WLOF-AM 950 Orlando

WLOF-AM 950
Orlando

Original Call Letters: WLOF

Originally Licensed: Oct 26, 1940

Original City of License: Orlando

Original Frequency: 1230

Origin of Call Letters: Slogan; We Love Orlando Florida

Original Power: 5,000 Watts

Original Location: Angebilt Hotel

Original Format: Block Programming

Network Affiliation(s):	NBC Blue Network
	Mutual Broadcasting System
	United Press International
	Associated Press

Owner(s):	1940-Hazelwood Broadcasting
	1949-Hazelwood, Inc.
	1952-Mid-Florida Radio Corp.
	1964-Clarke Broadcasting, Corp. ($525,000)
	1972-Home Security Broadcasting Company ($2.5 Million)
	1977-Rounsaville of Cincinnati, Inc.
	1982-Nationwide Communications (Purchase price for WLOF and WBJW-FM 105.1 $6.5 million)
	1983-New City Communications
	1991-ABC, Inc. ($5 Million)
	1997-Cox Broadcasting
	1998-Thomas Harvey Moffit, Sr.
	1998-TM2, Inc
	2006-Salem Communications

History Of Call Letters and Formats:	WLOF-1940-Block Programming On 1230 kHz
	WLOF-1947-Moved to 950 kHz-5,000 Watts
	WLOF-1972-Top 40
	WCOT-1982-Adult Standards ¹
	WBJW-1984-Simulcast of WBJW FM 105.1
	WOMX-1989-Simulcast of WOMX FM 105.1
	WZKD-1994-Children "Radio AAHS" ³
	WTLN-1998-Religion (simulcast of WTLN-FM) Moved from 1520 AM
History of WLOF Orlando's second radio station, WDBO-AM 580 being the first, WLOF-AM, began broadcasting at 6:30AM Oct. 26, 1940 with 250 watts of power and radius of 50 miles on 1230 kHz . The studios and offices were located on the mezzanine floor of the Angebilt Hotel. The station was an affiliate of the National Broadcasting Co. (NBC). The station was moved to 950 kHz in 1947 and power was increased to 5,000 Watts.

In 2004 we had a chance to visit the old WLOF studios. See photos here

                                                         Rounsaville logos courtesy of Dave Edwards



A "QSL" card (Acknowledge Receipt Ham radio)


                             The WLOF hearse

WLOF license tags over the years

           The WLOF main control room in 1967
                  Courtesy of Dennis Snyder

Here is an early 1969 photo of WLOF, new turntables, additional cart machines as top five or so songs were now on tape, remote start switches all rewired, and some other changes to the studio. Courtesy of Dennis Snyder

From Steve Kennedy; "...When I was a teenager I used to go to the Pine Hills Music Center in the Pine Hills shopping center and pick all the different ones up, (WLOF Music surveys) and I have had these for almost 35 years!"

WLOF studios 1972
courtesy Sean King

WLOF Personalities

Forrest Clark-1950-1954-News Director-began at WLOF when the studios were located in the Angebilt Hotel

Paul Marlowe-1951-News Director-Hazelwood Broadcasting/1952-News Director-Hazelwood, Inc.

Bob Keith-1952-Farm News Director-Hazelwood Broadcasting/1957-3-6PM/1963-Commercial Manager-Mid Florida Radio

Orlando Speedway Spot courtesy of Dick Camnitz

R. B. Smith-1952-Sports Director-Hazelwood Broadcasting

John Hugh-1952-Program Director-Hazelwood Broadcasting

Louise Grant-1952-Office Manager/Talk Show Host, Bookkeeper/Secretary-Hazelwood Broadcasting (died May 13, 2000 at the age of 99)

Bob Kilgore-1952-Farm News Director-Hazelwood Broadcasting

Ernie Legge-1953-Program Director-Hazelwood Broadcasting/1954-Program Director /1957-"WLOF Hot Parade"-Noon-3PM /1958-News Director/Program Director/Operations Manager-Mid-Florida Radio Corp. In Memory

Tom Doyle-1954-Sports Director-Mid-Florida Radio Corp./1958-Promotions Director-Mid Florida Radio Corp.

Bocky Smith-1954-Sports Director-Mid-Florida Radio Corp./1957-"Sunshine Special"-6AM-Noon

Ben Aycrigg-1955-News Director-Mid-Florida Radio Corp.

Bob Brown-1957-"Top 40 Show"-6-10:30PM-Mid-Florida Radio Corp.

Howard McKenney-1959-News Director-Mid-Florida Radio Corp.

