Miami radio trivia

[Audiodarlin]

I was in Miami in 1962 when there was WQAM and WFUN. We used to cruise Collins Ave.As I was a visitor, I assumed WFUN was bigger than WQAM because they had music after 11PM when WQAM went to talk.

Two questions: This did not seem to hurt WQAM. Why?
Was there ever another major AM Top 40 station in Miami besides those two?

 

[Ai4i]

> Was there ever another major AM Top 40
> station in Miami besides those two?
>

WCKR, 610
WINZ, 940<P ID="signature">______________
Proud 2 B a pioneering satellite radio subs¢riber
Ai4i is always on the trailing edge of technology
_______________</P>

 

[mike704]

> > Was there ever another major AM Top 40
> > station in Miami besides those two?
> >
>
> WCKR, 610
> WINZ, 940
>
Add WAME 1260 before they went Black.

 

[bossmsx]

I heard a story, too, that WQAM's Jack Sandler wanted (or was close to) buying WVCG at one point, but there was fire I think from the Classical music fans...Sandler would've converted the (as of this past Monday) no longer WVCG into a Rocker.

 

[The-Major]

> > Was there ever another major AM Top 40
> > station in Miami besides those two?
> >
>
> WCKR, 610
> WINZ, 940

OK I have another trivia question for anyone who knows the answer to this:

What was (were) the first commercial (92.1 & higher) FM station(s) in the Miami market, and when did they go on-the-air with their respective formats ?

I have no idea what the answer to this is. I'm a South Florida native only since the end of 1987. (I lived in the Washington D.C. area for 18 years before then.)

THE MAJOR

 

[954]

Miami radio trivia & picking nits

> What was (were) the first commercial (92.1 & higher) FM
> station(s) in the Miami market, and when did they go
> on-the-air with their respective formats ?

Good question. WWPB in '48?

> I have no idea what the answer to this is. I'm a South
> Florida native only since the end of 1987. (I lived in the
> Washington D.C. area for 18 years before then.)

Unless you're 18 or 19 years old, that's a major (pun
intended) contradiction, Major.

You're a DC (or elsewhere) native.

I've been here twice as long as you (pre-Dolphins
and pre-Superbowl), and I never claim to be a native.
Almost.

73s from 954, listening to Big City Blues<P ID="signature">______________
Prairie Home Companion Coming To Miami in Feb! South Florida Radio Pages (since 1995)</P>

 

[The-Major]

Re: Miami radio trivia & picking nits

> > What was (were) the first commercial (92.1 & higher) FM
> > station(s) in the Miami market, and when did they go
> > on-the-air with their respective formats ?
>
> Good question. WWPB in '48?
>
> > I have no idea what the answer to this is. I'm a South
> > Florida native only since the end of 1987. (I lived in the
>
> > Washington D.C. area for 18 years before then.)
>
> Unless you're 18 or 19 years old, that's a major (pun
> intended) contradiction, Major.
>
> You're a DC (or elsewhere) native.
>
> I've been here twice as long as you (pre-Dolphins
> and pre-Superbowl), and I never claim to be a native.
> Almost.

1948 ? ! I was expecting FM stations to begin en Miami sometime during the early-1960s. What type of format did WWPB-FM have back then ? Wasn't that a West Palm Beach station ?

Washington / Baltimore area radio (AM & FM) back in the 1970s was pretty interesting. I have fond memories of it. I'm interested in how Miami FM radio started.

I'm almost 39 years old, and I lived in Selma Alabama (where I was born) for my first 2 years, 16 years in the D.C. area, 2 years in the U.K., and the past 18+ years aqui en el Sur de Florida. I know "native" can be interpreted in many different ways, but since this has been my home longer than anywhere else in the world I consider this to be my hometown. I'm a "native" here. I've been here virtually my entire adult life.

THE MAJOR FROM 1967

 

[davideduardo]

Re: Miami radio trivia & picking nits

> > What was (were) the first commercial (92.1 & higher) FM
> > station(s) in the Miami market, and when did they go
> > on-the-air with their respective formats ?
>
> Good question. WWPB in '48?

I will check tomorrow in my Broadcasting Yearbooks. I recall somethig licenced in 1946 after the frequecy reallocation, but do not recall if it made it to the air.

 

[otter63]

Re: Miami radio trivia & picking nits

The Major writes:
> 1948 ? ! I was expecting FM stations to begin en Miami
> sometime during the early-1960s. What type of format did
> WWPB-FM have back then ? Wasn't that a West Palm Beach
> station ?

