WABR-AM 1440 Winter Park

Owner(s):	1954-Orange County Broadcasters, Inc.
	1954-Ray H. Gunckel, Jr. ($2,800)
	1959-Contemporary Broadcasting Co.
	1966-Norfolk Broadcasting Corp.
	1971-Rounsaville Broadcasting, Atlanta (Co-owned with WBJW-FM 105.1)
	1977-WSEC, Inc.
	1982-Nationwide Communications ($6.5 million with WBJW-FM 105.1 & WLOF-AM 950)
	1986-Alleluia Broadcasting Corp
	1987-Metroplex Communications of Orlando Inc.
	1993-Paxson Communications ($5.6 million with WMGF-FM 107.7)
	1994-J & V Communications, Inc. ($300,000)
	2023-Estate of Jesus M. Torrado (Transfer of Control)

History Of Call Letters and Formats:	WABR-1954-Top 40 "The Happy Difference"
	WABR-1966-Country "Top Gun Radio"
	WBJW-1971-Oldies/Lite Rock "The Entertainer"
	WBJW-1975-Easy Listening
	WNBE-1976-NBC 24 Hour News
	WAJL-1977-Easy Listening
	WAJL-1987-Christian Ministry (Station sold. WAJL moves to 1190)
	WPRD-1987-Classics of the '40s, '50s and '60s "Pride-1440"
	WPRD-1990-Children "The Imagination Station"
	WPRD-1991-CNN Headline News/WESH TV News
	WWZN-1993-Talk
	WWZN-1993-Sports
	WPRD-1994-Talk
	WPRD-1995-Spanish

History of WABR In May of 1954 the FCC approved the transfer of control of a proposed Winter Park radio station to Ray H. Gunckel, Jr., of Jacksonville for $2,800. Charles Wolfe of Daytona Beach and former President of Orange County Broadcasters, Inc, which took out the original application for the 1,000 watt station, said he and associate Dick Fellows, also of Daytona , have sold their entire stock in the station to Gunckel. Mr. Gunckel owns the Dixie Music Shop n Jacksonville. Gunckel said he and Fellows were "unable to proceed" because of other business interests.
Orlando Sentinel 1955
April 16, 1966-WABR Radio switched to country music to become Central Florida’s first 24-hour C&W station, program director Ray Beale announced. Art Spector, general manager, said: "...the big boom today is in country music. WABR is programming the Top 50 C&W singles, new releases and top albums." Steve Schiffman helps fill in the history of WABR. From an email from Steve; "...WABR (Top Gun, Orlando, bang bang, W-ABR!)...WABR...was sold and call letters and format changed by 1973 (...I was working for them on air at the time; I did overnights, Jim Boynton was the PD, and Clive Thomas (who I knew from his days in Indianapolis and WFBM-AM) was doing morning drive...We aired the CBS Mystery Theatre, nightly at 10pm, although we were an ABC affiliate! WDBO(-AM 580) chose not to take it at the time.
Billboard Magazine April, 1966	Steve Kennedy has supplied some great stuff. Here's more; Here's a sweepstakes booklet from 1967 that was mailed out to area residents. Click the photo for a full view	WABR "Top 40 Tunes" sheet courtesy of Dick Camnitz Click the photo for a full view

WABR Personalities
From Dennis Snyder; "In 1968 I visited the WABR country music station in the middle of Dubsdread Country Club. Pictured is Jim Jereau, a US Navy recruiter during the week and a weekend DJ" Courtesy of Dennis Snyder
Our frequent contributor Dave Edwards tells us; "...Bob Andrews was a friend and mentor to many, including Frank Reed who worked at WABR and would go on to become "Captain" Frank Reed at WNBC in New York City. Here's Bob Andrews "at the controls" of WFIV-AM in 1972 Thanks to Gabe Burton or the photo of Bob

Tom Sawyer-1955-Vice President/Commercial Manager/Program Director/Promotions Manager-Orange County Broadcasters

Dick Webb-1955-News Director/Sports Director-Orange County Broadcasters

Gwen Barnwell-1955-Women's Director/1958-Promotions Director/Women's Director-Orange County Broadcasters

Andy Wilson-1955-Farm Director-Orange County Broadcasting/1966-"The Ray and Andy Show"-6AM-9AM/-Norfolk Broadcasting Corp./1968-General Manager-Norfolk Broadcasting Corp.

