WTMC-AM 1290
Ocala
Original call Letters: WTMC
Originally Licensed: 1938
Original City of License: Ocala
Original Frequency: 1500
Origin of Call Letters: Welcome To Marion County
Original Power: 100 watts unlimited
Original Location:
Original Format: Variety
Network Affiliation(s): Mutual Broadcasting System
Owner(s): 1939-David T. Allsop
1948-The Ocala Star Banner
1954-Ocala Broadcasting Co., Inc.
1968-Osceola Broadcasting Company, Inc. (co-owned with WORL-AM 1270 and WORJ-FM 107.7 Orlando)
1973-Hunter-Arnette Broadcasting Company, Inc.
1980-WTMC Radio Broadcasting
1984-Kingdom of the Sun Broadcasting
1987-First Radio of Ocala
1989-Sunstar Telecom/SE Agrinet
1993-Paxson Communications
1994-News and Travel Network
1999-Vector Communications
History Of Call Letters and Formats: WTMC-1939-Variety
WTMC-1954-MOR
WTMC-1972-Adult Contemporary
WTMC-1975-Top 40 “Best Music Radio”
WTMC-1979-Top 40/Rock "The Music Connection"
WTMC-1982-Free Form
WTMC-1984-Adult Standards "The Station You Grew Up With"
WTMC-1984 Adult Contemporary "Paradise 1290"
WTMC-1992-Travel Radio
WTMC-1997-CNN Headline News "CNN News 1290"
WCFI-1999-AP News Radio "News Radio 1290"
WCFI-2003-CNN Headline News
WCFI-2004-News Talk
WCFI-2004-Country
WCFI-2004-Silent (August) WCFI suffered hurricane damage
WCFI-2008-(Feb 20)-Frequency deleted by the FCC
History Of WTMC
Thanks to Marc Tyll for this history of WTMC.
Ocala’s oldest and most respected radio station WTMC commenced regular broadcast service during the Summer of 1939. During those early years there was no other radio service for miles from Ocala. The next closest radio station was
WRUF-AM 850 Gainesville, 30-miles North of Ocala. WRUF had signed on the air eleven years sooner during the Summer of 1928 from the University of Florida campus. The original WTMC call letter combination stood for Welcome To Marion County. Originally, Ocala’s first radio station broadcast with a modest 100 watts on 1500KC and could be heard as far away as Palatka, Gainesville, Leesburg and Daytona Beach. The WTMC broadcast day began at 7AM with a variety of local programming, ending at 9PM seven days a week.
John H. Perry Sr. once owned the Ocala
Star-Banner provided the money to finance the startup of WTMC radio. Former Marion County Clerk of the Circuit Court Nick Nicholson was the first morning personality on the new WTMC. It was common to hear Nicholson each morning ring his trademark cow bell exclaiming “…. it‘s time to wake up you scallywags….”. Nicholson’s morning show originated from the original WTMC studio, office and transmitter site which was located on Old Anthony Road (now Northeast 8Th Avenue), about a mile North of Ocklawaha Avenue (now East Silver Springs Boulevard). The original 1939 radio building still stands today at the Northeast corner of Tuscawilla Park - Ocala’s oldest recreation center - bearing its original wood framed, white painted exterior which now serves as the Senior Services Building, a part of the City of Ocala Parks and Recreation Department. WTMC remained Ocala’s ONLY radio station for 14-years until Ocala's second radio station, WMOP-AM 900, began broadcast service in 1953.
Although unconfirmed, WTMC’s original owner was David T. Allsop who also served as station manager. Many believe Allsop was actually a front man for the true station owner though Allsop claimed ownership for many years after his departure in 1948. WTMC was later sold to Ocala’s only newspaper - the Ocala Star-Banner. Long time Star-Banner publisher R. N. “Bert” Dosh assumed WTMC’s station management duties but soon promoted WTMC’s sales manager, Hal Davis, to station manager. Davis had been affiliated with WTMC from the beginning and was on a first name basis with the local merchants. Before joining the station, Davis had been very much involved with boxing as a fight promoter.