The "PB" in WWPB stood for the owner, Paul Brake -- who, as the story goes, was General Manager (and at times, Sales Manager, PD, and chief cook-and-bottlewasher). From our sketchy archives, we believe Mr. Brake put the station on the air sometime around 1948 and ran a format consisting of light classical, easy listening and limited commercials and news. For a time, Mr. Brake also operated AM 1450 (now WOCN) as WWPB(AM), I believe.

In 1969, in failing health and on the recommendation of his doctor -- and following a stressful previous sale attempt which fell through -- Mr. Brake contracted to sell WWPB-FM ("Fine Music From Miami") to Robert "Woody" Sudbrink for $250,000. In November 1970, Sudbrink changed the call sign to WLYF ("Life"), and by early 1971, the station's antenna ascended to the near-top of the WPLG-TV tower in north Dade County. Today, you know WWPB as "101.5 LITE FM". (I think the call sign lives on, on a Hagerstown, MD, public TV outlet.)

> Washington / Baltimore area radio (AM & FM) back in the
> 1970s was pretty interesting. I have fond memories of it.

As do I, having grown up in B-more. I'll assume The Major recalls the big top-40 FM's, WLPL and WPGC. And -- coincidentally -- WLYF Miami was, until 1977, the sister to Sudbrink's WLIF Baltimore.

(I'll leave it to my distinguished colleague, Sr. Eduardo, to fill in any remaining gaps!)

 

[954]

Re: Miami radio trivia & picking nits

> > > What was (were) the first commercial (92.1 & higher) FM
> > > station(s) in the Miami market, and when did they go
> > > on-the-air with their respective formats ?
> >
> > Good question. WWPB in '48?
> >
> > > I have no idea what the answer to this is. I'm a South
> > > Florida native only since the end of 1987. (I lived in
> the
> >
> > > Washington D.C. area for 18 years before then.)
> >
> > Unless you're 18 or 19 years old, that's a major (pun
> > intended) contradiction, Major.
> >
> > You're a DC (or elsewhere) native.
> >
> > I've been here twice as long as you (pre-Dolphins
> > and pre-Superbowl), and I never claim to be a native.
> > Almost.
>
> 1948 ? ! I was expecting FM stations to begin en Miami
> sometime during the early-1960s. What type of format did

1960s!? Typical superior yenkee attitude!!!!

I understand we even had electricity and running water
back in the 1940s. (Wikipedia says "WTVJ went on the
air at noon on March 21, 1949, becoming Florida's first
television station and broadcasting on channel 4."
WQAM signed on in 1923.

Have you ever looked at South Florida Radio History?

> WWPB-FM have back then ? Wasn't that a West Palm Beach
> station ?

No. Unwarranted assumption.

It's the present WLYF. PB stood for Paul Brake. See:

http://www.wlyf.com/HistoryofLITEFM.asp

> Washington / Baltimore area radio (AM & FM) back in the
> 1970s was pretty interesting. I have fond memories of it.
> I'm interested in how Miami FM radio started.
>
> I'm almost 39 years old, and I lived in Selma Alabama (where
> I was born) for my first 2 years, 16 years in the D.C. area,
> 2 years in the U.K., and the past 18+ years aqui en el Sur
> de Florida. I know "native" can be interpreted in many
> different ways, but since this has been my home longer than
> anywhere else in the world I consider this to be my
> hometown. I'm a "native" here. I've been here virtually my
> entire adult life.

If that's the definition of a native, then me, too.
I came here before high school.
When Fla had just 3 area codes.
Before legendary Claude Roy Kirk Jr. was elected governor.
When LBJ was president.

But I don't think that's anyone's definition of native.
Duration alone isn't it.

I'm a native of the frozen north, even though I've spent
more than 2/3 of my life here on Florida's Gold Coast.
Nothing can change that.

73s from 954<P ID="signature">______________
Prairie Home Companion Coming To Miami in Feb! South Florida Radio Pages (since 1995)</P>

 

[954]

Re: Miami radio trivia & picking nits

> The Major writes:
> > 1948 ? ! I was expecting FM stations to begin en Miami
> > sometime during the early-1960s. What type of format did
> > WWPB-FM have back then ? Wasn't that a West Palm Beach
> > station ?
>
> The "PB" in WWPB stood for the owner, Paul Brake -- who, as
> the story goes, was General Manager (and at times, Sales
> Manager, PD, and chief cook-and-bottlewasher). From our
> sketchy archives, we believe Mr. Brake put the station on
> the air sometime around 1948 and ran a format consisting of
> light classical, easy listening and limited commercials and
> news. For a time, Mr. Brake also operated AM 1450 (now
> WOCN) as WWPB(AM), I believe.

Very interesting.

I remember when WOCN "Ocean Radio" went on the air (so
I thought) as an English-language adult music station
in around 67 or 68. I assumed it was a new frequency.

Could it be that it was it just a call change?

