Original Call Letters: WPUP

Originally Licensed: May 31, 1962

Original City of License: Gainesville

Original Frequency: 1390

Origin of Call Letters: 

Original Power: 5,000 watts

Original Location: E. University Avenue

Network Affiliation(s):

WUWU Memories
Thanks to Pete Sautter for some memories of WUWU. "...I think the station changed format from its original format, which I believe was country,  to top 40 in about 1963 or 64...the new owner was Leon E. Mims, a definite "good old boy", as the station signed off with "Dixie" every night.  Among the people of note who worked there were Bob White, who later went on to own and operate a successful Gainesville ad agency for many years. Dennis Winslow, who programmed the station for about two years, later worked in major markets such as Tampa, Atlanta, Houston and Philadelphia. One of the part-timers who worked with me was known as D. Sawyer, real name DeForrest Sawyer, who has been on national TV news as Forrest Sawyer. Bob Norris, a Florida radio veteran, also worked at the station part-time circa 1968. Mike Harvey, who came from WFUN in Miami, programmed and managed the station circa 1970 or so. It was WAKA at that time. Studios used to be on in an old house, but moved to the all new Gainesville Mall around 1968, where mall shoppers could look into the studio and see the on air DJ.  Only problem was, we were told not  to sit while on air, but stand at all times, which was tough during a six-hour weekend shift. I remember a great promotion we did in 1967 or  '68. (The) Station took listeners on  a bus to see the Monkees in Jacksonville...the opening act was someone named Jimi Hendrix, who played so loud we were all covering our ears!  Those were really fun days in radio.  AM was still king, even with a daytimer.  WUWU was a good  little station in its day, though it fell victim to the market's first 24 hour rocker, WGGG(-AM 1230), which changed format to top 40 in 1968 under new owner Bob Brown".  "...Gainesville was a small market that had lots of strong talent either start out or pass thru...guys like Dave Berges (WQAM) Don Wright (WFUN), Tom Woods (LA radio), Mal Harrison (KCBQ), Stu Bowers (WQAM), Steve Cannon (numerous markets)".

More history from David Reaves
"...WUWU-AM 1390 (5kW days) came on the air as WPUP in the late 1950s. As WUWU, they became a very decent Top Forty station, though with a somewhat lesser signal than WDVH. They cast themselves a bit younger, too, featuring a young "Boomer" Hough, who was just graduating from Gainesville High, covering afternoons. It was Boomer who generously 
let me into the WUWU studios in the Gainesville Mall when I was 14 or so, to familiarize myself (read: play) with the production room equipment while he worked a weekend shift. WUWU was, to some degree, the training ground for WGGG: IIRC, Pete 
Winters, Dave Berges, Wayne Buttram, Tommy Woods, Wayne Thomas (news) and eventually even WUWU's afternoon mainstay Boomer Hough came to WGGG from WUWU (Boomer not until the mid-70s, however)...."

Names In WUWU History

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