WLOF-AM 950
Orlando

Original Call Letters: WLOF 
Originally Licensed: Oct 26, 1940 
Original City of License: Orlando 
Original Frequency: 1230 
Origin of Call Letters: Slogan; We Love Orlando Florida
Original Power: 250 watts 
Original Location: Angebilt Hotel 
Original Format: Block Programming

Network Affiliation(s): Mutual Broadcasting System
United Press International
Associated Press

Owner(s):
1940-Hazelwood Broadcasting

1949-Hazelwood, Inc.

1952-Mid-Florida Radio Corp.
1964-Clarke Broadcasting, Corp. ($525,000) 
1972-Home Security Broadcasting Company ($2.5 Million)

1977-Rounsaville of Cincinnati, Inc.
1982-Nationwide Communications  (Purchase price for WLOF and WBJW-FM 105.1 $6.5 million)
1983-New City Communications

1991-ABC, Inc. ($5 Million)
1997-Cox Broadcasting
1998-Thomas Harvey Moffit, Sr.
1998-TM2, Inc
2006-Salem Communications

History Of  Call Letters and Formats:
WLOF-1940-Block Programming On 1230 kHz
WLOF-1972-Top 40
WCOT-1982-Adult Standards 1
WBJW-1984-Simulcast of WBJW FM 105.1 (WBJW would change to WOMX)
WOMX-1989-Simulcast of WOMX FM 105.1
WZKD-1994-Children  "Radio AAHS" 3
WTLN-1998-Religion Station sold (simulcast of WTLN-FM) Moved from 1520 AM

History of WLOF

 

Orlando's second radio station, WLOF-AM, began broadcasting at 6:30AM Oct. 26, 1940 with 250 watts of power and radius of 50 miles. The station was on the mezzanine floor of the Angebilt Hotel. The station was an affiliate of the National Broadcasting Co. (NBC)
                         
                                                                                        Rounsaville logos courtesy of Dave Edwards                                                                                               


 A "QSL"  card  (Acknowledge Receipt Ham radio)




 __hr_Herse+in+the+LOF+parking+lot..jpg (121724 bytes)



 




                                       The WLOF hearse



  
                
                                                                  WLOF license tags over the years
                                                                                                                                                   
                                     
                                                                                                 Courtesy of Dennis Snyder         
                      The WLOF main control room in 1967.                         Here is an early 1969 photo of WLOF, new turntables,
                                                                                                                            additional cart machines as top five or so songs were
                                                                                                                                       now on tape, remote start switches all rewired, and
                                                                                                                             some other changes to the studio.

     
WLOF Fun 40 8-26-1966.jpg (166445 bytes)From Steve Kennedy; "...When I was a teenager I used to go to the Pine Hills Music Center in the Pine Hills shopping center and pick all the different ones up, (WLOF Music surveys) and I have had these for almost 35 years!"  WLOF_Studios.jpg (182322 bytes)
           
        


                       WLOF studios 1972
                         courtesy Sean King

                                 
      


WLOF Personalities
Forrest Clark-1950-1954-News Director-began at WLOF when the studios were located in the Angebilt Hotel 
Paul Marlowe-1951-News Director-Hazelwood Broadcasting/1952-News Director-Hazelwood, Inc.
Bob Keith-1952-Farm News Director-Hazelwood Broadcasting/1957-3-6PM/1963-Commercial Manager-Mid Florida Radio
  Orlando Speedway Spot  courtesy of Dick Camnitz
R. B. Smith-1952-Sports Director-Hazelwood Broadcasting
John Hugh-1952-Program Director-Hazelwood Broadcasting
Louise Grant-1952-Office Manager/Talk Show Host, Bookkeeper/Secretary-Hazelwood Broadcasting (died May 13,  
       2000 at the age of 99)
Bob Kilgore-1952-Farm News Director-Hazelwood Broadcasting

Ernie Legge-1953-Program Director-Hazelwood Broadcasting/1954-Program Director-Mid-Florida Radio  
       /1957-"WLOF Hot Parade"-Noon-3PM /1958-News Director/Program Director/Operations  
       Manager-Mid-Florida Radio Corp.
Tom Doyle-1954-Sports Director-Mid-Florida Radio Corp./1958-Promotions Director-Mid Florida Radio Corp.


