WDAT-AM 1380
Ormond Beach
Original Call Letters: WQXQ
Originally Licensed: Aug 1957
Original Power: 1,000
Original City of License: Ormond Beach
Original Format: Classical
Owner(s): 1957-
1969-Morris
Broadcasting Co.1971-Hunter Industries
1977-
1981-Hale Communications
1990-Wings Communications, Inc ($175,000)
History Of Call Letters and Formats: WQXQ-1957-Classical
WXMS- -Country
WDAT-1968-Top 40
WELE-1986-Country (flipped to WELE in 1985 WELE-FM flipped to WOCL)
WELE-1990-Religion
WELE-1998-News/Talk
WDAT History
From Don Williamson "...WDAT and WQXQ both broadcast from time to time from the Riviera Country Club..."
I recall that WDAT was originally licensed to South Daytona...and I believe it went on the air in 1957 as the first black programmed station in the Daytona Beach area. There was a fellow who did an air shift and, I believe, was also an engineer. His last name was Bennett. First name, I think, was either Bill or Bob (Memory does funny things over the years.) His brother, Boyd, was semi-famous at the time for having a very early rock and roll hit record. The group was Boyd Bennett and the
Rockets, and the song was "Seventeen," which was in the style of the Bill Haley hits of that era. I recall the early studios were in a concrete block building with very little, if any, soundproofing, and the audio had its own distinctive echo when the mike was on.
WDAT Personalities
Dave Roberts "The Mighty Midget"
Lynn Younger (Original Program Director when the calls flipped to WDAT)
John 'Ono' Lentz (also the engineer)
Frank Reed Biography
Tommy Walker
Lee Phillips
Rick Shaw (not the Miami one....this one came from WLCY in Tampa)
Jeff Campbell-1970- Biography
Cleveland Wheeler (Dave Randall) Biography
JoJo Kincaid-1970
Kris Earl Phillips-1970 Biography
Brent Alberts-1971
Rich Lewis-1971
Dick Lange-1971-1975
Rob Thomas-1972
Jack Stevens-1973
K.P. Manning-1974-1975-Biography
Jim Dunaway-1972-1974
Gabriel Burton-1973-1974 Biography
"The Janitor"-1974
Mark Windsor-1974
"Barefoot Rick" (Rick Glasby)-1975-1979
Rick Stone-1977
Rebecca Randall-News Director Biography
Ron Kay (Ron Kocher)
Rick Brady Biography
Phyllis Hartmann
David
Schulz-1974-1976-Overnights John
Clayton
(Seth
Goodman)-1973-1976-Music
Director 1975-1976 Michael
Jay
(Helminsky)-1975-1978-Middays-"The
Housewife Hustler"-1977-1978Mornings & Program DirectorOther Names In WDAT History
William Morris-1969-President-Morris Broadcasting Co.
William Hunter-1969-Vice President/General Manager-Morris Broadcasting Co.
Don Skylar-1969-Commercial Manager-Morris Broadcasting Co.
Robert Allyn-1969-Program Director-Morris Broadcasting Co.
William Printz-1969-News Director-Morris Broadcasting Co.