice Of Ocala"-3PM-6PM-Generations Broadcasting Corporation


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.


Larry Whitler is the Morning Drive Host on WOCA Radio in Ocala, Florida. (He is also the Program Director.)
courtesy of Larry "Vee" Flegle

Network Affiliation(s):	ABC/Direction
	Florida Radio Network