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WAPG - A History
WAPG-AM 1480 Arcadia – WAPG (Arcadia-Punta Gorda) was originally a one kilowatt daytimer licensed to Arcadia in DeSoto County, and put on the air in 1955 by Arcadia-Punta Gorda Broadcasting Company (H.F. McGee, president). Other owners included Arcadia-Punta Gorda Broadcasting Co. Inc. (H.D. Ryals, president-1959), Dakos Broadcasting, Inc. (William Dakos, president-1981), and Gulf Dunes Broadcasting, Inc. (Dennis Hedlund, president-1989).
During its 35 years on the air, WAPG’s formats included country, Top 40, and religion. The station became WOKD in 1990.
Names from WAPG history include: Martin J. Begley, Jr. (GM, PD, chief engineer-1956), G. Kelley Lyons (sales manager-1956), Jack Chambers (news director-1956), Philip Hull (1956), Adelia Robertson (1956), Jim Derrick (GM-1957), Charles Bruce (1957), Paul Howell (GM, chief engineer-1958), W.W. Benton (GM-1959), Bert Erickson (GM/PD/promotions-1959; news director-1974), Richard Cobb (farm director-1959), Mary B. Anderson (women’s director-1959), Larry Flegle (1964), Frank G. “Skip” West (1964-65), Tim Taylor (1970-71), Murray Benton (GM/music director/promotions/chief engineer-1974; president of Arcadia-Punta Gorda Broadcasting-1975), Ruth Benton (sales manager/PD-1974), Bert Erickson (news director-1974), Jim Vaughn (sales manager-1975), Charles “Charlie B” Burkhart (music director-1975), Helen Toll (sales manager-1977), Dixie Dakos (GM-1981), Karl August (PD-1983), Jack Welch (GM-1990), Tim Shannon (PD-1990), Suzanne Whitman (sales manager-1990), Mike Dawsey, Terry Yagel, Eddie Apadoca, Haywood Mercer, Louella Whidden Hollingsworth, Jerald Newberry, Gene Thompson, Bob Cannon, Julius Moore, Bill Purcell, Donnie Mays, and Kurt Mays.
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Station History
1955 - 1990 Other Central Florida Stations (History)
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