WHOO-AM 990
Orlando

Original call Letters: WHOO

Originally Licensed:
Dec 1947

Power:
50,000 Day/14,000 Night
Original City of  License:
Orlando   

Owner(s):
 1947-
The Orlando Sentinel Star Co. (Martin Andersen)
                1951-
Edward Lamb
               
1954-

                1958
-
Bluegrass Broadcasting (Garvis Kincaid)
                1987-
TK Communications ($13.5 million)
                1994-
Granum Communications ($11.5 million)
                1997
-
Cox Broadcasting
                2001
-
American Broadcasting Co. ($5 million)
                2003
-
Radio Disney Group (subsidiary of ABC)

Manager(s):
O.C. Halyard-Bluegrass Broadcasting

History Of  Call Letters and Formats:
   WHOO--1947-Pop   Broadcasting from the Fort Gatlin Hotel 
                                                            WHOO
-1968
-Country  "Country Gentlemen"
                                                           
WMMA-1987-Adult Contemporary "Magic 99"
                                                            WMMA-1987-Oldies
                                                           
WHTQ-1988-Rock (simulcast of  WHTQ 96.5 FM)
                                                           
WHOO-1988-Big Bands/Adult Standards  (Music Of Your Life)
                                                           
WHOO-1989-Classic Country
                                                            WHOO
-1990-Rock (simulcast of
WHTQ 96.5 FM)
                                                           
WHOO-1993-Adult Standards (ABC Radio "Stardust" format)
                                                          
  WDYZ- 2001-Radio Disney-Children  

History of WHOO
                                 
                                          
WHOO would broadcast from the Hotel Fort Gatlin in 1947.  
 
WHOO, first owned by the company that published the Orlando Morning  Sentinel and the Reporter-Star newspapers, went on the air on Dec. 5, 1947. 
A gala grand opening event was held along with an "invitation only" reception and dance. Bob Chester's New York Orchestra performed and the "western" band the WHOOT Owls were introduced. In 1951 the newspaper company sold WHOO-AM and WHOO-FM 96.5 to Edward Lamb, a  Toledo attorney and broadcaster.

Chuck Wilson
fills in some more history of WHOO.
"... John Rutledge was the manager when I was there and he worked out of the "Executive Offices" in the Gatlin Hotel on Orange Avenue. The sales force was also located there. I believe everyone else was out at Silver Star Road, which is where the transmitter was located. To consolidate the operation (the Gatlin offices weren't that nice either), John moved everyone to a new location on Rosalind Avenue, but I'm not sure if there wasn't a short transition move for the Executive Office/Sales Staff from the Gatlin location to the Silver Star location prior to going downtown (Rosalind Avenue.) I worked as an announcer/traffic manager/sort-of program director/meter reader/pump primer on the FM side. I had to keep the pump on the well primed or the air conditioner wouldn't work! Anyway, when the building on Rosalind Avenue was remodeled (boy, did it look good!), everyone moved from Silver Star Road to the new offices downtown ... except me! You talk about desolate! There was nothing out there. The transmitter was so far out that they had to pipe in sunshine. I would get there at 5:00 am and leave at 1:00 pm and the only person I would see was the guy who relieved me at 1:00. At first, WHOO only broadcast from downtown and then they started broadcasting from the transmitter site after midnight. Few people realized the facilities at the transmitter were probably as good as, if not better than, any station in town...except, maybe, for 
WDBO-AM 580
. Somewhere around 1960-61 everything moved from Rosalind Avenue back to the facilities on Silver Star Road (is isn't cheap to move a radio station). John spent a lot of money remodeling the facility and it was great to have everyone back out there.


WHOO Personalities (The Country Years)

 
Bob Nyles
-1974
-1988-
Biography  
    
                                       
                    
                                          
Here's Bob, with WHOO GM Bob Johnson in 1966           The same two Bobs at WDBO  in 2003 
                                                           
FHP Sgt Jim Humphries-Traffic Reporter                                                                                                                    
                                                             
courtesy of Dick Camnitz
Al Dunaway
-
6AM-9AM. Al would always have a "second call to coffee". Which was the second hour of his show. 
From Bob Nyles; "...Al is retired and spends his time delivering emergency vehicles around the country..." You might recognize Al as the voice of Southeast Steel commercials.

                                                                              
 
Mike Burger
-Mid days for nine years, eventually taking over the program directors position. Mike returned to Orlando for four years, then back to Dallas. 


Clay Daniels
-
Afternoon drive. Clay is also a singer, recording for SoundCot in the 70's.  He, Roy Marler and Jeff Blair recently put together "The Three Amigos". Clay was the voice for Sonny King's Orange Buick in Orlando.



