WLQH-AM
Chiefland
Original Call Letters: WLQH
Origin of Call Letters: We Love Quarter Horses
Originally Licensed: June 6, 1968
Original Power: 500 watts
Original City of License: Chiefland
Original Format: Religious/Country/MOR
Network Affiliation(s): AP Audio
Owner(s): 1980-White Construction Co (Luther White)
1999-Ocala Broadcasting Corporation (A Division of Dix Communications, Inc.) (David Dix, et al)
History Of Call Letters and Formats: WLQH-1968-Country/Religious/MOR
WLQH-1977-Country “94 Country” (6AM - 3:30PM)
WLQH-1977-Top 40 “94 Rock“ (3:30 PM - Sign Off)
WLQH-1982-Country “94 Country”
WLQH-1999-Classic Country
WLQH-2003-Music of Your Life
History of WLQH
Thanks to Marc Tyll for this history of WLQH.
WLQH-AM (We Love Quarter Horses) began broadcast operations on June 6Th 1968 when Chiefland resident, local rancher and highway road construction contractor Luther White was granted the frequency 940 KHz for Chiefland. WLQH was the only radio station serving a wide geographical area between Gainesville, Ocala and Tallahassee. The station originally provided a mix of country, bluegrass, MOR and religious programming with its 500 watt daytime only signal. The station had a relatively large staff for such a small radio station, having over 20 employees at one time. The staff was directed by White’s sister, Norma Schossler, who was the WLQH general manager for over 31 years. The morning programming consisted of religious devotionals during the very early hours, with country and western music interspersed with some bluegrass during the rest of the morning and into the early afternoon. “Big Sam”, as he was known by all the locals (no one really knew his real full name), hosted the morning country show from sign on till 9 AM. Big Sam was a typical old time radio guy, doing many live reads for various sponsors, always ending every commercial with his signature “… and tell ‘em Big Sam sent ya, and I appreciate it, ya hear?”
In 1975 WLQH began programming a more distinct block format, adding Top 40 music in the afternoons from 3:30 till sign-off, but keeping the country hits airing during the mornings and midday hours. The reasoning, according to White “…. the kids are out of school in the afternoon, so we’ll play the music they like…”. Billy Mayo, a local who was very knowledgeable of top 40 music, was hired as the afternoon jock spinning the popular hits for the area’s youth. After about eight years as afternoon jock and Top 40 music expert, Mayo left fulltime radio to become an evangelist, forming Billy Mayo Evangelical Ministries. Mayo remained associated with WLQH on a limited basis, mainly so he could promote his religious crusades. On one occasion he interviewed Evangelist Demond Wilson of "Sanford and Son" fame live on the air. Another time Mayo interviewed Little Richard. The year 1978 saw many technical changes and advancements when WLQH received a construction permit to double its power from 500 watts to 1,000 watts. With the anticipated power increase, White completely rebuilt the station, including a new transmitter and a completely rebuilt on-air studio, bringing the station‘s technical facilities up to state-of-the-art status. Unable to find anyone local who knew pop music very well, in the mid 1980s management decided to drop Top 40 from the afternoon rotation, returning to a fulltime country schedule, remaining with that format throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Keeping with the times, in 1991 WLQH was granted a construction permit for WLQH-FM 97.3. With the addition of the FM, WLQH was now able to expand to a 24 hour operation, providing country music, news, weather and other information to Chiefland, Levy County and the surrounding area around the clock. For eight years, between 1991 and 1999, WLQH-AM and WLQH-FM operated as one station as a simulcast operation. However, due to stiff competition from stations in Gainesville and Ocala, WLQH switched from mainstream country to classic country, playing country favorites from the 60s, 70s, and early 80s. In 1999, White decided to sell the station he had brought to the area and owned for 31 years. Dix Communications, owner of WOGK-FM 93.7 and WNDD-FM 95.5 Ocala, wanted WLQH-FM to extend coverage of its highly rated WIND-FM network which consisted of stations WNDD-FM 95.5 Ocala and WNDT-FM 92.5 Gainesville. With the addition of WLQH-FM, later becoming WNDN-FM, WIND FM was able to create a three station tri-mulcast operation, covering the entire metro and Total Survey Area. As WNDN-FM, the classic country was dropped from the FM in favor of classic rock. WLQH-AM, however, continued to play the country classics for a few more years. Unable to effectively compete with the bigger country signals that were now heard in the market, after 34 years as the areas heritage country outlet, WLQH dropped its long standing programming in favor of becoming the area’s Music of Your Life station, playing the adult standard hits that Al Ham re-introduced to radio in the late 1970s, playing the standards from the 50s through the early 80s.
Names In WLQH History
Luther White-Owner 1968-1999
Norma Schossler (Owner Luther White’s sister)-General Manager-1968-1999
Big Sam
Billy Mayo
David Dix
Jim Robertson
Jerry Prater-1987-DJ/salesman (directed the Championship Wrestling from Florida TV show from 1962-1974)
Nina Prater-Sales