Bocky Smith-1954-Sports Director-Mid-Florida Radio Corp./1957-"Sunshine Special"-6AM-Noon


Ben Aycrigg-1955-News Director-Mid-Florida Radio Corp.

Robert Bartl-1959-News Director/1960-Program Director-Mid-Florida Radio Corp.


Bob Brown-1957-"Top 40 Show"-6-10:30PM
Howard McKenney-1959-News Director-Mid-Florida Radio Corp.
Johnny G (John Gilbert)-1963-Program Director-Mid-Florida Radio
                                                                                                              
                       
Tom Siegfried-1963-News Director-Mid-Florida Radio/1964-Operations Manager-Clarke Broadcasting, Corp.
 Tom would call himself the "Masked Marvel" In Memory
Terrence Ledbetter-1964-News Director-Clarke Broadcasting, Corp.
Dave Elliot-1972-News Director-Home Security Broadcasting Company 
Bill Dennis-1972-Program Director-Home Security Broadcasting Company 
Blue Christy-1974-Music Director-Home Security Broadcasting Company 
Joe Montione1978-Program Director-Rounsaville of Cincinnati, Inc.
Reggie Blackwell-1978-Music Director-Rounsaville of Cincinnati, Inc.
Richard Hunt-1978-News Director-Rounsaville of Cincinnati, Inc.
Bob Whitney
Tom Sawyer
Clyde Sanders-"Clyde on a Cloud"-10PM-Midnight, weeknights playing rhythm and blues. In her book on the history of Orlando's black community, Geraldine Thompson says Sanders was the "first African American in the city to work as a radio announcer." Sanders also wrote a weekly column called "As Clyde Sees It" in the section dubbed "the Negro Edition" that the Orlando Sentinel produced for a time in the '50s and early '60s.

Front+of+1957+Tunesheet.jpg (451102 bytes)Johnny Gee-Biography                      Top 40 Hits for the Week June 8,1957
                                                                        courtesy of Dick Camnitz
Johnny Gee on WLOF1966
courtesy of Dick Camnitz 

                           
Peter Jay(#1)-(Pete Forgione) Biography
 Bob Andrews Biography    
                                                                                                                                                                               
Dick Shane-(Dick Camnitz)1966-1970, 1973                                                           
Dick is the moderator and creator of   
 CFL History
                                                                                               Johnny_Gee_Rock_Robinson_Bill_Vermillion.jpg (288786 bytes)
Bill_vermillion_WLOF1.jpg (96390 bytes)







 
                                       

  
 
"Weird Beard” Bill Vermillion-Music Director  In Memory     
1966-Chief Engineer-Clarke Broadcasting, Corp.
  For more on "The Weird Beard"  see http://www.bilver.com/       
                    Photo courtesy of Dick Camnitz                                                                                      Johnny Gee (WLOF), Rock Robinson (WHOO) and
                                                                                                                                                            Bill Vermillion (WLOF) photo courtesy of Dick Camnitz
 pat_Oday_WLOF_1967.jpg (24155 bytes)
dennis snyder wlof studios 1969.jpg (62425 bytes)



  
                                                                          
From Dennis Snyder: "This is 18
 year old me while visiting WLOF  
around January,1969 (the) photo
was taken by Bill Vermillion"
    courtesy of Dennis Snyder  

                                                                             Pat O'Day-mornings
                                                                            courtesy of Dennis Snyder
                              wlof_studio_exterior_01.jpg (637114 bytes)

