Original Call Letters: WDBO

Originally Licensed: May 19, 1924 

Original City of License: Winter Park (Rollins College) 

Original Frequency: 1250, moved to 1040 in 1927, moved to 620 in 1928, moved to 1120 in 1929 then to 580 in 1932

Origin of Call Letters: Slogan; Way Down By Orlando 

Original Power: 50 Watts

Original Location: Rollins College, Winter Park

Translator: W297BB-107.3 FM-2020

Original Format: Concert programming and college lectures

Lionel Nelson-Orlando Broadcasting Company, Inc.

Dorothy Morton Parks-gave 15-minute piano recitals-Orlando Broadcasting Company, Inc.

Woodrow Wilson Crawford-" The Singing Salesmen"-1930's-1952-Central Florida Broadcasting Station, Inc.   In Memory

Delmar "Radio Nick" Nicholson-1931-News, Weather, Farm Reports and interviews-Orlando Broadcasting Company, Inc.   Biography

Emily B. Humphries-1940-Program Director-Orlando Broadcasting Company, Inc.  

Charles "Batch" Batchelder -1940-Orlando Broadcasting Company, Inc.  

Arthur Lowery-1941-Host of "Hymn Time"/Engineer-Orlando Broadcasting Company, Inc./Central Florida Broadcasting Station, Inc. In Memory

Ben Aycrigg-1944-Central Florida Broadcasting Station, Inc.  In Memory

Herb Oscar Anderson-1948-Central Florida Broadcasting Station, Inc.  In Memory
 
  Courtesy of Ronny Allen Show

Doreen Jones (Doreen Bligh)-1951-Co-host of "Tea for Two"-with Bill Berry-Central Florida Broadcasting Station, Inc.    In Memory

Curtis Gibson-1956-News Director/Sports Director-Central Florida Broadcasting Station, Inc.

Bill Taylor-1959-1972-6AM-9AM Mon-Sat/3PM-6PM-Mon-Fri/1965-1972-Program Director-The Outlet Company
From Bill's son Tom Taylor; "Bill Taylor came to Orlando in March 1959 and followed WHIY general manager Carl Hallberg over to WDBO in late September of that year, to do mornings at 'DBO. In 1965 he succeeded Allen Actor as PD, and held both those positions until he left the Orlando market, for family reasons, in 1972. (His last job in broadcasting was managing then-WBT-FM in Charlotte, near where he'd grown up, in Hickory, NC. One of WDBO's hires during that time was Jim Turner. (Observing Jim's longevity and prominence there, Taylor says "That was certainly a good hire.") For several years in the early 1960s, Bill also hosted a late-morning live TV show on then-co-owned WDBO-TV, Channel 6. That ended when he became the PD at WDBO radio, and needed more time at the studios on Lake Ivanhoe." "...These days, he's retired in the Clermont area."   Biography     In Memory

Fred Bradshaw-1963-News Director-Outlet Company

Bill Stamper-1964-1977-Sports Director/1979-1991-The Outlet Company/Katz Broadcasting/New City Communications   In Memory

Allen J. Actor-1964-1965-Program Director/Promotions Director-The Outlet Company

Mark Holmes-1978-Intern-The Outlet Company 

Tom Barry-1979-1983-Host of "WDBO's Niteline"  In Memory

Tom McCarthy-1983-Afternoons-Katz Broadcasting Biography

Mark Hellinger-1983-1998-Mark worked with Jim Turner, Perry Moore, Bill Stamper, Tom McCarthy, Morton Downey Jr. and Sally Jesse Raphael-Katz Broadcasting/New City Communications/Cox Broadcasting  

In Memory

Rod Grant (aka Shadow)-1983-1985-Production Director/Afternoons-Katz Broadcasting

Rob Newton-1984-Host "Ask The Experts"-Katz Broadcasting/New City Communications/Cox Broadcasting    In Memory

Bill Patti-1985-1990-9AM-11AM/Program Director/Operations Manager-Katz Broadcasting/New City Communications

Marsha Taylor-1986-Midday Anchor/Street Reporter/1988-News Director-New City Communications/Cox Broadcasting

Bruce Hamilton-1987-1992-9AM-Noon-New City  Communications. Left  WDBO in 1992 for a TV spot in Philadelphia. Also was a news anchor for WESH TV 2 in Orlando. Now at Jacksonville's WJXT-TV.

