WMMO-FM
98.9
Orlando
Original Call Letters:
WEZO
Originally Licensed: Aug
19, 1990
Original City of License:
Orlando
Original Frequency: 98.9
Origin of Call Letters:
Original Power:
44,000
watts
Original Location:
SunBank
Center
Original Format:
Rock/Adult
Contemporary
Network
Affiliation(s):
Owner(s): 1990-Radio
Orlando L.P.
1992-Granum
Communications
($8.1 million)
1996-Infinity
Broadcasting Corp.
1996-Cox
Broadcasting
History
Of Call Letters and Formats:
WEZO-1990-Variety
(intermittently
while testing the transmitter before the actual sign-on)
WMMO-1990-Rock/Adult
Contemporary
"Soft
Rock & Roll 98.9"
WMMO History
This
history comes from someone who was a very integral part of WMMO history, Cary
Pall. From Cary's email; "...I was WMMO's founding programmer
and its chief engineer/operator for its first four years of operation..."
"...The station's original power output was 38,000 watts..."
"...This was due to the SunBank Center's short spacing to Ft.
Pierce and the 98.7 frequency there. Originally, WMMO was to be located
at the Pine Hills tower site of WHTQ(-FM 96.5), but,
at the last moment, then-owner of WHTQ, John Tenaglia
reneged on the deal, forcing the company to build the indoor transmitter site at
SunBank Center (pictured left). WMMO was just one of only two
stations in the world to have a fully enclosed transmitter site. The antenna
bays were inside the pyramid pylons on top the building".
Today WMMO runs a full 50kw atop the original WHTQ tower which is
now co-owned with WMMO.
WMMO Personalities
Tom
Daniels-1990-1991-Tom
was the first morning personality at WMMO. Tom was also co-programmer
of the morning show. Both Tom and Cary Pall
were both fans of "The Buzzard" WMMS, Cleveland, which is the
station Tom was hired from to do mornings in Orlando. It was his
suggestion that prompted, Cary Pall, to use the call letters WMMO.
Justin Taylor-1991-1992-mornings.
Justin
now does commercial production from his own studio in South Orlando.
Suzanne Hundley-(Suzanne Michaels)-1990-1991-The
original midday personality. Returned for part-time work.
Paul Warren-1990-1996-middays/assistant
PD, then PD Biography
Brian
Scott-1990-1998-overnight
host (M-F) Saturday mornings 5AM-1PM
John Summers-1990-1993-3PM-7PM
Lisa Miller-1990-1994-8PM-midnight
/ Music Director / 3PM-7PM
Paul
Resnik-1991-1994-WMMO's
original overnight host, and eventually did morning drive until
just before Bill Gable began.
Paul now works for Seagate, the company that makes computer hard drives. He
lives here in Central Florida.
Beth
Perrell-now
handles public affairs for the six Cox stations.
Maria Morgan-1994-1996-7PM
to midnight. Now in Baltimore.
Bill Gable-1994-1999-AM
drive personality
Jay Francisco-1994-2008-7PM-midnight
then 9PM to 5AM
Jay was let go after 14 years in 2008
Al
Spry-1998-2003-Weekends
and fill-in. Al
is now Florida's Radio Networks (a Clear Channel network)
Affiliate Relations Director, the Production Director, and a producer and
weekend host for WFLF-AM 540. Al also tells
us the WMMO was Billboard Magazine's Station of the
Year in 1991.
Jerry Steffen-1990-2008
Jerry was let go after 18 years in 2008
Elise Rossi-middays
Carren Sheldon-News
Director and morning show co-host
Jessie Scott
Shawn Burke-5AM-10AM
Deborah Roberts-5AM-10AM
Andrea
Lively-Morning
News Anchor/News Director
Annie Sommers
Jim
Grant-Weekends (Saturday 1-6pm)/Traffic mornings and afternoons
Kevin Baldinger-Traffic
Biography
Justin Taylor
Winifred King
Other
Names in WMMO History
Jim
Martin-1990-Radio
Orlando L.P.
Cary
Pall-1990-1994-Founding
Programmer/Chief Engineer/Operator
Biography
Steve Fluker-Chief
Engineer
Fleetwood Gruver-Program
Director
Shane Reeve-2005-2008-Sales
Manager-Cox
Broadcasting
Debbie
Morel-Vice President/General Manager-Cox
Broadcasting
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