WWKE-AM 1370
Ocala
Original Call Letters: WHYS
Originally Licensed: May 1957
Original City of License: Ocala
Original Frequency: 1370
Origin of Call Letters:
Original Power: 1,000 Watts
Original Location:
Original Format: Variety
Network Affiliation(s): ABC Contemporary
United Press International
Owner(s): 1957-Kingdom of the Sun Broadcasting
1965-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corporation
2000-Westshore Broadcasting Corporation
History of Call Letters and Formats: WHYS-1958-Variety
WKOS-1959-Black/Urban Contemporary
WKOS-1963-Off the Air
WWKE-1965-Top 40
WOCA-1983-Adult Contemporary
WOCA-1987-Oldies
WOCA-1989-News/Talk
History Of WWKE
Thanks to Marc Tyll for this history of WWKE.
WWKE began operations in 1957 as WHYS, a variety formatted station. Two years later the station switched to "Urban Contemporary" under the calls letters WKOS until the FCC revoked the station license due to an incident that happened one afternoon. "The Zodiac", as he was called, made a statement over the air regarding then Marion County sheriff in which the "Zodiac" was basically going to kill the sheriff and cut him into pieces and place the remains in a plastic bag. He then further said he would place the plastic bag over the studio control console. That way, the Zodiac claimed, the sheriff would no longer be a problem for him. The FCC happened to be in town
that day, heard the comments, recorded them, and suspended WKOS’ operations. The station went silent for two years until a buyer could be found. Robert Hauck and his partners, who also owned WKKE-AM 1380 Asheville, North Carolina, formed the Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corporation, who purchased WKOS, changed the call letters to WWKE - to reflect the slogan "Key Radio" - and changed the format to top 40. "Key Radio" remained a driving top 40 force in Ocala for 18 years until FM competition in 1983 forced "the Key" to reformat as an adult contemporary station. The call letters WOCA were implemented to reflect 1370s commitment to Ocala as a community leader.
Four years later WOCA became an oldies station, finally switching to "News/Talk", becoming one of the first 50 station in the nation to carry Rush Limbaugh in 1988. Greater Ocala Broadcasting sold WOCA to Westshore Broadcasting in 2000 after 35 years of ownership. WOCA was co-owned with WMFQ-FM 92.7 (now 92.9) from 1977 until 1995.
Names in WWKE History
Dick Wilson-Program
Director
Bill Willett-Sales Manager
Bob Hauck-General Manager/Part Owner
Flem Evans-1969
Gene Hester-1971
Bill Early
Jack
Shaw
Simon
Touloumis
Jack
Shaw-1966
Bill
Eckerd
Paul
Delaney-1966-1968
Jo Jo Kincaid-1970
Ken
Steele
Rick
Cosner
courtesy of Marc Tyll
Jay
Kuppers
Jim
Maloy
Mark
Wert
Earl
Pennington
courtesy of Marc Tyll
Fred
Petty
Lee Farrell
Fred
Mullen
Bill
Patten
Mark
Dieter
Pete Sautter
Marylyn
King-News Director
Mark
Andrews-1978-1980-Noon-3pm/Assistant
Program Director/Music Director
Mike
McAddam-1978-1979-9am-Noon
Robert
Scott (Salat)-1978-1979-Weekends
Dick
Warn (Richard Rubin)-1977-1978-Weekends
Billing
Ocean (William Dean)-1979-1980-Weekends/Afternoons
Judy
Summers-1980-1982-Weekends/Afternoons
John
Land-1982-1985-Afternoons
Steve
Mack (McMahon)-1985-1986-Afternoons
Bill
Donovan-1982-1985-Middays
Jolene
Darlene-1982-1984-Weekends
Lisa
Meadows-1979-1983-Weekends/Program
Director WOCA and WMFQ-FM
Casey
Kasem-1971-1983-"American Top 40"
Tim
Schmidt-Producer and Host "Classroom 1370"
Other Names In WWKE History
O. W. Meyers-1965-President-Greater Ocala Broadcasting
Corporation
Eugene
Hester, Jr.-1965-General Manager-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corporation
John
Kuppers-1965-Commercial Manager-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corporation
Jake
Early-1965-Prtogram Director-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corporation
Joe
Hytovick-1965-Chief Engineer-Greater Ocala Broadcasting Corporation
Alex
Whitler-Board Operator
Tyler
English-Board Operator
Jordan
English-Board Operator
Carol
English-Sales
Patti
Palermo-Sales
Jan
Lindsey-Sales
Clyde
Moeller-1975-2000-Chief Engineer
Don
Moeller-1977-1995-Assistant Chief Engineer WOCA and WMFQ
1967 Music Survey
courtesy of Marc Tyll
click
photos
for full sized view
photos courtesy of Marc Tyll
The City of Ocala Auditorium is where many Key
Radio sponsored
dances took place back in the 60s and early 70s.
The State Attorney's Office was formerly the Legal Center and
was
the original home of WWKE before the station moved to
the
Cascades
photo courtesy of Marc Tyll
click photo for full sized view
photos courtesy of Marc Tyll
Here are two photos of the Cascades Office Complex which is the present location
for WOCA, having moved there in 1977 as WWKE. The first photo
shows the waterfall in the center towards the far rear which at one time was the
Foxfire restaurant. The WOCA studios and offices are to the extreme
left, lower level unseen in the first photo. The second photo is looking
from the WOCA studio facing East towards the front of the complex. The
former Foxfire Restaurant is to the extreme left in the second photo.
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