Welcome to Radio Years!
Let Radio Years take you on a nostalgic look back at some of your favorite radio stations of the past across the central counties of the Sunshine State. Included are complete histories of all the stations in Polk County, plus select stations from Tampa Bay to the Space Coast. These were stations we all listened to before corporate conglomerates and automation became the norm. Most were locally owned and operated, and we got to know personally the people whose voices came into our lives via the airwaves because they were active in the community.
Take a moment to browse through Who’s Who, the Photo Albums and Memorabilia. Check out the bios and photos of local radio personalities from years gone by. If you ever had the opportunity to visit your favorite stations, we’ve got pictures of the way you remember them. Take a look at classic station music surveys that you used to pick up each week at the record store, bumper stickers, and other memorabilia. Click on Audio Clips for program intros, show themes, newscasts, commercials, airchecks, jingles, and more.
On the Radio Years homepage, Related Links will direct you to historical sites for other great radio stations like Nashville’s WLAC, “Tiger Radio” WQAM in Miami, and Chicago’s WGN. You’ll find the histories of the four major radio networks, ABC, CBS, Mutual, and NBC, including the story behind the latter network’s famous chimes and most ambitious program, “Monitor.” There’s information about other favorite old time radio shows, too, like “The Lone Ranger,” “Suspense,” Don McNeil’s “Breakfast Club,” “Amos ‘n’ Andy,” and “Dragnet,” plus links to sites that deal with restoring antique radios, and much more. And don’t forget to click on the Featured Audio Clips box to hear some vintage commercials from radio’s golden era.
It’s all here, and more, inside Radioyears.com – your source for the history of Polk County radio and other really great Tampa Bay and central Florida stations. So sit back, kick your shoes off, and reminisce through our pages about your favorite station or personality.
OUR STATIONS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM |
| Featured Stations: |
WLAK, WONN, WPLA |
| Other Stations: |
Hall Communications Big 4, WFSI, WGTO, WLKF, WMBL, WPCV, WQPD, WSJT, WVFM/WEZY, WWRZ,
WYSE/ WWAB |
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WBAR, WCIE, WFXI, WHAN, WHFL, WHNR,
WINT AM/FM, WIPC, WLVF AM/FM, WPUL, WSIR, WTHN, WTWB, WWBF, WXKL, WYFO, WYXY, WZNG |
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WAKS, WALT, WAMA, WAZE, WBOY, WBRD AM/FM, WBSB, WBTP, WBVM, WBZZ, WCBF, WCLE, WCWR, WDAE AM/FM, WDCF, WDCL, WDHL, WDUV, WEBK, WENG, WFHH, WFLA AM/FM, WFLZ, WFNS, WFSO, WFTI, WFUS, WGES, WGHB, WGNB AM/FM,
WGUL AM/FM, WHBO, WHBS, WHNZ, WHPT, WHVE, WILZ, WINQ, WIOK, WJIS, WJQB, WKES, WKGA, WKXY, WLCY AM/FM, WLLD, WLVU AM/FM,
WMGG AM/FM, WMLO, WMNF, WMTX, WMTX, WNSI, WPAS, WPIN AM/FM, WPKM, WPLP, WPOI,
WPSO AM/FM, WQBN, WQSA, WQSR, WQXM,
WQYK AM/FM, WRBQ AM/FM, WRXB, WSOL,
WSPB AM/FM, WSRZ AM/FM, WSSR, WSUN AM/FM, WTAN AM/FM, WTBT, WTKN, WTMP AM/FM, WTMY, WTRL, WTSP AM/FM, WTUN, WTYM, WUSA, WUSF, WWBA AM/FM, WWQT, WWRM, WXCR, WXTB, WXYB, WYND, WYNF, WYOU, WYUU, WZHR
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WAPG, WAPR, WAUC, WBIL, WDBO AM/FM, WFLN,
WHOO AM/FM, WITS, WJCM, WKKO, WKTS,
WLBE AM/FM, WLOF, WMFJ AM/FM, WSLC, WWJB, WWKE, WWLL, WWOJ, WWTK |
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What's New |
February 2010
New Stations Added
WBZZ-AM 1010 Seffner
WBSB-FM 96.1 Dade City
WQXM-FM 97.9 Clearwater
WMLO-FM 106.3 Sarasota
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Who's Who - New Bios
Tim Davisson, Joseph S. Field, George Laurie, Melissa Moran, Gerald Newton, Nikki Sandler, Allyson Turner, Dick Stambaugh
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Tampa Bay Audio Clips
Four new airchecks - Carmen & Chris (WSSR-2000); John Kelly (WRBQ-2004); Shriner (Mix 100.7 WMTX-2008); and Gary McHenry (WFLZ-2009); plus station ID's from WISP (1993), WRMD (2003), WSMR (2003), WJQB (2005), WLLD (2005), and WQYK-AM (2009).
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Tampa Bay Photo Album
- People -
Added WDAE PD Ed Ripley (1972) and WYOU's Dave Young (1973). The unidentified WSUN announcer was sent to us by George Laurie. Maybe you can identify him.
- Studios -
George also sent the 1930's WSUN studio photo. Kevin Coldiron sent an early 1940's photo of the St. Pete Times building, home to WTSP, a 1974 aerial view of WFLA's Rocky Point towers, and several 2009 pics of WDAE's
Gandy Blvd. transmitter building.
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Tampa Bay Memorabilia
- Newspaper Ads/Articles -
Thanks to Earl Polk for WYOU's 1967 Steve Spurrier-Minnie Pearl photo and 1971 article on Tampa Bay's country radio wars. For WSUN, we added a 1959 print ad (Jack Bland, Earl Wood, and Gordon Solie), a 1962 Broadcasting ad for traffic reporter Bob Vaughn, and a couple articles on the station's 1974 switch to country.
- Sales Related -
The 1969 WSUN rate card and sales flyer were contributed by George Laurie.
- Station Related -
Kevin Coldiron provided the excellent map of the Gandy Blvd. area radio towers, late 70's WQYK license plate, and 2009 WTIS property entrance sign. James Albritton sent the 1949 WDAE Daisy Mae & Ol' Brother Charlie song sheet.
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Other Stations - Photo Album
WVFM/WEZY
- People -
Special thanks to CE Jeff Crews of Hall Communications for rescuing
a box of lost photos of Lakeland's WLAK, WQPD, WLKF, WVFM, and WEZY from a storage shed and sending them to us. This month, we're adding pics of WVFM's
Kevin MacKenzie and Ross McVicker (both 1981); legendary Polk radio newsman Paul Hershey (1982); and Dave Campbell (1987).
More next month.
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Other Stations - Memorabilia
WLKF and WPCV
- Newspaper Ads/Articles -
Jeff also sent an article on WLKF's switch to news/talk, and a WPCV announcement of new PD Mike Cragan (both 1988).
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Remembering
Mel Berman
-WINQ, WDAE, WFLA-
passed away Feb. 5th from heart surgery complications at age 81.
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Be a part of RadioYears!
Got photos, memorabilia, or information about Tampa Bay or other Central Florida stations and personalities to share?
We update our station history pages and personality bios as
new information comes in.
Check back with us often.
Click here to contact us.
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