Bill Barber-1972-Music Director-Home Security Broadcasting Biography





Sean King-1972-Biograpy   In Memory 
                                                                
                                                               
Darrel Douglas-1976
 Dave Edwards-1981-1982 Biography  
Allen Shades
Charley the WLOF Girl                                                                                       Studio Entrance courtesy of Tom Hale
Gabe Burton-Gabe was kind enough to send us personal photos (via Dave Edwards) 

Peter Jay-gabe Burton 1968.jpg (19350 bytes)


Here's "Peter Jay" (Gabe Burton) behind the console at "WLOF Channel 95" in 1969
 Photo courtesy of Gabe Burton


More on the name Peter Jay
Dick Camnitz tells us. "There were around 13 DJs in Orlando that went by the name of Peter Jay. All but one were on  WLOF Channel 95. It will be a surprise to most that the first, who's real name was Peter J., was on WHOO-AM 990. When he went over to WLOF he used the same name. I last saw him when I worked with him at WFTV Channel 9 (formerly WLOF-TV just as a historical note). He hosted dialing for dollars for several years. His full name....Peter J. Forgione" 


                                           1969-1970_Fun_40_2.jpg (163361 bytes)
         Dennis Winslow in the studio in 1965                                                                Fun 40 Hits January 1970
               Dennis was Peter Jay #5                          

Steve Kane 1981-1982 Steve brought his show over to WLOF after being fired from WKIS-AM 740. On his firing Kane said; "When you run a controversial show and say what you think, you always upset some people and it's hard. Steve said he had few guests because he had to act as his own producer" Steve is now on the air in south Florida.                                          
                                              
                                                    Steve Kane TALK Club card     courtesy Dave Edwards                              

        Sean King WLOF 1972.jpg (698487 bytes)             WLOF Hit List 1972.jpg (557255 bytes)
                          Sean King cover 1972              Courtesy of Sean King       "Fun 40" for the week of June 6, 1972
 

Sean King tells about his day as a "male model"
"In 1972 I was working for Pat O'Day (he was Jerry Thompson off the air) at WLOF, Orlando, East Central Florida's top rocker at the time. Burt Reynolds had just appeared as a partially nude centerfold for Cosmopolitan Magazine and Pat wanted to do a "take-off" on the idea. So, he asked me if I would be a model for the photo which was to be a double page in a local newspaper known as "The Watcher". He said we'd cover the private parts with 45s or an LP or two. I agreed and the one-month on-air promotion began. The picture was to appear in April. However, two weeks into the promotion, the sale of the station was finalized and the new owners heard the promotion. They ordered it cancelled immediately as they felt it was in bad taste and might affect business (at least one major sponsor had threatened to cancel). Pat called an emergency staff meeting to pick our brains for a solution. After about a half an hour he came up with the answer himself. He asked me if I had any of those nude baby pictures that parents often take of  their infants and I remembered that I did.
We cleared the idea with the new management, informed the wary sponsors, kept the on-air promotion going unchanged and arranged with the newspaper publisher to have the newspaper on the stands April 1st, "April Fool's Day". So, after a month of all the air personalities telling their audiences that I would appear nude in an upcoming edition of "The Watcher", that's exactly what I did. Only the picture was one of me when I was less than a year old. It was a great "April Fool's" joke. The newspaper sold out in hours, the promotion was a tremendous success and the new owners were pleased. Pat O'Day saved the day. 




The caption reads;
"Cosmopolitan's Helen Brown may be culturally refined, but WLOF is on the "ahead" and never on the "behind".   APRIL FOOL -  WLOF
Sean King 12 to 3pm-WLOF  950 KC On your dial


  Sean King talks about his "nude" centerfold  
                  on the air in 1974.






