WSBB-AM 1230
New Smyrna Beach 

Original Call Letters: WNSA (Construction Permit

Originally Licensed: 1950 

Original City of License: New Smyrna Beach 

Original Frequency: 1230 

Origin of Call Letters: "World's Safest Bathing Beach" 

Original Power: 100 watts (250 watts 1952)

Original Location: Indian River Inn and Conference Center on South Riverside Drive 

Translator: 2016-W230CB-FM 93.9-1/2017-W283CF-FM 104.5

Original Format: Big Bands


Network Affiliation(s):


Mutual Broadcasting System

United Press International
CNN
Florida News Network
NBC
Wall Street Journal

Owner(s):

1951-Beach Broadcasting Company
1954-Beach Broadcasters, Inc.
1986-George Mizelle

1991-T K Radio, Inc. ($50,000)

2006-Gore-Overgaard Broadcasting, Inc.   ($450,000)

2008-Diegel Communications, LLC  ($125,000)


History Of Call Letters and Formats:

WNSA-1950-Construction Permit
WSBB-1950-Big Bands
WSBB-1954-Easy Listening 

WSBB-1991-Adult Standards (Westwood One Network)

WSBB-2006-Oldies (Westwood One Network)

WSBB-2008-Adult Standards

Original location of WSBB studios

WSBB studios on the Causeway in New Smyrna Beach




WSBB History
The original WSBB studios were on the ground floor of the Indian River Inn and Conference Center on South Riverside Drive. The first tower was where the Smyrna Yacht Club's t
ennis courts are now situated. When Tolby, a New Smyrna Beach resident, acquired the station, it had moved to the North Causeway site. 
Mr. Brian Tolby was kind enough to furnish more information about WSBB. Here is some of that email. "...Now to New Smyrna Beach and WSBB. I bought it in l99l from the Tidmore's who owned it since l95l. Some other guy put it on the air but don't remember the name. He didn't own it for long..." 


2006-Volusia radio station purchased New Smyrna Beach radio station 1230 AM (WSBB), now owned by TK Radio Inc., has been purchased by Gore-Overgaard Broadcasting, Gore-Overgaard said Monday. Gore-Overgaard owns and operates 1340 AM (WROD) in Daytona Beach. The purchase price was not released. The request for the transfer of WSBB's ownership and license has been filed with the Federal Communications Commission. Brian Tolby, WSBB's president and general manager, will remain associated with Gore-Overgaard, the company said. WSBB is expected to continue with an oldies format after the sale closes.

2007-Gore-Overgaard Broadcasting sold WSBB to Skip Diegel former General Manager of  WVLG-AM 640.

2008-WSBB is broadcasting from new studios on Canal Street in the Historic Downtown District of New Smyrna Beach.

WSDO Sanford Picking Up Simulcast     7-28-15
WSBB-AM 1230 is being simulcast over WTJV-AM 1490 in Deland and now is being simulcast on WSDO-AM 1400 in Sanford, from 4PM to 6AM weekdays. This may not be a permanent arrangement, but for now Sanford and Deltona can enjoy the Adult Standards heard on WSBB.

WSBB Personalities
Murray Pendleton-1954-Program Director/Mornings-Broadcasters, Inc  In Memory

Murray_Pendleton.jpg (211127 bytes)





Thanks to Chuck Johnson for this Billboard  Magazine article on Murray Pendleton's mobile disco business in 1975

click photo for full  sized view



Pocket patch courtesy of Chuck Johnson

Chuck Jackson.jpg (72703 bytes)Chuck Johnson-1966-Broadcasters, Inc.
Chuck sends along a photo of the WSBB studio.
"It was the original Collins board that had been moved from the original Indian River Lodge studio in the 50s to the North Causeway studio/office/transmitter facility. I believe WSBB's power was increased at the time of the move and the Tidmore purchase from 250 watts to 1,000 day/250 night. Our old stand-by transmitter was the original Collins and it was 250/100 watts,  the newer RCA was 1kw/250. When I first went to work there in 1966 we were still using Crown reel-to-reel tape recorders for commercials, etc. The carts were added in early 1967. At that time we carried Mutual news on the hour and half, Florida Gator and Notre Dame football, Atlanta Braves Baseball, and all (home and away) New Smyrna High School Barracuda football and basketball games. There wasn't a hard and fast play list and so each DJ had a slightly personal sound, however most of us used the Billboard Easy Listening Top 40 and other album cuts. Our DJs at the time included Murray Pendleton, Dave Roberts (Ross) Sim Egglesson, Jr., (son of the chief engineer) and me. I was attending DBCC (now Daytona State College) at the time and also did several programs for the college including "Education Beat" that was broadcast on other area stations in Daytona, Deland and Sanford. It was fun and WSBB under Al (Aubrey Lee) Pruitt's management certainly served the community well."
Dave Roberts (Dave Ross)
Sim Egglesson, Jr.



Brent Alberts
-1966-Broadcasters, Inc. Biography


Jim "Biff" Burns
-1
979-80/1986-Nights/News Director-Broadcasters, Inc.   
Biography  
Ray Sims-1979-(Former NBC Announcer)-General Manager/Morning Host-Broadcasters, Inc.
Gerry Bell-1979-Mid-days-Broadcasters, Inc. 
Tom Smithers-1979-Nights/General Manager-Beach Broadcasters, Inc. (now at WDSC-TV)
Jack McEllen-1980-Sat/Sun-5:30AM-3PM-Beach Broadcasters, Inc.
Jerry Bell-1984-10AM-2PM-Beach Broadcasters, Inc.
Dave Gulbreth-1984-News-Beach Broadcasters, Inc.
Duke Darnell-1984-7PM-8PM-"Classic Jazz"-Beach Broadcasters, Inc.
Tom Duffy-1984-Nights/Weekends-Beach Broadcasters, Inc.
George Mizelle-1986-Owner/Mornings  In Memory
Bob Krauser-1986-Mid-days-George Mizelle Ownership


Rick Brady
-1988-1991-Program Director/2PM-6PM-George Mizelle Ownership 
Biography


Bobby Knight -1991-2001-Operations Manager-T K Radio, Inc.