Robert Bartl-1959-News Director/1960-Program Director-Mid-Florida Radio Corp.

Peter Jay(#1)-(Pete Forgione) Biography
Dick Camnitz tells us. "There were around 13 DJs in Orlando that went by the name of Peter Jay. All but one were on WLOF Channel 95. It will be a surprise to most that the first, who's real name was Peter J., was on WHOO-AM 990. When he came over to WLOF he used the same name. I last saw him when I worked with him at WFTV Channel 9 (formerly WLOF-TV just as a historical note). He hosted dialing for dollars for several years. His full name...Peter J. Forgione"

Johnny G (John Gilbert)-1963-Program Director-Mid-Florida Radio

Tom Siegfried-1963-News Director-Mid-Florida Radio/1964-Operations Manager-Tom would bill himself as the "Masked Marvel"-Clarke Broadcasting, Corp. In Memory

Lee "Baby" Simms-1964-1965-Clarke Broadcasting, Corp.-Lee retired from radio in 2005

Aldo Vivona-1964-Host of "Teen Tempo"-Clarke Broadcasting, Corp. Biography

J ohnny Gee Biography

Johnny Gee on WLOF 1966 courtesy of Dick Camnitz

Sir Arthur Knight (Carroll Gaylord (Gay) Hendricks)-1965-1968-Mid-days-Clarke Broadcasting, Corp.

Dick Shane-(Dick Camnitz)1966-1970, 1973-Clarke Broadcasting, Corp.
Dick is the moderator and creator of
CFL History

Doug Van Allen (Doug Laby)-1968-1971-Clarke Broadcasting, Corp.

Terrence McKeever-1970-Clarke Broadcasting, Corp.

Bill Barber-1971-3PM-7PM/Music Director-Home Security Broadcasting Biography

Sean King-1972-Home Security Broadcasting Company Biography In Memory

Top 40 Hits for the Week June 8,1957
courtesy of Dick Camnitz

Bill Dennis-1972-Program Director-Home Security Broadcasting Company

Dave Elliot-1972-News Director-Home Security Broadcasting Company

Blue Christy-1974-Music Director-Home Security Broadcasting Company

Steve Rutledge Bio graphy
1974 Newscast

Joe Montione-1978-Program Director-Rounsaville of Cincinnati, Inc.

Reggie Blackwell-1978-Music Director-Rounsaville of Cincinnati, Inc.

Richard Hunt-1978-News Director-Rounsaville of Cincinnati, Inc.

Dave Edwards-1981-1982 Biography

Bob Whitney

Tom Sawyer

Bob Andrews Biography In Memory

Clyde Sanders-"Clyde on a Cloud"-10PM-Midnight, weeknights playing rhythm and blues. In her book on the history of Orlando's black community, Geraldine Thompson says Sanders was the "first African American in the city to work as a radio announcer." Sanders also wrote a weekly column called "As Clyde Sees It" in the section dubbed "the Negro Edition" that the Orlando Sentinel produced for a time in the 1950s and early 1960s.

Bob Whitney

Tom Sawyer

"Weird Beard” Bill Vermillion-Chief Engineer/1966                      Johnny Gee (WLOF), Rock Robinson (WHOO)-Music Director-Clarke Broadcasting Corp.                                and Bill Vermillion (WLOF)
In Memory
For more on "The Weird Beard" see http://www.bilver.com      Photos courtesy of Paul Schiemer

Pat O'Day-mornings
Pat was the "mind" behind some of the best stories to come out of Orlando radio. One time he caused a traffic jam when he jokingly announced that Lake Eola was filled with chocolate milk. He got chewed out by the school superintendents for telling all high school girls to go to class wearing culottes. And he wrinkled the uptight noses of the Federal Communications Commission's officials when he hired radio jinglers to sing the required Emergency Broadcasting System's test message.
photo courtesy of Dennis Snyder

From Dennis Snyder:
"This is 18 year old me while visiting WLOF around January,1969 (the) photo was taken by Bill Vermillion"
courtesy of
Dennis Snyder

Studio Entrance courtesy of Tom Hale

Allen Shades

Charley the WLOF Girl

Dennis Winslow in the studio in 1965
Dennis was Peter Jay #5

          Fun 40 Hits January 1970

Steve Kane 1981-1982 Steve brought his show over to WLOF after being fired from WKIS-AM 740. On his firing Kane said; "When you run a controversial show and say what you think, you always upset some people and it's hard. Steve said he had few guests because he had to act as his own producer" Steve is now on the air in south Florida.