Dan Shaffer-1987-1992- The original Good Samaritan van driver/Producer/Music Director/Traffic Reporter /Hosted an overnight show Saturday night/Sunday morning/Bruce Hamilton’s midday show producer-New City  Communications  Biography

Jeff Slater-1989-1997-Producer and co-host with Jim Turner-New City  Communications/Cox Broadcasting  Biography

Jack Kelly-1991-1997-Evening News Anchor-New City  Communications

Scott Hasick-1997-1998-Co-host "Scott and Casey"-Afternoon Drive-Cox Broadcasting

Casey Bartholomew-1997-1998-Co-host "Scott and Casey"-Afternoon Drive-Cox Broadcasting

Eileen Byrne-1998-7PM-9PM-Mon-Fri-Cox Broadcasting

Grace Rabold (Carter)-1998-1999-Host of "Grace Under Fire"/"Central Florida's Afternoon News"-5PM-6PM Daily  Biography

Keith Altiero-1999-2004-News Anchor-Keith died Dec 19. 2004 after a two-year  fight with cancer. He was 51. In 2001 he won five awards for his work from the Florida Associated Press and a regional Edward R. Murrow Award for his political reporting-Cox Broadcasting  Biography     In Memory

Jack Nelson-2000-"Dollars and Cents"-Cox Broadcasting  In Memory

Kelly Golden-2004-2006-Kelly came to WDBO from Charleston, South Carolina. In her seven-year news career, Kelly has won several state, regional and national awards including an Edward R. Murrow Award. Kelly was named "Radio News Reporter of the Year" in 2003 by the South Carolina Broadcasters Association -Cox Broadcasting    Kelly left WDBO in 2006 to move back to Charleston.

Joe Ruble-2005-News-Cox Broadcasting

Heather Jackson-2005-2010-Overnight News Anchor/Board Operator/Producer of the "Andrea Shea King Show" -Cox Broadcasting
On September 13th 2008, Heather married Bob Hazen  and became Heather Hazen. In December Heather moved up to mid-day producer.
2010-Heather left WDBO to work for sister station WFTV. In March of 2011 she left to have a baby, 
Atlas Hazen who was born safely in a planned home birth. Heather now writes a successful couponing blog and rarely spends more than  5%-10% on any grocery trip. http://beadandelion.blogspot.com

Brandon Hogan-2019-News Reporter-Cox Media Group

Leo Vargas-2022-Reporter/Anchor-Cox Media Group     Biography

Ruby Ellington

Tom Marshall-Original Host of "WDBO's Niteline"   In Memory

Bob Church  In Memory

Earl Finkle-Weather  In Memory

Reagan Smith-Host of "WDBO's Niteline"  Biography

Tracy Dent-Orlando's first radio sports talk show host. "Sports Line with Tracy Dent" debuted in the late 1960s. There was no method of screening calls back then, just a seven-second delay button. Tracy interviewed such guests as Mickey Mantle, Richard Petty, Jack Nicklaus and Johnny Unitas. In 1977, while at WDBO he helped start an independent running-shoe store that consultants told him could not possibly succeed. By the time Dent sold his share of the Track Shack in 1983, the Orlando store was a full-blown success, and continues to thrive celebrating 30 years in Orlando. Dent hit the big time in 1979 when he was named evening sports anchor at WDBO-TV Channel 6.  TV took up much more of his time than radio so in 1983, choosing family over fame, Dent retired from broadcasting.

Tom Fallin-News Director

Nikki Pierce-News-Cox Broadcasting
2008-After a stint at WFLF-AM 540, Nikki returns to WDBO  

Tico Perez-Political consultant Host of "Talkin' with Tico"-Cox Broadcasting 

Roger Mann

Donna Howell-News

David Brandau-News

Lee Hall-News Director

Dave Matthews (David Hesselink)   In Memory

Eric Brown-Airborne traffic reporter-Cox Broadcasting 

Jack Boston-Accuweather

Steve Craig (Steve Biddle) 

Gary "Dutch" Schaeffer-Interesting story about his part in the "takeover" of  WDBO-FM 92.3   In Memory

George McNeilly-News/Sports Reporter

"Blue Collar" Bob Rose   

Bill Gephart-Overnight producer  In Memory 
  

Bill Thompson-News In Memory

Frank Samandari-Afternoon Reporter-Frank began his news career reporting and producing TV News in Northeastern Vermont. Frank then moved to Southern Ohio, where he was Assistant News Director for six radio stations in the region, followed by a stint as Public Information Officer in San Diego, California, before his final move to Orlando.

