WMOP-AM
900
Ocala
Original call Letters: WMOP
Originally Licensed: 1953
Original City of License: Ocala
Original Power: 1,000 Watts Daytime
Location: 343 N.E. First St
Owner(s): 1953-WMOP,
Inc. (Ben Letson)
1963-James
Kirk ("Country Jim")
1993-WMOP
Broadcasting, Inc (Richard Andrews,
Jr.)
1996-Florida
Sportstalk (Buddy Martin, Gordon
Smith and Jeff Francis)
History of Call Letters and Formats: WMOP-1953-Gospel,
Country and Ethnic music
WMOP-1954-Variety
WMOP-1954-Country
WMOP-1996-Sports
Talk
History of WMOP
Thanks
to Marc
Tyll for this history of WMOP
WMOP
began broadcasting in 1953 at 900 kHz with 1,000 watts daytime. The format was a
combination of black gospel, country and ethnic music in it's first year of
operations. In 1954, WMOP
changed to a variety format, before finally becoming "Central
Florida’s Country Legend", a title WMOP
would hold for 41 years. WMOP
was Florida's longest continuously programmed country station until Jim Kirk
sold it in 1996. In 1996, long time owner James Kirk ("Country
Jim" as he was most noted) retired and sold the Country legend to a
local business owner, Richard Andrews, Jr.
Andrews,
who was 28 at the time, is the son of Richard Andrews, Sr.,
president of Barnett Bank of Marion County, a pioneer Marion County
family. The younger Andrews graduated from Ocala's Forest High School and later
from Florida State University in 1988. He returned to
Ocala and was in the real estate business for two years before becoming part of
corporate management with Chili's restaurant chain. "I grew up listening to
WMOP. I have been a
longtime country music fan," Andrews said. "I don't plan any
changes," he said. "It has had a successful format for 40 years, and
it should continue for a long time with a commitment to do so."
Andrews sold WMOP in 1996
to its current owners, Florida Sportstalk Radio, who changed the format
from country to Sports programming, later becoming the ESPN affiliate in
Ocala. WMOP currently
re-broadcasts its programming on Gainesville sports station WGGG-AM 1230,and
both stations are marketed as one metro sports station. WMOP
was co-owned with WFUZ-FM 93.7 (now WOGK) from 1961 until 1985.
WMOP Personalities
Tim McCoy-1991-"Souvenirs
of Yesterday"-Sundays at 12:05 p.m.
Al Lee-News editor (died, Jan. 2006)
Brady Ackerman-Sports
Jack Cowden (In 1962, Jack and his brother-in-law Ricou
Browning wrote a story about a boy and his relationship with a dolphin.
Later that story was developed into a heart-warming movie by the summer of 1963.
The movie was called "Flipper," and it would be converted into a
popular television series.)
Buddy
Martin
Diane Dudley
Glen Gallivan
Ed Smith-News director
Larry Vettel-sports call in show
David M. Lopez-baseball talk show
E.
Vernon Arnette (Died at age 74 in 1997)
Rev. Harold Damon-Gospel program-6 a.m.
Sundays
Al
Roberts-1968-1976
Kathryn Adkins Biography
Other Names
In WMOP History
James
Kirk ("Country Jim")-1963-1993-Owner-Kirk's
professional radio days began at FSU, where he earned the university's
first degree in speech with a broadcasting emphasis. He worked as a staff
announcer at WCNH-AM in Quincy, and he and station owner Ben Letson
began what would became the Seminole Sports Network. In 1953 Letson
asked Kirk to manage WMOP, a new
1,000-watt station. Ten years later, Kirk bought the station. And while running
Florida's oldest country and western music station, he also served as Ocala's
mayor for three terms. Kirk sold WMOP
in 1993.
Tom
Catalano-General Manager
Carol Carpenter-Station
Manager
Capps Sutherland-Operations
Manager
Wes Unold-Program
Director
Rick Sprinkles-Music
Director
Terry Reaves-Chief
Engineer
Charles Goston
Craig Baggs-sales manager and program director
Joan Becker-1982-1996-Sales
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