WDBO-FM 92.3 
Orlando

 

Original Call Letters: WDBO

Originally Licensed: Apr 24, 1948

Original City of  License: Orlando

Original Frequency: 92.3 

Origin of Call Letters: See WDBO-AM 580 

Original Power:  34,000 watts

Original Location: 30 S. Ivanhoe Blvd. E. 

Original Format: Beautiful Music 


Network Affiliation(s):


Owner(s):

1948-Orlando Broadcasting Co., Inc.
1957-Cherry Broadcasting Station of Providence, Rhode Island
1963-The Outlet Company
1982-Katz Broadcasting (Purchased WDBO-AM/FM for $9.5 million)
1986-New City Communications
1997-Cox Broadcasting

History Of Call Letters and Formats:

WDBO-1952-Beautiful Music
WWKA-1983-Country "K92FM"

 


WDBO-FM History 
From Brian Douglass; "Just a couple of comments on WDBO-FM... originally, the station simulcast WDBO-AM 100%.  I know that lasted well into the 1970's, if not longer.  There was no separate FM programming, so WDBO AM/FM were MOR/full-service during this time.  The station transmitted in mono.

 

TV/Radio Tower Collapses Kills Two   6-9-73
WDBO-FM  was knocked off the air when the TV tower they shared with WFTV-TV, WDBO-TV, WDIZ-FM and WMFE-TV  collapsed at Bithlo. The collapse happened June 8, 1973.
 
BITHLO TV TOWER COLLAPSE.jpg (120641 bytes)
©
Rick Dreves 

WDBO-FM  "Takeover"
Dutch Schaeffer - Ron Kocher - Lon Wagner- On December 21, 1982, three announcers took the station "hostage" for more than three hours in protest of the format change from easy listening to country that would take away their jobs. From the front page of the Orlando Sentinel dated December 22, 1982;
"...About 6:15 p.m., announcers Gary "Dutch" Schaeffer, 41, and Ron Kocher, 23, locked themselves in the WDBO-FM control booth and told the radio audience they had taken it over in protest of the change, scheduled for January."  "Three hours and 20 minutes later, the station management and the announcers, who had been joined by broadcaster Lon Wagner, 33, worked out an agreement." "Morton Downey, Jr., host of WDBO-AM's "Nightline" talk show, fielded calls from listeners as he took on the role of mediator between the FM announcers and the new management led by (Robert "Bob") Longwell."


 

Names In WDBO-FM History

Colonel George C. Johnston-1948-1957-President/General Manager/Station Manager-Orlando Broadcasting Company, Inc. In Memory
Harold P. Danforth-1948-1957-Vice President/Station Manager-Orlando Broadcasting Company, Inc.
W. G. McBride-1948-Program Director-Orlando Broadcasting Company, Inc.
J. M. Pedrick-1948-Local Sales Manager-Orlando Broadcasting Company, Inc.
Rosalind Boggs-1948-Sales Manager/Promotions Manager/1952-Program Director-Orlando Broadcasting Company, Inc.
Robert L. Craig-1948-Production Manager-Orlando Broadcasting Company, Inc.
James E. Yarbrough-1948-Chief Engineer-Orlando Broadcasting Company, Inc.   In Memory

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

Joseph Sinclair-1963-Chairman of the Board-Outlet Company

David Shurtleff-1963-Vice President-Broadcast Division-Outlet Company



Carl Hallberg-1963-Vice President/General Manager/Commercial Manager-Outlet Company     In Memory

Bill Taylor-1963-Program Director-Outlet Company

Fred Bradshaw-1963-News Director-Outlet Company

Chalmers Stromberg-1963-Chief Engineer-Outlet Company

Corey Meyer-1971-Operations Manager-Outlet Company

Frank Scharf-1971-Production Manager-Outlet Company



Gary "Dutch" Schaffer (Gary J. Schaffer)-1982-Music Director-Katz Broadcasting  Gary passed away in St. Augustine in 2013.
In Memory

Ron Kocher

Gary Anstaett

Lon Wagner

Robert "Bob" Longwell


Dennis Moore



John Weyrick              

New Era At WDBO-FM
Click photos for full sized view
automation.jpg (56919 bytes) automation_2.jpg (59446 bytes)

WDBO General Manager Carl Hallberg (right) watches as Chief Engineer Corey Meyer program the Gates-SP-19 automated system in 1971. 
photos courtesy of
John Gordon   

 

dennis_moore_carting_up_the_news_john_gordon.jpg (32948 bytes)

De
nnis Moore
courtesy of John Gordon

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