|
|
WAPR - A History
 |
WAPR-AM 1390 Avon Park – WAPR was a one kilowatt daytimer licensed to Avon PaRk that went on the air October 1, 1970 with a country and gospel format. Its transmitter site was on North Lake Pioneer Drive, east of US 27/98 in Avon Park, off County Road 17A. In the early/mid 1980’s, WAPR moved its offices and studios to 801 US Hwy 27 South and, in the early 90’s, added nighttime broadcasting with .077 kilowatts.
WAPR’s owners included Avon Electronics Services, Inc. (Charles A. Esposito, president/chief engineer-1970), Florida Broadcasting Corp. (Robert D. Stoehr, president 1978), Florida Outdoor, Inc. (1981), Florida Broadcasting Corp. (William A. Stokes, president-1984), and Andrew L. Banas (1990).
In 1992, WAPR was sold to Lee Broadcasting (Pearl Lee) and became WKHF the following year.
Other names in WAPR history: Peggy Cook (1971), Chuck Shane (GM/sales manager-1971), Walt McLendon (PD-1972), Mel Williams (news director-1972), Ed Perry (sales manager-1974), Eddie Lee (music director-1974), Edward Conklin, Jr. (news director-1974), Louis M. Neale (sales manager-1976), Bruce Strenth (PD-1976), Charlie Coffman (news director-1976), Scott Harleman (on air & production 1976-79), Bret Atkins (announcer/news 1977-78), Duke Roberts (GM-1979), D. Hansen (station mgr-1979), Dan Alexander (PD-1979), J.M. Tanner (music director-1979), Tony George (news director-1979), Steve Kennedy (chief engineer-1979), Boyce D. Lancaster (sales manager-1980), Dale Gregory (PD-1980), Connie Page (music director-1980), Dave Lane (promotions-1980), Charlie Vail (news director-1980), Howard Massey (chief engineer-1980), Hershel Stone (sales manager/PD-1981), Leroy Johnson (music & news director-1981; sales manager/music director-1982), Harry Sharp (PD/news director-1982), Bobby Anderson (promotions-1982), Charles Castle (GM/chief engineer-1985), Peggy King (sales manager-1985), Mike Ivey (PD-1985), Truman Thomas (music director-1985), Sandy Harrison (promotions-1985), Andy Dennon (news director-1985), John Patten (PD-music director-1986), Shirley Castle (promotions-1986), Scott Terry (news director-1986), Andrew Banas (GM-1990), James Fuchs (sales manager-1992), David Womack (news director-1992), Wes Belisle, and John Wright.
(Please contact us if you have additional information to share about WAPR.)
Station History
1970 - 1993 Other Central Florida Stations (History)
|
