WWKE-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

Original Location: Corner of Hwy 40 and Pine Ave.

Original Format: Top 40


Network Affiliation(s):

ABC Contemporary
United Press International

Owner(s):

1957-Marion County Broadcasting, Inc.
1959-Associated Broadcasters, Inc.
1957-Kingdom of the Sun Broadcasting
1961-WKOS, Inc.
1965-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corporation
2000-Westshore Broadcasting Corporation

History of Call Letters and Formats:

WHYS-1957-Variety
WKOS-1959-Black/Urban Contemporary "Kingdom Of The Son"
WKOS-1963-Silent
WWKE-1965-Top 40  "Key Radio" "The Music and Prize Connection"
WOCA-1983-Adult Contemporary  "Ocala Radio- 1370 WOCA"
WOCA-1986-Oldies "Ocala Radio- 1370 WOCA"
WOCA-1988-All News  "Ocala Radio- 1370 WOCA"
WOCA-1989-News/Talk "Ocala Radio- 1370 WOCA"


History Of WWKE
Thanks to Marc Tyll for this history of WWKE.
WWKE 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 September 16, 1963. See WKOS-AM 1370. 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 WWKE History

O. W. Meyers-1965-President-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.

Flem Evans-1965-Vice President-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.

Robert Hauk-1965-General Manager/Station Manager/1978-President/General Manager-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.

Dick Wilson-1965-Program Director-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.
Bill Willett-1965-Sales Manager-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.
Jack Shaw-1966-Program Director-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.



Paul Delaney
-1966-1968-Mid-days-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp. Biography

Gene Turner-1966-1968-Chief Engineer-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.
James Coley Scott-1966-1968-Assistant to Chief Engineer-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.
Jay Kuppers-1967-Program Director/1971-Commercial Manager/ Promotions Manager-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.
William Eckard-1967-Chief Engineer/Afternoons-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.
Al Lee-1967-News-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.

Simon T (Simon Touloumis)-1967-Weekends-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.

Mark Adams (Mark Wert)-1967-Weekends-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.
Terry Reaves-1968-Chief Engineer-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.


Jim Maloy-1968-Music Director/Afternoons-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.
Charlie Evans-1969-General Manager-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.

JoJo Kincaid-1970-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.

Eugene Hester, Jr.-1971-General Manager-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.
Lloyd Hart-1971-Program Director-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.
John Kuppers-1971-Commercial Manager-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.
Jake Early-1971-Program Director-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.
Mike Pruett-1971-News Director-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.
John Popp-1971-Chief Engineer-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.
Bill Early-1972-Music Director/Afternoons/1979-Program Director-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.
Joe Hytovick-1972-Chief Engineer-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.
Brent Gibbs-1973-News Director-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.
Frank Cosner-1973-Music Director/Program Director-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.
Rick Cosner-1973-Program Director/Music Director/1979-Sales Manager-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.
Marlin Moss-1973-Chief Engineer-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.
W.N. Duncan-1974-General Sales Manager/1975-Commercial Manager/Promotions Manager-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.
Eric Cosner-1974-Program Director/Music Director-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.


Robert "Bob" Hauck-1975-2000-President/General Manager-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp. 
In Memory
Byron Holden-1975-News Director-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp. 
James Carrier-1975-Chief Engineer-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp. 
Clyde Moeller-1976-2000-Chief Engineer-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp. 


Lynne Breidenbach-NewsDirector-1977-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp. 
In Memory
Don Moeller-1977-1995-Assistant Chief Engineer-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.

Dick Warn (Richard Rubin)-1977-1978-Weekends-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.

Mike McAddam-1978-1979-9am-Noon-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.
Robert Scott (Robert Salat)-1978-1979-Weekends-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.
Mark Andrews-1978-1980-Noon-3PM/Assistant Program Director/Music Director-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.

Billy Ocean (William Dean)-1979-1980-Afternoons/Weekends-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.

Lisa Meadows-1979-1983-Weekends/Program Director-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.

Trisha Morgan-1979-Promotions Director-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.

Jay Marks-1979-Music Director-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.
Marilyn King-1979-News Director-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.

Judy Summers-1980-1982-Afternoons/Weekends-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.

Jolene Darlene-1982-1984-Weekends-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.

John Land-1982-1985-Afternoons-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.

Bill Donovan-1982-1985-Middays-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.

Steve Mack (Steve McMahon)-1985-1986-Afternoons-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corp.

Alex Whitler-Board Operator
Lee Farrell
Fred Mullen
Earl Pennington
Ken Steele
Bill Eckerd
Mark Wert
Tim Schmidt-Producer and Host "Classroom 1370"
Tyler English-Board Operator
Fred Petty
Pete Sautter
Bill Patten

Jordan English-Board Operator

Carol English-Sales
Patti Palermo-Sales
Jan Lindsey-Sales 
Michael Jay (Mike Helminski)

Drew  Durigan


WWKE_sticker_R.jpg (45698 bytes)

click logo to listen to Chickenman

                    
The City of Ocala Auditorium is where many Key Radio sponsored dances took place back in the 60s and early 70s. 





                       photo courtesy of Marc Tyll       


1967 Music Survey  courtesy of Marc Tyll

      
         





photos courtesy of Marc Tyll
 

                                                                                                      
                
           large_Cascades-3.jpg (717040 bytes)               
                    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.

                              

What's New 

Biographies  In Memory  Sounds 
AM
/ FM  
Misc. Chronology   What's News?