Rudy Pylant




Lee "Baby" Simms-1964-1965-Lee retired from radio in 2005

Steve Rutledge Biography
  1974 Newscast

Don Smith-(Bobby Church) (Glen Meadows) Biography



"The Janitor" (Warren Miller)-The Janitor would also work at WKBW, Buffalo, NY (1973) and KNOX, Grand Forks, ND
Brandy Alexander-"Dateless and Desperate"-Brandy, (not her real name) is now married, has two children, lives in the West Palm Beach area and has a PH.D. in psychology. Thanks to Dave Edwards for this info.
"Hostile Harve" (Bob Jenkins)-took over for Steve Kane who was fired in 1982
Barbara Barri-Sean King tells us about Barbara "...she was the first female jock at WLOF, I think it was 1976. She was my one and only "discovery". I found her working as a waitress in a night club and, thought she had a good voice & introduced her into radio at WCKS-AM 860, Cocoa Beach. She went on to be a top country jock in Los Angeles for 15 years and is currently doing voice work in New York" For more on Barbara see www.barbarabarri.com
Bob Bacon-From Ray Slaton; "..."The Morning Mayor" ..., in real life Stan Barrett. I want to say 1963 or 64. He left WLOF and went to WMFJ-AM 1450 to do mornings there."  And this from Dennis Snyder; "...one of the things he used to say was "Breakfast with Bacon" - he worked mornings right about that time, before Pat O'Day.
Debbie AubreyWLOF+Sales+Piece+-+Probably+19.jpg (479161 bytes)
 Bob Barnes Biography
William Barry
David Bartholomew
Luther C. Beasley
 Burt Brown
Peggy Camnitz                                                      WLOF Sales Piece circa 1970
Jim Casey                                                      photo courtesy of Dick Camnitz
Blue Christie
 Phil Conrad
Gary Collins-1975-1977-Afternoons
Steve Craig
 George Crossley-Sales
Rick Davis
Gerald Douglas
Mimi Doyle
Al Dunaway
Chris Garrett
David Gerard
Jim Gantner                                                                                          
Tom Gaut
Greg Gentleman 
Jan Giles
Chris Glendon
Ron Fisher
Arnold Kaufman-General Manager
Johnny Gilbert-From Ray Slaton on the name Johnny G; "...The first one called himself Johnny Gilbert around 1963-64...
"Tom Clark "The Body Beautiful" (Wayne Trout)  In Memory    Biography

                                     
                                            Tom Haley at the console                                     Johnny Sutton (front) & Tom Haley
                                                                                                                                 photos courtesy of Tom Haley                                            

9wlof.gif (232646 bytes)Tom Haley Biography
 Herb Craft                                                         
Robert Hall
Harmony
Sheila Hill



Sam Idas
photo courtesy of Dick Camnitz
T Michael Jordan
Ken Katt
 Mike Mazur
Paul Knepper-Sales
Sir Arthur Knight (Cal Hendricks)-1965-1968-Mid-days
John Lander
Ed Lazear
Ron Louis
Bill MacCormick
Greg Masters
Marsh Muke
Gary Mitchell-1982
May Mulligan
Bob Nadeau
"Cowboy" O'Neil



Buddy Pittman-1971-Weekends Biography
                                                                                                                                                                                Courtesy of Larry Flegle

Pete Porter

Jay Preston WLOF 70's.jpg (35416 bytes)


Jay Preston
photo courtesy of Dick Camnitz





Tom Roberts
John Scott
Teri Deck-copy writer


Mark Sebastian-From Mark-"...I (worked at) WLOF in '73 and '74. I left and worked at such stations as Q102 (WKRQ) in Cincinnati, Z100 (WHTZ) in New York City, WLS FM/AM and B-96 in Chicago. I now work for Clear Channel-Tampa doing production and I voice track an Oldies show for Cool 105.7 WLCL-FM in Atlanta.
Bobby Sharpe-1979-1982                                                                                                 photo courtesy of Dick Camnitzwlof-sub-race.jpg (285181 bytes)
Tom Sherwood
JT Almon

Roger Stallard-final Program Director




John_Lander_wlof-Dick Camnitz.jpg (43947 bytes)


John Lander                                                                         click photos for full sized view
                                                                                       
