WAKA-AM 1390 Gainesville

WAKA-AM 1390
Gainesville

Original Call Letters: WPUP

Originally Licensed: May 31, 1962

Original City of License: Gainesville

Original Frequency: 1390

Origin of Call Letters:

Original Power: 5,000 watts

Original Location: E. University Avenue

Original Format: Contemporary

Network Affiliation(s):	Keystone Broadcasting
	Mutual Broadcasting System

Owner(s):	1962-Southern Broadcasting Co. of Marianna, Inc.
	1963-WUWU Radio, Inc.
	1971-Olivia Broadcasting
	1978-Nabco, Inc.
	1981-Kent Gainesville Radio
	1983-Sunshine Wireless Broadcasting Company
	1987-Gillen Broadcasting Corp. ($1.9 million)

History Of Call Letters and Formats:	WPUP-1962-Country
	WUWU-1963-Country "The Woo Woo"
	WAKA-1971-Beautiful Music "AM 1390" "The Only One to Turn To"
	WAKA-1973-Top 40/Oldies
	WAKA-1974-Beautiful Music
	WAKA-1978-MOR "14K" "The Only One to Turn To"
	WAKA-1980-CHR/New Wave "14K"
	WKGR-1981-Adult Contemporary "Adult Radio AM 14 WKGR"
	WMGI-1983-Jazz/Urban Contemporary "Magic 1390"
	WDVH-1986-Country "Building a Better Country"
	WAJD-1987-CHR
	WAJD-1987-All News "News Radio 1390"
	WAJD 1988-Heavy Metal "Gator Rock 1390"
	WAJD 1990-CHR "Kiss 105.3" (Simulcast with WYKS-FM 105.3)
	WAJD 2001-Children "Radio Disney AM 1390"
	WAJD 2009-Licensed and Silent

WAKA History
Thanks to Marc Tyll for this history of WAKA.
In 1971, WUWU-AM 1390 "The Woo Woo" was sold to Olivia Broadcasting, and the Top 40 programming was dropped to make room for a Beautiful Music format which was album tracked, non automated. The format was patterned after
WROA-AM 1390 Biloxi, Mississippi. The call letters were changed to WAKA, and the open faced glass studios remained in the Gainesville Mall, located in Northwest Gainesville on Northwest 13Th Street (441). Although the format was beautiful music, the delivery had more of a progressive sound. Unable to effectively compete with 100,00 watt WRUF-FM 103.7, which had the advantage of providing a 24 hour static free stereo beautiful music signal, Olivia Broadcasting sold WAKA to Dame Media in 1978, owned by Rick Dame. The studios, which had been located in the Gainesville Mall since the late 60s, were relocated to a small office building in South Gainesville near Payne's Prairie Preserve State Park. Former WMFQ-FM 92.7 (92.7, the original frequency before moving to 92.9) Operations Manager Shawn Smith was hired to become the new WAKA Program Director. Smith's wife, Marilyn King, who had served as News Director at Ocala's WWKE-AM 1370, was also hired as News Director. After seven years broadcasting beautiful music, Smith started gradually adding softer contemporary album cuts from Carol King, the Doobie Brothers, Chicago and James Taylor to mention a few which were mixed and interspersed with the existing beautiful music programming. Eventually, the format was totally Soft Rock known as "Album Music". The new WAKA moniker became "14K". Towards the end of 1979, Smith left "14K" and Jeri Banta from WCKS-FM 101.1 was brought in as program director. Banta had relocated to Gainesville to attend the University of Florida, and worked on-air doing afternoon drive on 14K. The programming began to shift from Soft Rock to Top 40/New Wave under Banta's programming leadership. Top 40 lasted until mid 1980 when Dame Media sold WAKA to Kent Gainesville Radio, Inc. Programming on most all Gainesville radio stations were going through changes with heritage Top 40 WGGG-AM 1230 switching to Adult Contemporary; WRUF-AM 850 switching to Toby Arnold's "Unforgettable" adult standards and big bands; and Progressive rocker WGVL-FM 105.5 switching to CHR. As a result, 14K began to lose market share as a Top 40 station. See WKGR.