                             Steve Kane TALK Club card     courtesy Dave Edwards

Sean King cover 1972 "Fun 40" for the week of June 6, 1972
courtesy of Sean King

Sean King tells about his day as a "male model"
"In 1972 I was working for Pat O'Day (he was Jerry Thompson off the air) at WLOF, Orlando, East Central Florida's top rocker at the time. Burt Reynolds had just appeared as a partially nude centerfold for Cosmopolitan Magazine and Pat wanted to do a "take-off" on the idea. So, he asked me if I would be a model for the photo which was to be a double page in a local newspaper known as "The Watcher". He said we'd cover the private parts with 45s or an LP or two. I agreed and the one-month on-air promotion began. The picture was to appear in April. However, two weeks into the promotion, the sale of the station was finalized and the new owners heard the promotion. They ordered it cancelled immediately as they felt it was in bad taste and might affect business (at least one major sponsor had threatened to cancel). Pat called an emergency staff meeting to pick our brains for a solution. After about a half an hour he came up with the answer himself. He asked me if I had any of those nude baby pictures that parents often take of their infants and I remembered that I did.
We cleared the idea with the new management, informed the wary sponsors, kept the on-air promotion going unchanged and arranged with the newspaper publisher to have the newspaper on the stands April 1st, "April Fool's Day". So, after a month of all the air personalities telling their audiences that I would appear nude in an upcoming edition of "The Watcher", that's exactly what I did. Only the picture was one of me when I was less than a year old. It was a great "April Fool's" joke. The newspaper sold out in hours, the promotion was a tremendous success and the new owners were pleased. Pat O'Day saved the day.

The caption reads;
"Cosmopolitan's Helen Brown may be culturally refined, but WLOF is on the "ahead" and never on the "behind".   APRIL FOOL - WLOF
Sean King 12 to 3pm-WLOF 950 KC On your dial"

Sean King talks about his "nude"
                centerfold on the air in 1974.

Rudy Pylant

Don Smith-(Bobby Church) (Glen Meadows) Biography

"The Janitor" (Warren Miller)-6PM-Midnight

Brandy Alexander-"Dateless and Desperate"-Brandy, (not her real name) is now married, has two children, lives in the West Palm Beach area and has a PH.D. in psychology. Thanks to Dave Edwards for this info.

"Hostile Harve" (Bob Jenkins)-took over for Steve Kane who was fired in 1982

Barbara Barri-Sean King tells us about Barbara "...she was the first female jock at WLOF, I think it was 1976. She was my one and only "discovery". I found her working as a waitress in a night club and, thought she had a good voice & introduced her into radio at WCKS-AM 860, Cocoa Beach. She went on to be a top country jock in Los Angeles for 15 years and is currently doing voice work in New York" For more on Barbara see www.barbarabarri.com

Bob Bacon-From Ray Slaton; "..."The Morning Mayor" ..., in real life Stan Barrett. I want to say 1963 or 64. He left WLOF and went to WMFJ-AM 1450 to do mornings there." And this from Dennis Snyder; "...one of the things he used to say was "Breakfast with Bacon" - he worked mornings right about that time, before Pat O'Day.

Debbie Aubrey

Bob Barnes Biography

William Barry

David Bartholomew

Luther C. Beasley

Burt Brown

Peggy Camnitz

Al Dunaway -6AM-9AM

Jim Casey

Blue Christie

Phil Conrad

Gary Collins-1975-1977-Afternoons

Steve Craig

George Crossley-Sales Biography In Memory

Rick Davis

1968-Boys with the noise
Pete Porter, Bill Vermillion,
Johnny Sutton,
Pat O'Day & Dick Shane
photo courtesy of Dick Camnitz

Gerald Douglas

Mimi Doyle

Chris Garrett

David Gerard

Jim Gantner

Tom Gaut

Greg Gentleman

Jan Giles

Chris Glendon

Ron Fisher

Arnold Kaufman-General Manager

Johnny Gilbert-From Ray Slaton on the name Johnny G; "...The first one called himself Johnny Gilbert around 1963-64...