Gates board.jpg (257115 bytes)

Johnny Sutton

Brother T

Bill Taylor

Tim Tindle

Aldo Vivono-host of "Teen Tempo" (Weekends mid 60s)

Scott Walker

Bruce Wayne

Tom West                                                                                                              The "old" Gates board at WLOF

JoNell Patterson                                                                                                       courtesy of Pete Simonson

Alex Stone                                                                                                                
Banana Joe Montione-Program Director/Afternoons
Chris Kampmeier aka T.C. Dooley
Nikki Sarner-DC.jpg (71949 bytes)

Niki Sarner-1966-Commercial Manager-Clarke Broadcasting, Corp.
James Sandridge-1968
Larry Blucher
Columbus ''Lobby Charlie" Williams-doorman at the old Angebilt Hotel would occasionally go on the air, reading poems he had written. In 1922, Williams was working on a construction crew at the hotel when he fell off a sixth-floor beam. A sand pile cushioned his landing, but he lost an eye. The hotel offered him a job for life. Charlie took them at their word. After the Angebilt opened in 1923, Charlie signed on as doorman and remained there until 1972, when he began losing sight in his other eye. Charlie died at age 92 in 1991. 
Deborah (Shreve) Moore-1975-1978-Sales
Steve Wein aka Steve Taylor-1975-1976-Overnights/Saturday Afternoons


Jonathan Hart aka Todd Demers

Barry Michaels

John and Juan

T. Michael Jordan (Tom Nefeldt)-6PM-Midnight

Terry Wood-6PM-Midnight
Alan Rock  Biography
Herb Kraft
Dick Sollom  In Memory
Terry Lee-News
Greg "The Disaster" Masters

 