Shirley Tucker-1957-Women's Director-Orange County Broadcasters

Jonathon Dunn-Rankin-1957-"Spotlight"-Orange County Broadcasters

Tom Doyle-1958-2:30PM-5:30PM/Program Director-Orange County Broadcasters

Dean Kendall-1958-News Director-Orange County Broadcasters

Jackie Sawyer-1958-Farm Director-Orange County Broadcasters

Ralph Hughes-1958-6AM-9AM/Noon-1PM-Orange County Broadcasters

Bruce Lapp-1958-9AM-Noon/1PM-2:30PM-Orange County Broadcasters

Bob Norris-1959-Program Director-Contemporary Broadcasting Co.

Kent Courtright-1959-News Director-Contemporary Broadcasting Co.

Robert Farrington-1960-Program Director-Contemporary Broadcasting Co.

Alan White-1960-News Director-Contemporary Broadcasting Co.

Ray Beale-1966-Program Director/" The Ray and Andy Show"-6AM-9AM/1969-Station Manager-Norfolk Broadcasting Corp.

Pete Lazar (Pete Forgione)-1966-News Director-Norfolk Broadcasting Corp. Biography In Memory

Art Spector-1966-Mornigs/General Manager/Commercial Manager-Norfolk Broadcasting Corp. Biography

Greg Galloway-1966-1968-Norfolk Broadcasting Corp. Biography

Bill Curry (Dwight Kirkland)-1966-1970-Norfolk Broadcasting Corp. Biography

Bill Curry's final broadcast at at WABR-AM 1440 in 1970

Dick Shannon (Dick Camnitz)-1970-Norfolk Broadcasting Corp.

Gabe Burton at WABR in 1970
Photo courtesy of Gabe Burton

From Dave Edwards; "...Gabe has many fond memories of Bob (Andrews), both at (WABR) and WVGT(AM 1580),
"The Voice of the Golden Triangle", 1580 in Mount Dora

Rick Taylor-1971-Music Director-Norfolk Broadcasting Corp.

From Dick Camnitz; "Another of the WABR staff in 1970, during my short stay as Dick Shannon, was Rick Taylor. Rick was a super nice guy. I was saddened to hear recently from Bob Andrews that Rick passed away.

Bob Andrews-1971-Operations Director/Chief Engineer-Norfolk Broadcasting Corp. Biography In Memory

Dutch Edwards-1971-Norfolk Broadcasting Corp.

Clive Thomas (Clive Thomas Cuthbertson)-1973-Morning Drive-Norfolk Broadcasting Corp. Biography

Charles Wolf-1954-President/General Manager/Commercial Manager-Orange County Broadcasters

Ray Herbert Gunkle, Jr.-1955-President/General Manager-Orange County Broadcasters

Jim Macri-1955-Chief Engineer-Orange County Broadcasters

James Sawyer-1956-Commercial Manager/1958-President/General Manager-Orange County Broadcasters

Edee Greene-1956-1957-did advertising spots on WABR-Orange County Broadcasting

James Waldrop-1958-Commercial Manager-Orange County Broadcasters

Gerald Eggshart-1958-Chief Engineer-Orange County Broadcasters

Edward Edwards-1959-President/General Manager-Contemporary Broadcasting Co.

Dean Wilson-1959-Commercial Manager-Contemporary Broadcasting Co.

Bob Farington-1959-Promotion Director-Contemporary Broadcasting Co.

James Thomas-1959-Chief Engineer-Contemporary Broadcasting Co.

Richard Williams-1960-Promotion Manager-Contemporary Broadcasting Co.

Robert Allen-1960-Chief Engineer-Contemporary Broadcasting Co.

Louis Peterson-1966-President-Norfolk Broadcasting Corp.

Paul Downs-1971-Vice President/General Manager-Norfolk Broadcasting Corp.

Doug Coombs-Station Manager

Network Affiliation(s):	United Press
	ABC Entertainment Network
	Mutual Broadcasting System

Jim Boynton-1973-Program Director-Norfolk Broadcasting Corp.
Pam Gordon-1976-Rounsaville Broadcasting, Atlanta
Frank Reed Biography