WBJW-AM 1440
Winter Park

Original Call Letters: WABR 

Originally Licensed: Sep 1954 

Original City of License: Winter Park 

Original Frequency: 1440 

Origin of Call Letters: 

Original Power: 5,000 Watts-Daytime

Original Location: 222 Hazard St., Orlando 

Original Format: Country


Network Affiliation(s):


ABC 

Mutual Broadcasting System 
CNN

Owner(s):
1954-Orange County Broadcasting
1959-Contemporary Broadcasting Co.
1966-Norfolk Broadcasting Corp.
1971-Rounsaville Of Tampa, Inc. (Co-owned with WBJW-FM 105.1)
1977-WSEC, Inc.
1982-Nationwide Communications  (Purchase price for WBJW-FM 105.1 and WLOF-AM 950, $6.5 million)
1986-Alleluia Broadcasting Corp  
1987-Metroplex Communications of Orlando Inc.
1993-Paxson Communications ($5.6 million with WMGF-FM 107.7)
1994-J & V Communications, Inc.($300,000)

History Of Call Letters and Formats:
WABR-1954-Country 
WBJW-1971-Oldies/Lite Rock "The Entertainer"
WBJW-1975-Easy Listening
WNBE-1976-NBC 24 Hour News
WAJL-1987-Christian Ministry (Station sold. WAJL moves to 1190)
WPRD-1987-Classics of the '40s, '50s and '60s  "Pride-1440"
WAJL-1987-Religion
WPRD-1990-Children "The Imagination Station"  (Kids' Choice Broadcasting Network)
WPRD-1991-CNN Headline News
WWZN-1993-Talk
WWZN-1993-Sports
WPRD-1994-Talk
WPRD-1995-Spanish


WBJW Personalities

Phil Hendrie-mid-1970s
Phil dropped out of Pasadena City College after two years, and moved with friends to Orlando, Florida to work as a construction laborer/cement finisher in the middle of the early seventies Central Florida building boom, and contributed to building Walt Disney World as well. According to Mr. Hendrie, he "...still entertained ideas about being a writer but didn't really write anything." Realizing that he'd need a job to support himself if he was ever going to get down to the business of writing, he unwittingly chose his career... "I landed a gig as a disc jockey at WBJW 1440 AM in Winter Park Florida, a suburb of Orlando. I never really did start writing anything. And for that matter never did anything of note as a disc jockey for some 16 years, drifting from Orlando, to New Orleans to Miami and then home to Los Angeles, spinning records and hating it. Real waste of life..."



Steve Mitchell (Steve Schiffman)


Buddy Pittman-1971 Biography

Jerry Peterson-1971-Program Director/Promotions Manager/1973-3PM-6PM/Program Director/Music Director-Rounsaville of Tampa, Inc.

Bill Thompson-1971-News Director-Rounsaville of Tampa, Inc. In Memory

Clive Thomas-1973-Mornings-Rounsaville of Tampa, Inc.  Biography

Pam Gordon

Jim Boynton-1973-6-10AM/1974-Program Director-Rounsaville of Tampa, Inc.

Tony Bell-1973-10AM-3PM-Rounsaville of Tampa, Inc.

Jeff Whittaker--1973-6PM-Midnight-Rounsaville of Tampa, Inc.

Dutch Edwards-1973-Midnight-6AM-Rounsaville of Tampa, Inc.
Ron Krochman-1975-Music Director-Rounsaville of Tampa, Inc.


Other Names In WBJW History

Ralph Johnson-1971-President-Rounsaville Broadcasting

Wm. Arthur Selley-1971-General Manager/Commercial Manager-Rounsaville Broadcasting

Lee Valentine-1971-Chief Engineer-Rounsaville Broadcasting

Dan Miller-1972-Production

Pierre Bejano-1974-General Manager-Rounsaville Of Tampa, Inc.
Don Anghn-1974-Chief Engineer-Rounsaville Of Tampa, Inc.

Jerry Norman-General Manager

Bill Fechter-Chief Engineer

Linda Cramley-Accounting


    WBJW Ad Rates-1974-John Gordon.jpg (89546 bytes)                                             WBJW studios 1975-courtesy Dave Edwards
WBJW Rate Card-courtesy of John Gordon In Memory  
click photo fore full sized view


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