WHOO-AM 990
Orlando
Original Call Letters: WHOO
Originally Licensed: Dec. 5, 1947
Original City of License: Orlando
Original Frequency: 990
Origin of Call Letters:
Original Power: 50,000 Day/14,000 Night
Original Location: Hotel Fort Gatlin 545 North Orange Ave.
Original Format: Block Programming
Network Affiliation(s):
Owner(s): 1947-The Orlando Sentinel Star Co.
1951-Edward Lamb
1954-Ted Esterbrook
1958-WHOO Radio, Inc.
1958-Bluegrass Broadcasting
1987-TK Communications ($13.5 million)
1994-Granum Communications ($11.5 million)
1997-Cox Broadcasting
2001-American Broadcasting Co. ($5 million)
2003-Radio Disney Group (subsidiary of ABC)
History Of Call Letters and Formats: WHOO--1947-Pop Broadcasting from the Fort Gatlin Hotel
WHOO-1968-Country "Country Gentlemen"
WMMA-1987-Adult Contemporary "Magic 99"
WMMA-1987-Oldies
WHTQ-1988-Rock (simulcast of WHTQ-FM 96.5)
WHOO-1988-Big Bands/Adult Standards (Music Of Your Life)
WHOO-1989-Classic Country
WHOO-1990-Rock (simulcast of WHTQ- FM 96.5)
WHOO-1993-Adult Standards (ABC Radio "Stardust" format)
WDYZ- 2001-Radio Disney-Children
History of WHOO
WHOO would broadcast from the Hotel Fort Gatlin in 1947.
WHOO, first owned by the company that published the Orlando Morning Sentinel and the Reporter-Star newspapers, went on the air on Dec. 5, 1947.
A gala grand opening event was held along with an "invitation only" reception and dance. Bob Chester's New York Orchestra performed and the "western" band the WHOOT Owls were introduced. In 1951 the newspaper company sold WHOO-AM and WHOO-FM 96.5 to Edward Lamb, a Toledo attorney and broadcaster.
Chuck Wilson fills in some more history of WHOO. "... John Rutledge was the manager when I was there and he worked out of the "Executive Offices" in the Gatlin Hotel on Orange Avenue. The sales force was also located there. I believe everyone else was out at Silver Star Road, which is where the transmitter was located. To consolidate the operation (the Gatlin offices weren't that nice either), John moved everyone to a new location on Rosalind Avenue, but I'm not sure if there wasn't a short transition move for the Executive Office/Sales Staff from the Gatlin location to the Silver Star location prior to going downtown (Rosalind Avenue.) I worked as an announcer/traffic manager/sort-of program director/meter reader/pump primer on the FM side. I had to keep the pump on the well primed or the air conditioner wouldn't work! Anyway, when the building on Rosalind Avenue was remodeled (boy, did it look good!), everyone moved from Silver Star Road to the new offices downtown ... except me! You talk about desolate! There was nothing out there. The transmitter was so far out that they had to pipe in sunshine. I would get there at 5:00 am and leave at 1:00 pm and the only person I would see was the guy who relieved me at 1:00. At first, WHOO only broadcast from downtown and then they started broadcasting from the transmitter site after midnight. Few people realized the facilities at the transmitter were probably as good as, if not better than, any station in town...except, maybe, for
WDBO-AM 580. Somewhere around 1960-61 everything moved from Rosalind Avenue back to the facilities on Silver Star Road (is isn't cheap to move a radio station). John spent a lot of money remodeling the facility and it was great to have everyone back out there.
WHOO Personalities
Alan Rock-mornings
Eddie Hubbard-Eddie died Monday, March 26, 2007 at a Ft. Worth, Texas hospital of injuries from a March 19 automobile accident in Grand Prairie, Texas. Eddie was 89.
Joe Lacina
Bud Buschardt
Rocky Groce-Jazz and rhythm-and-blues
Other Names In WHOO History
Steve Fluker-1995-Chief Engineer