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WYND History 
From an article in the Orlando Sentinel
dated January 13, 1987.
A Columbus, Ga., firm has bought a defunct
radio station in DeLand and plans to start broadcasting interdenominational
religious programs in about a month, a spokesman for Hollis Broadcasting Co.
said. The rights to the former WYND-1310 AM radio station were acquired
for $75,000 by the Georgia company, according to Federal Communications
Commission records. The rights to the station formerly were held by David
R. Hill of Plano, Texas. Hollis Broadcasting also owns a radio
station and a television station with religious formats in Chattanooga, Tenn.
The firm acquired the DeLand station on Dec. 30, according to the FCC.
''We felt like the Lord sent us there,'' said Jeff Nicholson,
broadcasting manager for the company. Hollis Broadcasting plans a program
of discussions with national religious leaders, talk shows and music and plans
to invite local religious leaders to appear on programs, Nicholson said. The
owners plan to hire three to five part-time disc jockeys and sales people, he
said. The station broadcast rock 'n' roll when it was founded in 1956 by Brian
Tolby, who now works for WXVQ-AM 1490,
a radio station operated by Stetson University. Tolby sold the station in
1974 and it has had several owners since. The station broadcasts over a 20-mile
radius, Tolby said.
"...The station was in receivership when Hollis Broadcasting bought
it, said Kenny Hopkins, administrator for Hollis Enterprises Inc.,
the parent company of both the broadcasting company and the Hollis Eye
Institute in Columbus (Ohio). The company will probably keep the WYND
call letters, he said. ''It's been through everything from easy listening to
country,'' (Former owner Brian) Tolby said. ''It's been around the world.'' Recently, the station has
been off the air, he said. ''It had its financial difficulties,'' Tolby said.
Hill could not be reached for comment on the financial condition of the station.
Daytona Beach already has a non-denominational religious radio station, WMFJ-1450
AM. Station vice president and general manager Jim Palmer said
his station's signal reaches into DeLand, but the majority of his advertisers
are on the east side of the county. ''We do get into DeLand,'' he said. ''We're
very established with our national programs.'' The station has been on the air
since 1979, Palmer said. Nicholson said Hollis Broadcasting Co. plans to
continue to expand in the future. ''As the Lord leads and the opportunities open
up, we'll be looking at them,'' he said.
1987-Orlando Sentinel
After more than a year of silence, radio station WYND-AM 1310
in DeLand has returned to the air with new owners and a religion-oriented
format. Station manager Terry Arnold said the station resumed
broadcasting in mid- April with Christian programming, including inspirational
music, local ministers and national programs from 6AM to 7:30PM daily.
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