In 1959, WONN’s new owners developed financial problems and Duane, minus any partners, decided to buy it back. He put in a local news department and began programming a modified Top 40 format with lots of contests and heavy community involvement. The music featured the best of the modern, blended with select album cuts and original million-selling hits of the past – music that appealed to an age group from late teens through the forties.

WONN gave away thousands of dollars in free public service advertising. The station also lent additional community support with live remote broadcasts from many local events. It was a formula that made it the dominant station for listeners in Polk County.

But Duane, still wanting to expand outside Lakeland and Polk County, got FCC approval to build a station (WSLC AM-1340) to serve the Clermont-Groveland area of Lake County. This venture, however, would not turn out to be a successful one because of a freeze that devasted the area’s citrus-based economy in the winter of 1963. It became a struggle for Duane to wait out the three-year ownership period, but by 1965, it was over and the station was sold.

Meanwhile, everything was going great back in Lakeland at WONN. In the latter half of the 1960’s, Duane headed a group of local businessmen who formed Community Cablevision and won the city’s cable TV franchise. They went on to provide locally produced programming from studios constructed in the basement of WONN’s new building downtown.

In 1971, Duane surprised everyone and sold WONN to NBC Sports personality, Joe Garagiola. But that didn’t end his interest or involvement in radio. He then bought a financial piece in Lakeland’s 100,000 watt easy listening FM, 94.1 WVFM, and has since been involved in several stations and cable systems around central Florida.

Today (2007) Duane is officially retired and continues to make his home in Lakeland.

Names In WBIL History

Duane McConnell-1957-Co-owner/General Manager/Commercial Manager/Chief Engineer-WBIL, Inc.

Clyde Hodgson-1957-Co-owner/Sales-WBIL, Inc.

Tom Dell-1957-Program Director-WBIL, Inc.

T. K. Cassel-1960-Owner/General Manager-Thompson Cassel Ownership

Allan Sheftall-1960-Station Manager-Thompson Cassel Ownership

Brian Tolby-1960-1962-Program Director-Thompson Cassel Ownership

Don Hancock-1960-Program Manager-Thompson Cassel Ownership

Lee Williams-1960-News Director-Thompson Cassel Ownership

Wayne Scott-1960-Chief Engineer-Thompson Cassel Ownership

Dan Huth-1960-Thompson Cassel Ownership 

Richard Lundy-1962-General Manager-Thompson Cassel Ownership

Donald Kellogg-1962-Commercial Manager-Thompson Cassel Ownership

Robert Giannini-1962-Program Director-Thompson Cassel Ownership

Olga Pina-1962-Traffic Manager-Thompson Cassel Ownership

Norma Hendricks-1962-News Director-Thompson Cassel Ownership

Porter Stone-1962-Chief Engineer-Thompson Cassel Ownership

Jim Sharp-1963-Commerrcial Manager-Thompson Cassel Ownership

Gale Brooks-1963-Program Director-Thompson Cassel Ownership

Bob Andrews-1963-Chief Engineer-Thompson Cassel Ownership  Biography    In Memory

Bruce Hamilton-1964-Commercial Manager-Thompson Cassel Ownership

Alpha B. Martin-1965-Owner

Elmo Kitts-1965-General Manager/Chief Engineer-Alpha B. Martin Ownership

Wayne Robinson-1965-Commercial Manager-Alpha B. Martin Ownership

Red Wright-1965-Program Director-Alpha B. Martin Ownership

Eunice Lorennz-1965-News Director-Alpha B. Martin Ownership

Charles (Charlie) Northrup 

Johnny Dart (Stan Grams)

Ray Baxter-News

Jay Shepard

Herb Stoer-Program Director/Sales 

Dick Stambaugh

Stan Grams