WTMC had been affiliated with the NBC Blue Network, later switching to the NBC Red Network. When NBC split the two networks into the NBC and ABC Radio Networks, WTMC remained an NBC affiliate, airing the network news programming for many years. Other programming remained local as the station became more heavily local news and recorded music oriented. Musically WTMC had an MOR format, playing mostly big bands and other popular tunes of the era. Nick Nicholson left his full-time morning show to campaign for the office of Marion County Clerk of the Circuit Court, an election he won and an office he held from 1952 until 1979. Although Nicholson’s new full time job was now Clerk of the Court, Nicholson remained with WTMC during the football season on a part-time basis as a high school football color commentator. Nicholson added his own style and personality each Friday night while News Director Bill Mansfield called the Play-By-Play action from Ocala‘s famous Booster Stadium.
By 1954 WTMC applied for a power increase to 1,000 watts full-time. The request was granted, but the Federal Communications Commission stipulated WTMC move from its original 1500KC frequency to 1290KC. This also meant the station would be required to move its transmitter site to a location with large enough to accommodate the sophisticated three tower antenna system for its newly authorized critical directional night-time operation. Nine point nine acres were purchased about 6-miles West of the original downtown studio/tower site. In 1954 the new tower site was considered “in the woods” down a dirt road which is now heavily traveled Northwest 10th Street Extension. The area is now a industrial manufacturing complex. Due the critical directional night pattern, WTMC was required to have a First Class Radio Telephone Operator on duty at all times during night operation (During the daytime operation only a Third Class Operator was required because the station operated with a non-direction antenna pattern). To accommodate the night-time on-duty engineer, the transmitter building was designed and built with a small apartment at one end of the building. This enabled the engineer to be at the transmitter at all times by actually living at the transmitter site. The 1,000 watt transmitter was on the opposite end of the building. Bill McDonald was WTMC’s “live-in” chief operator, remaining in that capacity until the FCC rules were relaxed years later, allowing computerized, automatic transmitter readings and adjustments.
During this same time period, because Ocala and the station were growing, plans were underway to move the studios to a much needed larger building. A building located at 321 South Magnolia Avenue, which had been an old service station, was purchased and completely renovated, making way for Ocala’s oldest and most listened to radio station. WTMC continued to be Ocala’s Full-Service radio station playing its mix of MOR hits and providing in depth news coverage unavailable from any other source except the local newspaper.
WTMC was sold to Osceola Broadcasting Company in 1968 which was owned by Emil Corona and local Ocala broadcaster Vernon Arnette. Corona and Arnette also owned WORL-AM 1270 and WORJ-FM 107.7 Orlando. With the WTMC purchase, Corona and Arnette added the Ocala station to the existing Orlando stations where they were able to cover all of Central Florida extending from Orlando to Daytona to Ocala. Before joining forces with Corona, Arnette had been the Station Manager for WMOP-FM 93.7.
The successful partnership between Corona and Arnette came to an end in 1973 when Corona decided to sell his interest in WTMC to Arnette. Arnette, along with his wife Sara and a new business partner, Bill Hunter, formed Hunter-Arnette Broadcasting Company and bought the station from Osceola Broadcasting Company. The price in 1973 was $450,000. Hunter owned WDOT-AM 1390 Burlington, Vermont, and, together with the Arnette’s, also purchased WDAT-AM 1380 Ormond Beach. That same year Hunter-Arnette received FCC approval to increase WTMC's daytime power to 5,000 watts non-directionally. The signal, however, remained 1,000 watts East/West directional at night. The new station moniker became "The Great American Music Machine", playing a watered down "Chicken Rock" Top 40 format, (a mix of softer Top 40 hits and rock oldies) but some Big Band programming remained in the afternoon. Former Cincinnati broadcaster Myles “Big Daddy” Foland, who was a big band expert, was hired as afternoon drive-time host. "Big Daddy" had a very successful Cincinnati radio program and also a successful children’s TV program before retiring to Ocala. It was common to hear Foland singing along with various artist live on air during a typical afternoon. His most famous song could be heard every evening just before 7PM when "Big Daddy" would play his signature sign-off theme. The song was Dean Martin’s "When Your Smiling". Every evening Foland would always sing along with Dean, saying as the song began "… take me out of here, Dino…".