Michelle Wright-Reporter/Anchor for both WDBO-AM and WCFB-FM 94.5 "Star 94.5" now at CNN Radio in Atlanta

Andrea Shea King-"Andrea Shea King Show-"Sunday Nights at 9 PM-Cox Broadcasting 

Bill Frangus  

Jim Hession

Dave Carter

Jim Barroll

Sal Tee’s Solid Gold Reunion (Salvatore Taglireno) (see WHHL-AM 1190) 

   courtesy of Mark Logas

Madalyn Woods-News Reporter (Former BET TV Reporter)                               

Beth Perrell-Public Affairs Director/Host of "Retrospect"

Marcie Elliot-Traffic Reporter

Glenn Victor-Traffic Reporter

Dave Lopez- Afternoon Traffic Reporter

Andrew Giles-Fill-In Associate Producer for Jim Turner       

Neal Boortz-9AM-Noon/2012-9AM-11AM-syndicated-Cox Broadcasting

John Fusco- Neal Boortz Show Producer

Bobby Mitchell-Nighttime Producer

Larry Gibson

Dave Matthews

Kevin Baldinger-Traffic Biography

Dana James

Mark Williams   Biography    In Memory

Monica Stein

John Weyrick

Amy Chodroff-Mid-day News Anchor

Chuck Deel-Mornings/Program Director    In Memory

  
Orlando Sentinel 1959
Click for full sized view

click photo for full sized view courtesy of Mark Logas

Other Names In WDBO History

Orval Anderson-1940-Publicity Director-Orlando Broadcasting Company, Inc.   

Robert Willard-1940-Musical Director-Orlando Broadcasting Company, Inc.    

Walter Barden-1941-Chief Copywriter-Central Florida Broadcasting Station, Inc.   

From Jim Barden; "...My father, Walter Barden, came to WDBO from a music director job at WFTM Fort Myers (later WINK) in 1941 to be the Chief Copywriter.  With a staff of three, they scripted every word of local commercials and program except for live remotes.  The copy staff scripted and acted a children's after school program weekdays. A good deal of my father's business day was spent keeping in contact with established local advertisers (on foot, to conserve wartime gas ration stamps) He devised enduring local advertising slogans such as "Check with George Stuart" and "Rutland's, doorway to a man's world."

William S. Cherry Jr.-1957-1963-Chairman of the Board-Cherry Broadcasting Station of Providence, Rhode Island    In Memory

Arnold F. Schoen-1959-General Manager-Cherry Broadcasting Station of Providence, Rhode Island 

Carl Hallberg-1959-1979-Operations Director-Cherry Broadcasting Station of Providence, Rhode Island/1963-Vice President/General Manager/Commercial Manager/1965-Station Manager/Sales Manager-Outlet Company    In Memory

William H. Goodman-1961-President-Cherry Broadcasting Station of Providence, Rhode Island 

Chalmers Stromberg-1963-Chief Engineer-Outlet Company

Julian Bennett-1971-Promotions Director-Outlet Company

David E. Henderson-1973-President-Outlet Company

Alan Ecklund-1973-Sales Manager-Outlet Company

Tom Kensington-1979-Program Director-Outlet Company

Paul Duckworth-1986-1997-Program Director-New City Communications/Cox Broadcasting

Kipper McGee-2001-2005-Program Director-Cox Broadcasting

Susan Larkin-2006-Vice President/General Manager/2010-2017-Vice President/Market Manager for Cox's 6 station cluster

Violet Osborne-Bookkeeper/Secretary

Glen Lewis-Program director

David Bernstein-Program Director/Operations Manager

Tom Doyle-Manager

George Crossley-Sales   Biography    In Memory

Steve Fluker-Chief of Engineering-Cox Radio/Orlando 

Frank Scharf-Production Manager-Outlet Company

Jack Porteus-General Manager

Carol Lanier O'Neill    In Memory

Other Programs Carried by WDBO

Paul Harvey        In Memory

Gene Burns-Syndicated program from WOR-New York Biography   In Memory

Larry King-Syndicated

Bill O'Reilly-2002-"The O'Reilly Factor"-Syndicated

Rush Limbaugh-Syndicated

"Have Gun Will Travel"-broadcast 106 episodes on CBS between 1958 and 1960. It was one of the last radio dramas featuring continuing characters. John Dehner played Paladin. Many episodes were adapted from the TV programs while others were written specifically for the radio version. 
  Have Gun Will Travel opening