WLVU AM & FM - A History
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WLVU-AM 1470 Dunedin & WLVU-FM 106.3 Holiday – The Times Publishing Company, publisher of the Erie (Pennsylvania) Times News, acquired northern Tampa Bay stations WVTY AM & FM in 1985 from a trio of investors that included radio engineer Gary Hess and Martin Spector, founder of Spec’s Music stores. The calls became WLVU AM & FM with its AM studios and tower at 2625 CR 95 in Palm Harbor, and the FM at 6214 Springer Drive in Port Richey.
The AM facility, with its 5kw daytime power (500 at night), was leased to two Greek brothers (Angelos and Sotirios Angelatos) who programmed to that community. The FM, a 6,000 watt class A facility, programmed adult contemporary before launching an adult standards vocals format in 1988 called All Vocals from Memory Lane, a somewhat younger version of Music of Your Life, targeting the 45 to 65 age group.
In late 1998, the FM boosted power to 50,000 watts by re-locating to 97.1 in a frequency-swap with Citrus County’s WXOF. 106.3 mHz was then re-licensed to Spring Hill and became WGUL-FM. Soon thereafter WLVU-FM on its new frequency was sold to Cox Radio and established as Oldies 97.1 WSUN-FM.
After the Angelatos brothers left WLVU-AM, the station did time brokering until it was sold in 1998 to Concord Media Group (Mark W. Jorgenson, president) and became financial/talker WTBL. But that’s not the end of the WLVU calls. In 2000, WTBL and its financial format were acquired by Genesis Communications who re-instated the WLVU calls (Money/Talk Radio WLVU) and moved the station’s operations to Tampa where it flipped to ESPN Radio’s sports/talk format in 2004 (Tampa Bay’s ESPN Radio). Genesis adopted Tampa Bay’s heritage WHBO calls the following year.
Other names from WLVU history include Frank Ferreri (GM 1986-1998), Tim McLaughlin (news director 1986-1992), Dane Ayers (FM air personality), and Edie Blaire (co-host of the AM’s “Sunshine Polka Radio Show”).
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Station History
1985 - 1998 Other Tampa Bay Area Stations (History)
2000 - 2005 Other Tampa Bay Area Stations (History)
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