Bucks Braun
-1979-1985-
6AM-10AM  Biography 



Russ Wheeler
Biography WHOO 99 staff 1984.JPG (36944 bytes)



Tom Haley-
Biography


Alan Dennis
Dave Raulston
Charlie Champion-
Program Director                                                         
Gary Anstaett
Bill Cody
Johnny Walker-1966-1968                                                                         Here's the staff of WHOO-AM in 1984, courtesy of Dave Edwards
Bob Baker
Billy Love



Large Larry English


Bill Frangus
Jim Maloy
Ray Beale                                                  
Allen Dennis
Ken White



Tony George





Greg Wolas
-1973-1979


Gary Roberts

For years, WHOO would broadcast live shows from “The Rainbow Ranch” on the weekends, (later "The Joint in the Woods"), in Longwood. Read more about it here; http://members.aol.com/birdsbands/joints/jointslide/jointsl01.htm 

  Location: General Hutchison Parkway, next to Big Tree Park, Longwood






Mac Allen-1966-1967-mornings
Jack Hayse
Pete Porter-Music director/afternoons
Cool Chris (Christopher Hanna)
Bill Clifford-weekends
Dave Edwards has been kind enough to supply much information and many of the pictures on this site. Here's a picture and information he sent. "...Around 1984 WHOO-FM changed it's name to 
"96 Country"
to compete with "K-92 FM." The station became "Q-96FM" (AOR) just before Bluegrass Broadcasting sold it. (Here)...is the cover of the WHOO 2nd Annual Reunion Booklet which was held at the central Florida fairgrounds in the fall of 1984..."
Dave Ralston                                                
Steve Kennedy        
Chuck McKay                                   WHOO crew caravan.jpg (183624 bytes)
Ruby Love



Rick
Saylor-10AM-2PM



Dick Sollom

Bill Michaels
Roy Adams
Andy Wilson
Clayton Delaney (Ron Jones)     
The
Kingbird
Ken Bowman
Cecil West 
Jack Hayes
Dick Wilson
Tracy
Chuck Golder
Dale Wright
Ron Frasier-mid-day                                                                                     Click photo for full sized view  Courtesy of Dave Edwards
John
Dolive-1969-1970-News director                                                       
Pete Lazar
Chuck Lowe
Bob Grayson-Program director



Mike
Goode-Afternoons

   
 


Alan
Spector-News   


Willie Clark-1993-''Community Forum''


June Myers-1983-1985
Biography

Tom Robinson-1981-1982- Overnights
Silent Sam the Segue Man-Overnights

Rick Chamberlin-1967-Born in Kissimmee, Rick got his start in the radio business at the age of 17 by sweeping the floors and taking out the trash at WFIV-AM 1080. One day the Program Director said "Hey kid, how would you like to do Saturday afternoons?" and Rick was thrilled. Rick is now heard on "DIXIE 105.7", WRSF-FM, North Carolina. 


Jim Sandridge
Ron Fraiser
-Mid days



Other Names in WHOO History  John Rutledge and George Stuart.jpg (44633 bytes)

John Rutledge (standing) and George Stuart (seated)  
               photo courtesy of Steve Rutledge


Steve Rutledge tells us about this photo of his dad, John. "The photo was taken between 1965 and 1967.  He still had short hair and was wearing suits.  That didn't last much longer though.  George Stuart and my dad were great friends. George Stuart's (Office Supply store) was across the street, Rosalind, from the original WHOO.  He was THE office supply guy in Orlando.  He had three sons that went to Edgewater.  I went to Boone. They were George, Jacob and not sure about the third one."


John Rutledge Biography In Memory





Bob Johnson
-1974-General manager


Bill Stakelin-General manager
Thelma Tharp-1990-"Senior Networking"-Sundays, 8am to 9am 
In Memory
Jim Poling-News director
Kathy O'Neill-Traffic reporter
Nate Webb
-Traffic reporter
Bill Early-1980-1984-General Sales Manager

Bob
Hood-General Manager
Chuck Wilson

Jim Jordan-Vice President/General manager
Max Rein-1983-
General Manager 
Dan Jones- Assistant Chief Engineer

                 Transmitter.jpg (43634 bytes)       
        Tower.jpg (60162 bytes)          
                 WHOO TX Bldg.jpg (40031 bytes)   
studio1.jpg (73835 bytes)
                                                                       From Chuck Wilson 
                                                          WHOO transmitter, studios and tower facility 

Other Programs In WHOO History
The Music Country Network
-10 PM to 5 AM nightly 

                
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