Tom Clark "The Body Beautiful" (Wayne Trout) Biography In Memory

    WLOF Sales Piece circa 1970                                                                     WLOF-TV Channel 9
          courtesy of Dick Camnitz                                                                      courtesy of Roger Simmons

             Tom Haley at the console       Johnny Sutton (front) & Tom Haley
        photos courtesy of Tom Haley

Tom Haley Biography

Herb Craft

Robert Hall

Harmony

Sheila Hill

Sam Idas
photo courtesy of
Dick Camnitz

WLOF Control Room 1960’s.jpg (22547 bytes)

         WLOF studio
             1960's
          courtesy of
     Larry "Vee" Flegle

T Michael Jordan

Ken Katt

Mike Mazur

Paul Knepper-Sales

Ed Lazear

Ron Louis

John Lander

Bill MacCormick

Greg Masters

Marsh Muke

WLOF Pen courtesy of Dennis Snyder

Gary Mitchell-1982

May Mulligan

Bob Nadeau -Midnight-6AM

"Cowboy" O'Neil

Buddy Pittman-1971-Weekends Biography

Tom Roberts-Noon-3PM
Jay Preston photo courtesy of Dick Camnitz	The "old" Gates board at WLOF Courtesy of Larry Flegle
Tom West
Pete Porter
John Scott
Teri Deck-Copy Writer
Bobby Sharpe-1979-1982
Tom Sherwood
Mark Sebastian-From Mark-"...I (worked at) WLOF in '73 and '74. I left and worked at such stations as Q102 (WKRQ) in Cincinnati, Z100 (WHTZ) in New York City, WLS FM/AM and B-96 in Chicago. I now work for Clear Channel-Tampa doing production and I voice track an Oldies show for Cool 105.7 WLCL-FM in Atlanta.

Johnny Sutton

JT Almon

Roger Stallard-Program Director Biography

Brother T

Bill Taylor

Tim Tindle

Scott Walker

Bruce Wayne

JoNell Patterson

Alex Stone

Chris Kampmeier aka T.C. Dooley

Banana Joe Montione-Program Director/Afternoons

Niki Sarner-1966-Commercial Manager-Clarke Broadcasting, Corp

James Sandridge-1968

Larry Blucher

Columbus ''Lobby Charlie" Williams-doorman at the old Angebilt Hotel would occasionally go on the air, reading poems he had written. In 1922, Williams was working on a construction crew at the hotel when he fell off a sixth-floor beam. A sand pile cushioned his landing, but he lost an eye. The hotel offered him a job for life. Charlie took them at their word. After the Angebilt opened in 1923, Charlie signed on as doorman and remained there until 1972, when he began losing sight in his other eye. Charlie died at age 92 in 1991.

Deborah (Shreve) Moore-1975-1978-Sales

Steve Wein aka Steve Taylor-1975-1976-Overnights/Saturday Afternoons

Jonathan Hart aka Todd Demers

Barry Michaels

John and Juan

T. Michael Jordan (Tom Nefeldt)-6PM-Midnight

Terry Wood-6PM-Midnight

Alan Rock Biography

Herb Kraft

Dick Sollom In Memory

courtesy of Ric Collins

Greg "The Disaster" Masters

Terry Lee-News

Alan Dean "Superdude"/(Peter Jay #?) (A.D. Whitehurst)-1970-1974

Don Angelin

Peter Jay (IV) (Jim Shirah)

Stan Barrett (Bob Bacon)-Program Director/Mornings.

Dave Riddle

Al Brock (aka Larry Brock)-Assistant Program Director

Al Gardener-News

Other Names In WLOF History

George Hazelwood-1940-President-Hazelwood Broadcasting/1952-President-Mid Florida Radio Corp.

Victor Buisset-1940-General Manager-Hazelwood Broadcasting

William Sears-1949-President-Hazelwood Broadcasting

R. Donahue-1949-Program Director-Hazelwood Broadcasting

Dodd Daniel-1949-Chief Engineer-Hazelwood Broadcasting

Walter Shea-1950-Secretary/Treasurer-Hazelwood Broadcasting

Donn R. Colee-1950-Commercial Manager/1952-Secretary/Treasurer-Hazelwood Broadcasting/1954-Vice President/ General Manager-Mid-Florida Radio Corp.

Ruth Donahue-1950-Program Director/1951-Women's Director-Hazelwood Broadcasting

Ruth Bartelt-1950-Sales Manager/Promotions Manager-Hazelwood Broadcasting

J. Allen Brown-1951-Executive Vice President/Commercial Manager/1952-General Manager--Mid Florida Radio Corp.

Pat Kerr-1951-Program Manager-Hazelwood Broadcasting

John Thorwald-1951-Executive Vice President/General Manager-Hazelwood Broadcasting

Freda Hilton-1951-Promotions Director-Hazelwood Broadcasting

John Kluge--Hazelwood Broadcasting

Thomas Donohue-1952-Commercial Manager-Hazelwood Broadcasting/1954--Commercial Manager-Mid-Florida Radio Corp.

