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WPLA-AM 910
Plant City
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Original Call Letters: WPLA |
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Originally Licensed: July 1949 |
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Original City of License: Plant City Logo Courtesy of Larry Flegle |
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Original Frequency: 1570 |
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Origin of Call Letters: Location: PLAnt City |
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Original Power: 1,000 Watts |
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Original Format: Block Programming |
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Original Location: 1607 South Collins Street |
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Mutual Broadcasting |
| Associated Press | |
| Florida Network News | |
| ABC |
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Owner(s): |
1949-WPLA Broadcasting Company, Inc. |
| 1974-Ercelle Smith and Al Berry | |
| 1987-Harmon Broadcast Partners ($850,000) | |
| 1996-Harmon Communications, Inc. | |
| 1996-WWRM. Inc. | |
| 2000-Cox Radio, Inc. | |
| 2000-South Texas Broadcasting, Inc. (Salem Communications Group) |
History Of Call Letters and Formats: |
WPLA-1949-Block Format "Your Community Station" |
| WPLA-1970-Country | |
| WPLA-1987-Adult Contemporary | |
| WPLA-1989-Country | |
| WPLA-1989-Sports Talk "Sportsradio 910 AM" | |
| WFNS-1990-Sports Talk "WFNS Sports Radio 910 Tampa Bay" "Fans" | |
| WSUN-1995- | |
| WTWD-2001-Religious "Good Advice - Tampa Bay's Christian Talk" |
History of WPLA In 1949, Plant City business man, W.A. Smith purchased a broadcast tower from an Orlando radio station and had it re-assembled on the property on South Collins Street where Smith built WPLA-AM 1570 as a daytime only station. By 1956, Mr. Smith filed an application with the FCC for what he considered a better dial position and was granted approval to move the signal to WPLA-AM 910. In 1974 W.A. Smith sold the station to his son, Ercelle and General Manager Al Berry. The younger Smith and Berry wanted to have the station broadcast a full 24 hour day. In order to meet FCC approval they had to build directional towers. These were built in the city of Dover, west of Plant City. This arrangement also allowed an increase in daytime power to 5,000 watts with 1,000 watts at night. By 1987 Smith and Berry sold the station to brothers Brent L. and Elvin L. Harmon. The Harmon's purchased WPLA's license, transmitter and broadcasting equipment. Smith and Berry retained title to the land and building that house the broadcast office. leases the property from month to month. Under the Harmon's the mornings were programmed in 20-minute blocks, introducing each with news headlines, traffic, weather, eventually segueing into music. And around and around it goes from 6AM until 9AM. In the afternoons, WPLA runs its blocks in 30-minute cycles, since the average listener tends to stay tuned for a longer time, according top Harmon. Under the Harmon's ownership WPLA became an AM stereo station utilizing the Motorola C-QUAM system. In 1989 Brent Harmon revamped the format to country music. In 1990, the station made a full-time commitment to sports broadcasting, becoming "Sportsradio 910 AM". Harmon would also move it's studios (not its tower) to East Hillsborough Avenue in Tampa. According to the station's owner, Brent Harmon, it was "necessary, because of economics, in order to keep the station." |
WPLA Personalities |
| Al Berry-1958-1990-Co-host of "This n' That" |
| Ercelle Smith-1968-1990-"This n' That" |
| Dave Campbell-1969-1971, 1972-1974, 1988-1990-Program Director |
| Nanci Donnellan-1990-Monday-Friday 4PM-7PM |
| Rick Sarro-1990-1PM-4PM |
| Dick Shiflett-1949-Commercial Manager/Air Personality-WPLA Broadcasting Company, Inc. In Memory |
| Ron Baxley-1966-1970 |
 Jim Malloy-Program Director |
Other Names In WPLA History |
| W.A. Smith-1949-1974-President-WPLA Broadcasting Company, Inc. |
| Al Berry-1949-General Manager-WPLA Broadcasting Company, Inc. |
| Ercelle Smith-1974-1987-Co-Owner (Son of W.A. Smith) In Memory |
| Al Berry-1974-General Manager -Co-Owner |
| Brent Harmon-1987-Co-owner/Station Manager |
| Elvin Harmon-1987-Co-owner |
| Doretha Adams |
| Christopher Gould, Sr.-General Manager-South Texas Broadcasting, Inc. |
| Chris Turner-Operations Manager-South Texas Broadcasting, Inc. |
| Phil Jimenez-General Sales Manager-South Texas Broadcasting, Inc. |
| Casey Bell-Program Director-South Texas Broadcasting, Inc. |
 Other Programs In WPLA History |
| Cincinnati Reds Baseball-1988 |
| Tampa Bay Bucs Football-1988 |
| Florida Gators Football |
| Plant City High School Raiders Football Logo Courtesy of Larry Flegle |
| SEC Football |
| WTSP-TV Channel 10 Newscenter simulcast at noon and 6PM |
| Canada Calling-Prior Smith |
| Orlando Magic Basketball |
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Sports Final-all night sports talk (syndicated) |
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