Channels 6 and 23 and 51 went on the air in the
late 60s, too.

73s from 954<P ID="signature">______________
Prairie Home Companion Coming To Miami in Feb! South Florida Radio Pages (since 1995)</P>

 

[mike704]

Re: Miami radio trivia & picking nits

> I remember when WOCN "Ocean Radio" went on the air (so
> I thought) as an English-language adult music station
> in around 67 or 68. I assumed it was a new frequency.

Between WWPB-AM and WOCN the AM station was known as WSKP, Not sure what the format was I think it was good music. Anyway you probably know WOCN-FM was 94.9 the former WAEZ. WOCN were the sister stations of WWBA AM/FM "Bay Radio" the Beautiful Music stations in Tampa. Ed Winton who owned the stations did the format in house I believe, no tape service.

While i was at WFTL the wGLO beautiful music tapes were also recorded in house. What a big job that was. I didn't do it but I knew the folks who did.
At one point Mr. Amaturo wGLO's owner bought the old WAEZ record library.

MikeM


> Could it be that it was it just a call change?
>
> Channels 6 and 23 and 51 went on the air in the
> late 60s, too.
>
> 73s from 954
>

 

[954]

Re: Miami radio trivia & picking nits

> > I remember when WOCN "Ocean Radio" went on the air (so
> > I thought) as an English-language adult music station
> > in around 67 or 68. I assumed it was a new frequency.
>
> Between WWPB-AM and WOCN the AM station was known as WSKP,
> Not sure what the format was I think it was good music.
> Anyway you probably know WOCN-FM was 94.9 the former WAEZ.

So when did 1450 sign on?

Didn't know that there was WOCN-FM. I remember WINZ-FM
and Zeta-4 and I-95, though.

Classical WTMI and Oldies WAXY-FM may have been the only
FM stations I listened to in the 70s. My car radio was AM.

> WOCN were the sister stations of WWBA AM/FM "Bay Radio" the
> Beautiful Music stations in Tampa. Ed Winton who owned the
> stations did the format in house I believe, no tape service.
>
> While i was at WFTL the wGLO beautiful music tapes were also
> recorded in house. What a big job that was. I didn't do it
> but I knew the folks who did.
> At one point Mr. Amaturo wGLO's owner bought the old WAEZ
> record library.
>
> MikeM
>
>
> > Could it be that it was it just a call change?
> >
> > Channels 6 and 23 and 51 went on the air in the
> > late 60s, too.
> >
> > 73s from 954
> >
>
<P ID="signature">______________
Prairie Home Companion Coming To Miami in Feb! South Florida Radio Pages (since 1995)</P>

 

[Ai4i]

Re: Miami radio trivia & picking nits

Let me see how well I can dig this legal ID out of my ancient memory.
(remember, back in those days, a legal ID did not require the city of license to imediately follow the call letters)

"Serving Dade and Broward counties and the Bahamas with eighty one THOUSAND watts of stereo power, this is WOCN-FM Miami Beach, and WOCN 1450 Miami, the stations that brought beautiful music to south Florida.

That "and WOCN 1450 Miami" part was mumbled / downplayed.
You will remember that back then, all 1450's were 250 watts full time.

Special credit goes to "Blind Mike" Lantz who coroberated the exact wording for me.
<P ID="signature">______________
Proud 2 B a pioneering satellite radio subs¢riber
Ai4i is always on the trailing edge of technology
_______________</P>

 

[954]

WOCN, WIXX, & WGMA

> "Serving Dade and Broward counties and the Bahamas with
> eighty one THOUSAND watts of stereo power, this is WOCN-FM
> Miami Beach, and WOCN 1450 Miami, the stations that brought
> beautiful music to south Florida.

Wow... and I thought I remembered a lot of useless info.

All I can say is "Top Gun in Broward... WIXX."
(From way back in the good old days when stations
had a LOCAL identity. And weren't dedicated to
serving the entire three-county area from 20 miles
away from the COL.)

In the seventies, I lived just a mile or two from
WGMA. Even though I only went there once, there's
something to be said for having a LOCAL station
that's part of your community, and not just serving
your entire market.

Oops... I'm getting carried away again.

73s from 954... Listening to WLVE-HD2 (classical)
but I promise not to make a habit of it. Because
WLRN-HD2 is also classical.

<P ID="signature">______________
Prairie Home Companion Coming To Miami in Feb! South Florida Radio Pages (since 1995)</P>

 

[bossmsx]

the first FM was...

WQAM-FM 95.5..Miami..I don't have the date but I believe it was 45 or 46..Frequency changed to 94.9, but there is no relation to the current occupant of that frequency.