News remained a huge and integral part of WTMC's programming. University of Florida Journalism graduate Bill Mansfield was the News Director and Operations Manager, a title Mansfield held for nearly 20 years. Mansfield was previously Program Director for WRUF-AM-FM Gainesville, later assuming the programming duties at cross town WGGG-AM 1230, also in Gainesville. In addition to being WTMC's one man news department, Mansfield also could be heard each Friday night calling the Play-By-Play football action from Booster Stadium along with former morning personality Nick Nicholson who added his blend of humor as Color Commentator. Foland, who was also WTMC's Music Director, was later lured away to assume the afternoon drive time slot on Ocala’s new 100,000 watt WFUZ-FM 93.7 which was programming an Easy Listening format with a big band mix. Former WTMC General Manager Tom Catalano had become the General Manager of WMOP-AM 900 and WFUZ-FM 93.7 and knew Foland very well. Catalano made "Big Daddy" an offer to be on Ocala’s new 100,000 watt FM playing the big bands which Foland knew and loved so well. Former Midday announcer Norm Perry was also lured by Catalano to do morning drive on country formatted WMOP. Because of Foland’s departure from WTMC, a big shake up took place with the on-air line up and music programming. Additionally, the NBC Radio Network was replaced with the Mutual Broadcasting System.
WTMC’s hey day era was during the 70s, as "Disco" was becoming more popular. Music on WTMC was beginning to go more rock and disco oriented. Chuck Morgan became program director and morning host. Morgan began to transform WTMC from MOR/Full Service to a Top 40 oriented station, but Morgan didn’t stay very long, soon leaving for WAQY-FM 102.1 Springfield, Massachusetts. Newly hired afternoon jock and Music Director, Lou Patrick, who was hired to replace Foland, was promoted to Program Director and was also moved to the 6AM - 10AM morning slot. Under Patrick’s programming style, WTMC became “Best Music Radio” with a move towards a heavier rock and dance sound that Morgan had begun implementing a year earlier. Hit Music was the key with Patrick who remained with WTMC as its program director for about two years. Between 1976 an 1979 there were several jock and programming changes. Part timer Marc Tyll, who went by the on-air name Craig Stevens, and was a high school senior, was promoted to full-time afternoon jock, taking over the 3 to 7 time slot. Within 2 ½ months, Tyll became Program Director, transforming "Best Music Radio" to "The Music Connection". One of the on-air signatures became "The Music Connection, Where Just Three Letters Spell It: T-M-C." Music on AM 1290 became full fledged hard core Top 40 as The Music Connection played nothing but the hottest hits. Additionally, whereas previously WTMC was on the air from 6AM to Midnight, Tyll convinced owner and General Manager Arnette to commence 24-hour operation, providing all hit music and news capsules around the clock.
After seven years of ownership, Hunter-Arnette Broadcasting sold WTMC in June of 1980 to WTMC Radio Broadcasting which was owned by Charles W. Jackson, a CPA from Birmingham, Alabama. Mansfield was promoted to Station Manager while Jackson’s son, Charles A. Jackson, became WTMC's Assistant Station Manager. Eventually Tyll handed over all programming duties to Charles A., but remained as afternoon drive jock. After about six more months, Tyll left WTMC and Ocala to attend the University of Florida and to become Operations Manager at WGGG-AM 1230 Gainesville.
Jackson quickly started adding more oldies to the music mix, creating more variety in the WTMC music programming, renaming the moniker "The Station You Grew Up With". WTMC played a little of everything as it was common to hear a country song, a big band tune and a heavy rock selection followed by an unknown jazz tune, all in the same music set. The focus shifted away from playing the hits, to a new objective of playing a wider variety of songs ranging from the 1950s through the present. The music mix also included non-charted album rock and jazz selections. As time moved forward, the format became somewhat unformatted or freeform for a while.
The Jacksons sold WTMC in 1984 to local attorney Elwin Leak and local jeweler Jerry F. Gause who partnered together to form Kingdom of The Sun Communications. The price was $725,000. Former WMFQ-FM 92.9 General Manager Bill Izzard was hired as WTMC's new General Manager (Izzard had been General Sales Manager at WTMC before joining WMFQ), and WMFQ Operations Manager Fred Mullin was brought in as Program Director (Mullins had been Program Director at
WFUZ-FM 93.7 before joining WMFQ). The format was changed to Drake-Chenault's Musical Memories, playing a variety of adult standards and big band tunes from the 30s through the 80s. The Mutual Broadcasting System was dropped and once again replaced with NBC. Florida’s Radio Network was also added. Although WTMC had always been Ocala radio source for news and information, under Kingdom of the Sun Communications, WTMC implemented the largest radio news department of any radio station between Gainesville and Orlando. Only WRUF-AM 850 Gainesville had a larger local news department. New University of Florida graduate Forest Smith was hired to assist Bill Mansfield, and countless local Central Florida Community College interns were brought it to helped out as reporters.
