WSIR - A History
WSIR-AM 1490 Winter Haven – Polk County’s second oldest station, WSIR, was founded in 1947 by Lawrence A. “Larry” Rollins, Jack Brandstetter, and Frederick L. Allman. Brandstetter and Rollins had already been talking about going into a joint business venture after World War II ended, and Allman, who owned WSVA in Harrisburg, VA, told them that if they could locate a city in Florida that needed a radio station, he would join them. Rollins, the only Floridian of the three and familiar with the area, suggested Winter Haven.
When the war was over, the three formed Citrus Belt Broadcasters, Inc. (Frederick L. Allman, president), and filed an application with the FCC. Approval was granted for fulltime operation with 250 watts on 1490 in November 1946. The WSIR call letters were suggested by Rollins, and for many years, the station was known by the nickname “Sir Radio”. Initially, offices and studios were located at 132 Third Street S.W. in Winter Haven in a building that later housed Tyler Jewelers. A tower was erected on the southwest shore of Lake Howard.
The late Richard P. “Dick” Eyrich, WSIR’s long-time program director, put the station on the air at 8:37 P.M. on February 13, 1947. The next day, the first full day of broadcasting, was Valentine’s Day, and for many years the date observed as the station’s anniversary. On that first evening with Eyrich was Boris Mitchell, later executive vice-president and part owner of WKIS in Orlando, and football play-by-play announcer for the Florida State Seminoles. Another early station announcer was Dick Marsh.
In August 1947 WSIR became an affiliate of the Mutual Broadcasting System, an association which would last for many years. The station called itself “The Information Station” and specialized in news on the hour and half-hour, and public service programs like “The Swap Shop,” “Want a Job?,” “The Florida Gardener,” “The Fishing Reel,” and the daily obituaries. WSIR was credited with helping save lives with its over-the-air appeals for blood donors during the years before there were area blood banks, and was also one of the few area stations to broadcast editorials on a regular basis.
The station carried special events, too, such as live coverage of the Apollo 11 moon landing, and on a number of occasions, stayed on the air around-the-clock to provide listeners with up to the minute hurricane information. Local remote broadcasts became a tradition – Sunday church services, the annual Easter sunrise service, Winter Haven High School baccalaureate and football games, events at the Florida Citrus Showcase, Boston Red Sox spring training games, and many others. Programming in the 1960’s included popular music with an hour of classical in the afternoon. At night the kids took over at 8:00 for a teen request show.
Known as a station that actively supported its community, WSIR, in its first year, revived plans to build a permanent concrete football stadium for Winter Haven High School’s Denison Field. With additional underwriting by area businesses, the project became a reality. And program director Dick Eyrich broke a marathon announcing record in a stunt to publicize a fund-raising campaign for improvements to Winter Haven Hospital.
In the early 50’s WSIR constructed a new office and studio building at the tower/transmitter site on Lake Howard and also acquired a new mobile unit for on-the-scene broadcasts. A daytime power increase to 500 watts was granted by the FCC in the 1960’s, and still another in the mid 1970’s to 1,000 watts.
Over the years, there were many changes to WSIR’s ownership structure. After a few years, Brandstetter sold his interest and moved back to Houston where he had been head of the school district’s speech department. In 1955, Allman sold his stock to Mutual radio network personality Tom Moore became president of Hundred Lakes Broadcasting, a group that consisted of Larry Rollins, station bookkeeper Nellie Barber, and chief engineer Orden Craig. However, Moore stayed only a few years and sold his interest, and Rollins took over as president of the company. By 1960 Barber had sold her part to Arnold Silvert, leaving Rollins the major stockholder). Silvert left to invest in Lakeland’s WVFM. In 1973 Hundred Lakes sold WSIR to Cypress Central Communications (Randall E. Jeffery, president). Another owner in later years was Bill Histed, the owner of the Mulberry Press. Today (2009) Rejoice 1490 WSIR is owned by Anscombe Broadcasting Group Ltd., and continues to broadcast 24 hours a day from its studios on Lake Howard Drive.
Other names from WSIR history include Earl Sturgeon (sales manager), Harry Carroll (sales manager), Gordon Hubbel, Peter Wiltjer (engineering), Martie Wetmore (sales manager), Bob Prescott (1959), Jim Duke (news), Jim Knight, Jack Shaw, Chuck Bishop (station and sales manager), Craig Harper (sales manager), Ed Cole (chief engineer), Bill Montgomery (PD), Jeff Whittaker, Jim Greenfield (news), Bob Stephenson (PD and morning announcer who went on to work in the Orlando market), Steve Day, Paul Hershey (operations), Tom Anthony, Stacy Taylor (PD-1979), Stan Friedman, Jim Carey (chief engineer), Steve Howard, Ross McVicker, Ken Copper (PD), Larry “Vee” Flegle ("The Night Beat"-1968), Lori Edwards, and Dan Dermody (station manager).
Station History
1947 - 2009 Other Polk County Stations (History)
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