WDBO

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News Talk AM 580 WDBO is central Florida's news, weather and traffic station

Original call letters: WDBO

Original city of license: Winter Park, Rollins College

Originally licensed: May 24, 1924 First aired at 1250 kHz, moved to 1040 in 1927, moved to 620 in 1928, moved to 1120 in 1929 then to 580 in 1932

Original power: 50 watts

Original format: Concert programming and college lectures.

Network affiliations: CBS, NBC Talknet, ABC

Contents 1 Owners 2 Call letters and formats 3 History 4 Timeline 5 Talent: present and past 5.1 Current WDBO news staff 5.2 Past WDBO staffers

[edit] Owners

• 1924 (May 19)-Rollins College “Way Down By Orlando”
• 1926-Orlando Broadcasting
• 1929-Central Florida Broadcasting Station, Inc. (563 N. Orange Ave., Orlando)
• 1957-Cherry Broadcasting Station of Providence, Rhode Island (later acquired by the Outlet Co)
• 1963-The Outlet Company ($6 million)
• 1982-Katz Broadcasting (Purchased WDBO AM/FM for $9.5 million)
• 1986-New City Communications (New City would purchase Katz in 1986)
• 1997-Cox Broadcasting (Cox acquires New city in 1997)

[edit] Call letters and formats

• 1924-WDBO-Variety “Way Down By Orlando”
• 1957-WDBO-Pop
• 1985-WDBO-News/talk

[edit] History

On May 24, 1924 WDBO began broadcasting out of a small wooden building near the tennis courts on the campus of Rollins College. It had monk's cloth drapes as acoustic treatment in its only studio. It operated on 1250 kHz at 50 watts with a 75-foot antenna for 1 hour and 5 minutes a day.

Today, WDBO broadcasts from modern studios, along with its five sister stations, on John Young Parkway. Transmitting from Orlando, operating at 580 kHz at 5,000 watts of power with a two-tower array reaching 443 feet (135 m), WDBO covers Central Florida 24 hours a day.

[edit] Timeline

1924 WDBO is born, thanks to Professor E.F. Weinberg and his Rollins College Physics class. License was issued to operate on 1250 kilohertz on 50 watts of power. On-air programming started at 8:45pm and signed off 1 hour 5 minutes later.

1925 A ship in the Pacific picks up WDBO's signal, making headlines all over the state of Florida. Meanwhile, Rollins College gives the station to Col. George C. Johnson. WDBO is permitted to increase power to 100 watts.

1926 Gilson Willits takes over management of WDBO for a one-year term. The cities of St. Cloud, Sanford, Winter Park and Sanlando as well as the Orange County Chamber of Commerce, Chase & Co. and Rollins College cooperate in the maintenance of WDBO.

1927 WDBO is moved to the Ft. Gatlin Hotel in Orlando. Programming featured groups, including the Beasley Band.

Col. Johnston's Orlando Broadcasting Co. takes full control of WDBO.

The FCC authorizes WDBO to operate at 1040 kilohertz, with a power output of 1000-watts daytime, 500-watts nighttime.

1928 FCC authorizes WDBO to switch operation from 1040 kilohertz to 620 kilohertz.

1929 Speakers are installed at the intersection of Central Blvd. and Orange Ave. playing WDBO broadcasts.

FCC authorizes WDBO to operate at 1120 kilohertz. Broadcasting time increased to 50 hours per week.

1930 WDBO becomes a CBS affiliate. Programming included Texas Guinan, the "Hello, Sucker" girl, and Dave Berry, boxing referee.

1932 FCC authorizes WDBO to operate at 580 kilohertz.

1936 WDBO transmitter is moved to Dubsdread Country Club.

1937 WDBO is authorized to operate at an output power of 5000 watts daytime.

1940 WDBO is authorized to operate at a power output of 5000 watts full time, with a directional antenna at night.

1944 The Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944 destroyed the roof of the WDBO studios, in the Angebilt Hotel in downtown Orlando. WDBO's north tower in Dubsdread blew down. WDBO set up temporary studios in Orlando's Orange Court Hotel.