Charles Batchelder-1952-Sporting Events Director-Hazelwood Broadcasting

Joseph L. Brechner-1953-President/General Manager-Mid-Florida Radio Corp. In Memory

W. Dodd Daniel, Jr.-1954-Chief Engineer-Mid-Florida Radio Corp.

Lee Hall-1955-Program Manager-Mid-Florida Radio Corp.

Cathy Sorey-1955-Women's Director-Mid-Florida Radio Corp.

Howard Kester-1957-Executive Vice President/1958-Vice President/General Manager-Mid-Florida Radio Corp.

Gene Cook-1957-Commercial Manager-Mid-Florida Radio Corp.

Douglas Coombs-1957-Production Director-Mid-Florida Radio Corp.

R. G. St. Clair-1957-Chief Engineer-Mid-Florida Radio Corp.

Ellen Wendt-1957-Women's Director-Mid-Florida Radio Corp.

Robert Bartl-1959-Program Director-Mid Florida Radio Corp.

Harris Thomson-1959-President-Mid Florida Radio Corp.

Dutch Holland-1963-Program Manager-Mid Florida Radio Corp.

Raymond Smith-1964-Vice President/Station Manager-Mid Florida Radio Corp.

Robert Clarke-1964-President-Clarke Broadcasting, Corp.

John_Rutledge_and_George_Stuart.jpg (31310 bytes)

John Rutledge-1964-Executive Vice President/General Manager/1971-President-Clarke Broadcasting, Corp. Biography In Memory

Don Welch-1964-General Sales Manager/1967-Vice President/Sales Manager/1971-General Manager-Clarke Broadcasting, Corp.

Jerry Thompson (Pat O'Day)-1964-Program Director/Promotions Director/1970-Operations Director/Program Director/1971-Production Manager-Clarke Broadcasting, Corp.

Timothy Sawyer-1964-Chief Engineer-Clarke Broadcasting, Corp./1972-Chief Engineer-Home Security Broadcasting

D. Sidebottom Isaacs-1966-1969-Secretary to John Rutledge-Clarke Broadcasting, Corp.

Jack Curran-1967-Vice President/General Sales Manager-Clarke Broadcasting, Corp.

Marjorie Clark-1970-President-Clarke Broadcasting, Corp.

Corey Meyer-1970-Chief Engineer-Clarke Broadcasting, Corp.

Carl Glicken-1972-President/General Manager-Home Security Broadcasting Company/1977-General Manager/Commercial Manager-Rounsaville of Cincinnati, Inc. In Memory

Jerry Frericks-1972-Commercil Manger-Home Security Broadcasting Company

Luke Beasley-1973-Chief Engineer-Home Security Broadcasting Company

Robert Rounsaville-1977-President-Rounsaville of Cincinnati, Inc.

Melody (Layburn) Lang-1977-1980-Billing-Rounsaville of Cincinnati, Inc.

Joseph Lang-1979-1981-Chief Engineer-Rounsaville of Cincinnati, Inc.

Warren F. Miller-Music Director

Jerry Ferricks-Sales Manager

M.F. Kershner-General Manager

Pamela Lawrence-Traffic Director

Tom Thacker (One of the many Peter Jays)

Chris Wolf

Carole Smock-Advertising Manager In Memory

...And in the newsroom during the 70s

Terry Lee (Terrence McIver Ledbetter)-1964-Clarke Broadcasting, Corp.-In an email from Steve Rutledge;"...Terry (Lee) really was the guy who got the dedicated news operation off the ground at WLOF and set the tone for the rest of us. He was a real digger and showman too."

Alan Moore

Dave Elliott

Dan Tressler

Bill Bauman Biography

Greg Gentlemen

David Waterman

Peggy Curry

Carl "Buzz" Hallberg

Other Programs On WLOF

Wolfman Jack-syndicated. But there is a Central Florida Connection. In 1991 Wolfman Jack would open a club in the Old Towne section of Kissimmee. It was originally called "Little Darlin's Rock and Roll Palace" becoming "Wolfman Jack's Rock and Roll Palace"

Its Bernie's Turn (Weekends, Barnard of London mid 60s)

Casey Kasem-"American Top 40" syndicated

Studio entrance 1973

Courtesy of Dave Edwards

Johnny Sutton in the production room Johnny Sutton thanks to Elliot Mitchell

Pat O'Day gets a haircut 12-10-65 courtesy of Dave Edwards 9-3-65
Ral Donner makes an appearance for WLOF in 1959 photo courtesy of Greg Galloway	Bill Vermillion at the console Courtesy Larry Vee

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