WORZ-AM 740
Orlando
Original Call Letters: WORZ
Originally Licensed: Feb 8, 1947
Original City of License: Orlando
Original Power: 1,000 watts
Original Format: Pop
Network Affiliation(s): WORZ-NBC
Owner(s): 1947-
1966-Tom Cassel
1971-Susquehanna Radio
1988-Guy Gannett Broadcasting
1994-Paxson Broadcasting
1997-Clear Channel Communications
History Of Call Letters and Formats: WORZ-1947
WKIS-1960's-Adult Contemporary
WKIS-1979-News/Talk "NewsTalk 74"
WWNZ-1988-News/Talk
WQTM-2001-Sports Talk formerly on 540 kHz
History of WORZ
WORZ took to the air on Feb. 8, 1947, with 1,000 watts of power as another NBC affiliate at 740 on the AM dial. Offices and studios were at 790 N. Orange Ave., and the station's transmitter was on Old Winter Garden Road. In those days, NBC had two radio networks, called the red and the blue networks. In 1949, you could listen to the Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis show on Friday evenings.
This building on Winter Garden Road was built to house WORZ-AM 740, WORZ-FM 100.3 as well as a planned TV studio as WORZ was granted a license to transmit on channel 9. Seems they ran out of money and channel 9 became WLOF TV. The area in the back of the station which housed the Sales dept. was to be the TV studio.
click photo for full sized view
Thanks to Jeff D'Aurora for the photo.
WORZ Personalities
Russ Wheeler-Biography
Bob Andrews-Biography
Tony Chastain-host of the first "Talk Show" in Central Florida
Walt Sickles-Walt would move to TV on "Adventures with Uncle Walt" on WDBO-TV 6
Gordon Town
Lou Kennedy (Lou Candido)
Sammy and Marsha-hosted a breakfast show from their home