1947 WDBO moves in to its studios on South Ivanhoe Boulevard on the shores of Lake Ivanhoe.

1948 WDBO signs on Orlando's first FM station operating on 92.3 MHz with 34,000 watts of power.

1950 Orlando Broadcasting Company founder, Col. Johnston died. WDBO employees acquired the shares of the company and named Harold Danforth president.

1954 WDBO signs on Orlando's first television station. WDBO TV Channel 6 remained Orlando's only TV station until 1956.

1957 WDBO AM-FM-TV is sold to Cherry Broadcasting, based in Rhode Island.

1963 WDBO AM-FM-TV is sold to the Outlet Company in a $6-million deal.

1970 Perry Moore becomes WDBO's morning man, was the top-rated radio disc jockey for the next 14 years.

1972 Jim Turner becomes WDBO's afternoon drive host.

1982 Morton Downey, Jr. joins WDBO as host of "Nightline" weeknights from 7-10.

WDBO AM-FM is sold to Katz Broadcasting. WDBO-TV becomes WCPX.

1983 WDBO becomes an affiliate of ABC.

WDBO 92.3FM becomes WWKA K92FM, and reformats to Country music.

1985 Jim Turner takes over as WDBO morning host.

1986 New City Communications purchases WDBO.

Marsha Taylor joins WDBO as a midday anchor and street reporter.

WDBO studios are moved from Ivanhoe Boulevard to its current home on John Young Parkway.

1988 Marsha Taylor is promoted to News Director.

1991 The Gulf War creates a demand for talk radio.

WDBO picks up the Rush Limbaugh Show. Music is completely phased out and other shows, including Bruce Williams, Sally Jesse Raphael and Larry King are brought to the line-up.

1994 Officer Jim Bishop becomes Jim Turner's morning show sidekick and traffic reporter for Central Florida's Morning News.

1997 New City Communications is acquired by Cox Radio.

2002 Jim Turner celebrates 30 years of broadcasting on WDBO.

2004 WDBO celebrates 80 years of broadcasting in Central Florida.

[edit] Talent: present and past

[edit] Current WDBO news staff

Jim Turner- Morning Show Host
Officer Jim Bishop (traffic reporter)- Traffic Director
Scott Anez- Sports Director
Kirk Healy- Morning Show Executive Producer
Mike Murillo- Morning Show Producer/Ask the Experts Producer

Marsha Taylor- News Director
Steve Holbrook- Program Director
Jamie Dupree- Washington Bureau Chief
Rick Flagg- Tallahassee Bureau Chief

Dave Wahl- Chief Anchor
Gina Jordan- Midday Anchor
Joe Ruble- Afternoon Anchor
Bob Johnson- Saturday Morning Anchor
Diana Bosch- Saturday Afternoon Anchor
Natasha Vukelic- Sunday Morning Anchor
Nikki Pierce- Sunday Afternoon Anchor

Bob Hazen- Morning Reporter
Marva Hinton- Morning Reporter
Mike Synan- Afternoon Reporter
Elizabeth Arenas- Afternoon Reporter
Frank Samandari- Afternoon News Producer/Web

Heather Jackson- Overnight Producer/Weekend Reporter
Michael Murdoch- Overnight Producer

[edit] Past WDBO staffers

• Morton Downey, Jr. 1982-1983
• Scott and Casey- 1997-1998
• Kelly Golden- 2004
• Donna Kelley- now at KARN, Little Rock.
• Scott Harris now at CFN-13
• Keith Altiero. Keith died December 19, 2004 after a two-year fight with cancer. He was 51. In 2001 he won five awards for his work from the Florida Associated Press and a regional Edward R. Murrow Award for his political reporting.
• Jeff Marshall (formerly of WMEL-AM 920)
• Michelle Wright- now at CNN Radio in Atlanta
• Tiffany Griffith (formerly of CFN-13)

AM radio stations in the Orlando, Florida and Melbourne/Titusville markets (Arbitron #34 and 94)

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