See, here's the thing...Storz Broadcasting (or "Mid-Continent Broadcasting", as they were called), were very progressive in inventing Top 40 as a radio format, but they lacked foresight in one thing: They did not believe in FM...Every market they'd buy an AM station at, and that AM had an FM, they'd literally turn the FM license in..Such was the case in Miami, where they bought the Knight Newspaper's WQAM AM/FM, shutting down and turning in not only Miami's first FM, but Florida's First.

The frequency held a CP for a "WSJG", that I don't think was ever built...WAEZ in Miami Beach signed on that frequency in 61 or 62 with "81 thousand watts", a tagline apparently still used in the OCN-FM days, and it was "South Florida's Pioneer All Stereo Station", meaning it was the first to be Stereo All Day...For as much as "81,000" watts were, it was not as much as it would be when they moved to 1 Biscayne as Zeta, signing on from there with Karn Evil 9, followed by Elton's "Burn Down the Mission"...That was followed by a move to the current Gannett Tower, for which they hired consultant Rick Sklar, former WABC PD, during the I-95 days in 84.

 

[bossmsx]

Re: Miami radio trivia & picking nits

> I remember when WOCN "Ocean Radio" went on the air (so
> I thought) as an English-language adult music station
> in around 67 or 68. I assumed it was a new frequency.
>
> Could it be that it was it just a call change?

It had been WSKP before, but as far as I know it had been jockless...Ed Winton bought the station and made it 'live', with jocks following a promotion where he bought busboards and billboards teasing a "New Ocean Coming To Greater Miami".

 

[The-Major]

Re: Miami radio trivia & picking nits

> 1960s!? Typical superior yenkee attitude!!!!
>
> I understand we even had electricity and running water
> back in the 1940s. (Wikipedia says "WTVJ went on the
> air at noon on March 21, 1949, becoming Florida's first
> television station and broadcasting on channel 4."
> WQAM signed on in 1923.

I'm aware of the legendary historical status of WTVJ (my favourite Miami TV station). I think legendary weatherman Mr. Bob "Weavie" Weaver turned on the lights back then at WTVJ ! I also know a lot about the history of AM radio back to the 1920s. I'm actually a big fan of olde time radio shows. My favourite radio and TV star of all-time is none other than Mr. Jack Benny.

THE MAJOR IS PRACTICALLY 39

 

[The-Major]

Re: Miami radio trivia & picking nits

> The "PB" in WWPB stood for the owner, Paul Brake -- who, as
> the story goes, was General Manager (and at times, Sales
> Manager, PD, and chief cook-and-bottlewasher). From our
> sketchy archives, we believe Mr. Brake put the station on
> the air sometime around 1948 and ran a format consisting of
> light classical, easy listening and limited commercials and
> news. For a time, Mr. Brake also operated AM 1450 (now
> WOCN) as WWPB(AM), I believe.
>
> In 1969, in failing health and on the recommendation of his
> doctor -- and following a stressful previous sale attempt
> which fell through -- Mr. Brake contracted to sell WWPB-FM
> ("Fine Music From Miami") to Robert "Woody" Sudbrink for
> $250,000. In November 1970, Sudbrink changed the call sign
> to WLYF ("Life"), and by early 1971, the station's antenna
> ascended to the near-top of the WPLG-TV tower in north Dade
> County. Today, you know WWPB as "101.5 LITE FM". (I think
> the call sign lives on, on a Hagerstown, MD, public TV
> outlet.)

YES - WWPB-TV is one of the many Maryland Public Television (MPT) stations - Channel 31 in Hagerstown. I knew I recognized those call letters from my distant youth !

> As do I, having grown up in B-more. I'll assume The Major
> recalls the big top-40 FM's, WLPL and WPGC. And --
> coincidentally -- WLYF Miami was, until 1977, the sister to
> Sudbrink's WLIF Baltimore.

Let's go even further back to the early-1970s when 600-WCAO in Baltimore and 1260-WWDC were the hit music blowtorches of the time ! That was before I discovered FM stereo.

THE MAJOR

 

[davideduardo]

Re: Miami FM in 1948

> > > What was (were) the first commercial (92.1 & higher) FM
> > > station(s) in the Miami market, and when did they go
> > > on-the-air with their respective formats ?
> >
> > Good question. WWPB in '48?
>
> I will check tomorrow in my Broadcasting Yearbooks. I recall
> somethig licenced in 1946 after the frequecy reallocation,
> but do not recall if it made it to the air.

Per the 1948 Broadcasting Yearbook, there were two on the air stations in Miami, WIOD'FM 97.5 with an airdate of September, 1946 and WQAM FM on 94.9 with an airdate of September, 1946 also.

At the time, Miami was assigned channels 226, 230, 235, 242, 247, 269, 275 and 286. Ft. Lauderdale was assigned channels 278 and 293.