WDCL - A History
WDCL-AM 1470 Tarpon Springs – In 1956, five kilowatt daytimer WBOY, broadcasting from Clearwater and owned by Freede-Miller Broadcasting (Hal M. Freede, pres., J. McCarthy Miller, GM), switched call letters and became WDCL (Dunedin-CLearwater).
Clearwater Broadcasting acquired WDCL in July 1957 followed by Consolidated Communities Corporation in 1961 when it became WRBB (Radio’s Big Beat).
The WDCL calls were resurrected on AM-1470 in 1973 by Dunedin Broadcasting Company (John Price, president/GM). By that time, the frequency had been re-licensed to Dunedin. Price sold it to Lowell Paxson who changed the format and calls to all news WWQT in 1978.
Names from WDCL’s late 50’s/early 60’s years include: William Emard (sales manager-1956), Clair Linn (PD-1956), John H. Walker (chief engineer-1956), Richard Buckingham (news director-1956), Everett Whitney (farm director-1956), Robert Sims (sports director-1956), Beatrice Freede (women’s director-1956), Gurney P. Sloan (sales manager-1957), Harry Prior (news director-1957), Ross Charles (GM-1958), John Stagg (John Stagwillo PD-1958; promotions-1960), Arthur Roach (sales manager/promotions-1958), Fred Sample (promotions-1958), Ted Seaman (chief engineer-1958), Howard Hartley (news director-1958), James L. Garrett (GM-1959), Leo McDevitt (farm director-1959; PD-1960), and Melba Remig (women’s director-1959).
Other names from WDCL’s history as an MOR station in the 1970’s include: Ross Charles (GM), James H. Boyce (chairman, Dunedin Broadcasting), Manley St. Jean (chief engineer), Ron Scott (mornings), Bob Hughes, and Bob Snyder (talk show host).
(Please contact us if you have additional information to share about WDCL.)
Station History
1956 - 1961 Other Tampa Bay Area Stations (History)
1973 - 1978 Other Tampa Bay Area Stations (History)
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