Other Names In WLOF History
George Hazelwood-1940-President-Hazelwood Broadcasting/1952-President-Mid Florida Radio Corp.
Victor Buisset-1940-General Manager-Hazelwood Broadcasting
William Sears-1949-President-Hazelwood Broadcasting
R. Donahue-1949-Program Director-Hazelwood Broadcasting
Dodd Daniel-1949-Chief Engineer-Hazelwood Broadcasting
Walter Shea-1950-Secretary/Treasurer-Hazelwood Broadcasting
Donn R. Colee-1950-Commercial Manager-Hazelwood Broadcasting/1954-Vice President/General Manager-Mid-Florida
       Radio Corp.
Ruth Donahue-1950-Program Director/1951-Women's Director-Hazelwood Broadcasting
Ruth Bartelt-1950-Sales Manager/Promotions Manager-Hazelwood Broadcasting
J. Allen Brown-1951-Executive Vice President/Commercial Manager/1952-General Manager--Mid Florida Radio Corp.
Pat Kerr-1951-Program Manager-Hazelwood Broadcasting
John Thorwald-1951-Executive Vice President/General Manager-Hazelwood Broadcasting
Freda Hilton-1951-Promotions Director-Hazelwood Broadcasting
Joseph L. Brechner-1952-Presiden-Hazelwood Broadcasting In Memory
John Kluge-1952-Secretary/Treasurer-Hazelwood Broadcasting
Donn Collee-1952-Vice President/General Manager-Hazelwood Broadcasting
Thomas Donohue-1952-Commercial Manager-Hazelwood Broadcasting/1954--Commercial Manager-Mid-Florida Radio 
       Corp.
Charles Batchelder-1952-Sporting Events Director-Hazelwood Broadcasting
Joseph Brechner-1954-President-Mid-Florida Radio Corp.
W. Dodd Daniel, Jr.-1954-Chief Engineer-Mid-Florida Radio Corp.
Lee Hall-1955-Program Manager-Mid-Florida Radio Corp.
Cathy Sorey-1955-Women's Director-Mid-Florida Radio Corp.
Howard Kester-1957-Executive Vice President/1958-Vice President/General Manager-Mid-Florida Radio Corp.
Gene Cook-1957-Commercial Manager-Mid-Florida Radio Corp.
Douglas Coombs-1957-Production Director-Mid-Florida Radio Corp.
R. G. St. Clair-1957-Chief Engineer-Mid-Florida Radio Corp.
Ellen Wendt-1957-Women's Director-Mid-Florida Radio Corp.
Robert Bartl-1959-Program Director-Mid Florida Radio Corp.
Harris Thomson-1959-President-Mid Florida Radio Corp.
Dutch Holland-1963-Program Manager-Mid Florida Radio Corp.
Raymond Smith-1964-Vice President/Station Manager-Mid Florida Radio Corp.
Robert Clarke-1964-President-Clarke Broadcasting, Corp.
John Rutledge-1964-Executive Vice President/General Manager/1971-President-Clarke Broadcasting, Corp.  Biography    In Memory
Don Welch-1964-General Sales Manager/1967-Vice President/Sales Manager/1971-General Manager-Clarke Broadcasting, Corp.
Jerry Thompson (Pat O'Day)-1964-Program Director/Promotions Director/1970-Operations Director/Program Director/1971-Production Manager-Clarke Broadcasting, Corp.
Timothy Sawyer-1964-Chief Engineer-Clarke Broadcasting, Corp./1972-Chief Engineer-Home Security Broadcasting
D. Sidebottom Isaacs-1966-1969-Secretary to John Rutledge-Clarke Broadcasting, Corp.
Jack Curran-1967-Vice President/General Sales Manager-Clarke Broadcasting, Corp.
Marjorie Clark-1970-President-Clarke Broadcasting, Corp.
Corey Meyer-1970-Chief Engineer-Clarke Broadcasting, Corp.
Carl Glicken-1972-President/General Manager-Home Security Broadcasting Company/1977-General Manager/Commercial Manager-Rounsaville of Cincinnati, Inc.  In Memory
Jerry Frericks-1972-Commercil Manger-Home Security Broadcasting Company 
Luke Beasley-1973-Chief Engineer-Home Security Broadcasting Company 
Robert Rounsaville-1977-President-Rounsaville of Cincinnati, Inc.
Warren F. Miller-Music Director
Jerry Ferricks-Sales Manager
George Crossley-Sales
M.F. Kershner-General Manager


...And in the newsroom during the 70s
Terry Lee-1972-In an email from Steve Rutledge;"...Terry (Lee) really was the guy who got the dedicated news operation off the ground at WLOF and set the tone for the rest of us.  He was a real digger and showman too."
Alan Moore
Dave Elliott
Dan Tressler
Bill Bauman Biography
Greg Gentlemen
Peggy Curry
David Waterman                                                                                               courtesy of Ric Collins Tom Thacker (One of the many Peter Jays)
Carl "Buzz" Hallberg

Other Programs On WLOF
Wolfman Jack-syndicated. But there is a Central Florida Connection. In 1991 Wolfman Jack would open a club in the Old Towne section of Kissimmee. It was originally called "Little Darlin's Rock and Roll Palace" becoming "Wolfman Jack's Rock and Roll Palace"

Its Bernie's Turn (Weekends, Barnard of London mid 60s)

Casey Kasem-"American Top 40" syndicated


                                                   
                                                                             Studio entrance 1973
                      
           WLOF_Doug_VanAllen.jpg (43288 bytes)               
                                            Courtesy of Dave Edwards


Don Colee WLOF.jpg (54594 bytes)                                        It's Superman-ager-Dick Camnitz.jpg (52544 bytes)
                                                                                                                        Bill Bauman in the news room

                    John Sutton in production (while in high school)-DC.jpg (30747 bytes)                        
                     Johnny Sutton in the production room                            Johnny Sutton thanks to Elliot Mitchell


                                                             

                       In 2004 we had a chance to visit the old WLOF studios. See photos here
                  
           What's New    Biographies    In Memory    Sounds    Misc.    Links    Chronology    What's News?