Musical Memories lasted only three years when WTMC fell on hard times as Kingdom of The Sun Communications experienced financial problems toward the end of 1986. The company still owed a sizable balloon payment to former owner Vernon Arnette that was assumed from the Jackson’s. The company filed for Chapter 11 reorganization under the Federal Bankruptcy laws, and by the end of the Summer of 1987, the bankruptcy court ordered the station off the air and all assets liquidated. On the day of the court auction, Arnette was the only participant and was ultimately the winning bidder for the WTMC assets. Arnette and former partner Bill Hunter once again took ownership of the station under a new corporate name which reflected WTMC as Ocala’s oldest radio station when First Radio of Ocala, Inc. took official title of the 1290 frequency.
The format was switched back to adult contemporary along with NBC Radio and FRN. However because of the six months WTMC was off the air, local news was gone after News Director and Station Manager Bill Mansfield left radio to become the Public Information Officer for Ocala’s Monroe Regional Medical Center.
Towards the end of 1988, First Radio of Ocala sold WTMC to Sunstar Telecom, Inc. Sunstar was headed by Gary Cooper who also owned and operated the Southeast Agrinet (now the Southeast Agnet). The station was renamed "Paradise 1290", but remained with adult contemporary programming. Former WGGG and WTRS air personality Stephen Smith was hired to revamp the once coveted number one WTMC news department. In addition to the Southeast Agrinet, Cooper had formed an advertising agency, a production company and state news network, using WTMC as the network’s flagship radio station. Most of Sunstar’s media business’s catered to the agriculture and farming industry. Within a few years, Sunstar experience financial problems with the radio station and networks operations. To raise operating capital, Cooper sold the long standing downtown WTMC radio building located at 321 South Magnolia Avenue in Ocala to the Ocala Lincoln-Mercury dealer which is located next door. The studios and offices were moved to the transmitter site. Cooper also sold the 9.9 acre tower site, but leased that property back. The format was changed from adult contemporary "Paradise 1290" to News-Sports programming.
Less than five years later, Clearwater based Paxson Communications Corporation made an offer to by all of Sunstar’s holdings, including WTMC. Paxson had purchased the Orlando based Florida Radio Network when the company purchased WWNZ-AM 740 in a separate transaction. With the Sunstar acquisition, Paxson gained full control of both state radio news networks. Paxson had no interest in operating WTMC, but bought the station as a package deal to gain ownership of Sunstar’s radio networks. Sunstar’s news operations moved from Ocala to Orlando in a consolidation effort, combining the Sunstar Radio Networks and Florida Radio Networks, becoming one as FRN. Soon after the deal was complete, Paxson took WTMC off the air and placed the station up for sale. After a few months of being dark, Paxson sold WTMC’s license and equipment to Colleen Allen for $50,000, who was actually a front person for Orlando based RAMA Communications. RAMA, through Allen, sold the station to Winter Park based News and Travel Network, owned and managed by W. Ken Jones. The format became "Travelers Information Radio", consisting of CNN Headline News and travel information geared towards the Orlando area attractions. A travel center was set up at the corner of Highway 200 and I-75 in Ocala, where travelers could stop by and purchase passes to any number of Central Florida attractions.
The travel format concept was short-lived and the Travel Center was soon closed. The format went to a full-time 24-hour CNN Headline News programming known as "CNN News 1290". Within a few months, some local programming was added, including the three hour weekday Robin and the Giant Show, heard from 10 AM till 1PM. Robin McBaine and Larry Whitler a/k/a “The Giant” got their name due to the children’s programs, music and books they had written and produced. The Robin and the Giant radio show, however, consisted of local news and information as well as an interview/call-in segment from Noon till 1PM.
Feb. 20, 2008 the frequency was
deleted by the FCC. Read Marc Tyll's tribute here In
Memory