Kris Earl Phillips-2006-2007-Mornings/Program Director-Gore-Overgaard Broadcasting, Inc. Biography     In Memory



Rick Martorano-2006-"Art, Entertainment and Lifestyles"-Gore-Overgaard Broadcasting, Inc.



Cadillac Jack (John Wilcha)-2007-2008-Gore-Overgaard Broadcasting, Inc.


David Shulz-2007-2009-Saturdays-Gore-Overgaard Broadcasting, Inc./Diegel Communications, LLC



Skip Diegel-2008-2024-President/Mornings-Diegel Communications, LLC     In Memory
Marc Monteson-2010-Host-"A Swinging Sunday"-7PM-8PM-Diegel Communications, LLC
Jason Davis-2010-Host-"Sunday Morning with the Boston Pops" /Production-Diegel Communications, LLC
Kraig A. Koelsch-2010-2011-Sports Director-Diegel Communications, LLC



Robert Palmer-2015-"Saving Thousands"-9AM-10AM-M-F-Diegel Communications, LLC 


Rob Newton-2015-Co-host
-"Saving Thousands"-9AM-10AM-M-F-Diegel Communications, LLC   In Memory



Dave Ramsey-2015-"The Dave Ramsey Show"-4PM-6PM-M-F-Diegel Communications, LLC


Tracy Dent-2015-"Sports Talk"-Mon-Wed-Fri
-Diegel Communications, LLC
Joe Johnson-"Beatle Brunch"-Sun-Noon-1PM-Diegel Communications, LLC
John Davidson-New Smyrna Beach High School Morning Sports Report


Ammie Ryan-News-
Diegel Communications, LLC
Jim Blair
Jim Bell

Other Names In WSBB History
Walter Slattery-1951-Partner/General Manager/Commercial Manager-Beach Broadcasting Company
James King, Jr.-1951-Partner/Program Director/Sports Director-Beach Broadcasting Company
Roland Jordan, Jr.-1951-Partner/Chief Engineer-Beach Broadcasting Company


A. V. (Chick) Catterton-1954-General Manager-Beach Broadcasters, Inc.   
In Memory
A. V. Tidmore-1954-Owner/President-Broadcasters, Inc
A. L. Pruitt-1954-General Manager/Commercial Manager/Program Manager-Broadcasters, Inc
Lucille Irick-1954-News Director-Beach Broadcasters, Inc
Beverly Fleming-1954-Advertising Director-Beach Broadcasters, Inc
Janet Boyd-1954-Women's Director/Commentator-Beach Broadcasters, Inc
Sim Egglesson, Sr.-1954-Chief Engineer-Broadcasters, Inc


Brian Tolby
-1991-2006-President/Station Manager-T K Radio, Inc. 


1991



Harold W. Gore-2006-CEO/Treasurer-Gore-Overgaard Broadcasting, Inc. In Memory
Cordell Overgaard-2006-President-Gore-Overgaard Broadcasting
George Winslow-2007-General Manager-Gore-Overgaard Broadcasting, Inc.


Christopher M. Gore-2007-Sales Manager-Gore-Overgaard Broadcasting, Inc.
Jim Vandergrifft-2007 (New Smyrna Beach Mayor)-Community Information-Gore-Overgaard Broadcasting, Inc.
Barb Diegel-2008-Vice President-Diegel Communications, LLC
Todd Diegel-2008-2011-Vice President of Marketing-Diegel Communications, LLC
Kim Diegel-2008-2011-Traffic and Sales-Diegel Communications, LLC
Ashley Wilson-2010-2011-Account Representative-Diegel Communications, LLC



Victoria Perkins-Internet Marketing/Corporate Web Site/Social Media-Diegel Communications, LLC
A. L. "Pappy" Pruitt-Manager
Sanoma Robertson   In Memory
Doug Pidgeon-General Manager
Jim Tillis-Chief Engineer
Virginia Roche 
Eva DeBerry 
Helen Cibu-Traffic-From Chuck Johnson; "...She was our traffic person, not on-air traffic reports, but doing our program logs and advertisers affidavits, etc. In the pre-computer days our logs were mimeographed and Helen had to smell those fumes daily and have purple fingers..."
James Spence-Sales   In Memory



Martin Timmer-Sales   In Memory


Other Programs in WSBB History

"Canada Calling"-1951

'Cuda Football-2010-Diegel Communications, LLC
"Radio Deluxe"-2010-John Pizzarelli-Sun-10AM-Noon-Diegel Communications, LLC
"Back To live Radio"-2010-Sun-8PM-9PM-Diegel Communications, LLC
Daytona Cubs Baseball-2011

Florida Gators

Atlanta Braves Baseball

"Monday Mornings With The Mayor"-Skip Diegel and New Smyrna Beach Mayor Adam Barringer broadcast live from Hidden Lakes Golf Club-Diegel Communications, LLC
"This is Music With Your Host Chuck Southcott"-Sat- 7PM-10PM-Diegel Communications, LLC
"Florida Roundtable"-Sun-6AM-7AM-Diegel Communications, LLC
"When Radio Was"-Sun-9PM-10PM-Diegel Communications, LLC
"Shake Rattle Showtime"-Jim Parsons
Stetson University Sports-2013-Diegel Communications, LLC

What's New

Biographies In Memory
Sounds
AM
/ FM 
Misc. Chronology What's News?