Welcome to Radio Years!
Let Radio Years take you on a nostalgic look back at some of your favorite radio stations of the past across the central counties of the Sunshine State. Included are complete histories of all the stations in Polk County, plus select stations from Tampa Bay to the Space Coast. These were stations we all listened to before corporate conglomerates and automation became the norm. Most were locally owned and operated, and we got to know personally the people whose voices came into our lives via the airwaves because they were active in the community.
Take a moment to browse through Who’s Who, the Photo Albums and Memorabilia. Check out the bios and photos of local radio personalities from years gone by. If you ever had the opportunity to visit your favorite stations, we’ve got pictures of the way you remember them. Take a look at classic station music surveys that you used to pick up each week at the record store, bumper stickers, and other memorabilia. Click on Audio Clips for program intros, show themes, newscasts, commercials, airchecks, jingles, and more.
On the Radio Years homepage, Related Links will direct you to historical sites for other great radio stations like Nashville’s WLAC, “Tiger Radio” WQAM in Miami, and Chicago’s WGN. You’ll find the histories of the four major radio networks, ABC, CBS, Mutual, and NBC, including the story behind the latter network’s famous chimes and most ambitious program, “Monitor.” There’s information about other favorite old time radio shows, too, like “The Lone Ranger,” “Suspense,” Don McNeil’s “Breakfast Club,” “Amos ‘n’ Andy,” and “Dragnet,” plus links to sites that deal with restoring antique radios, and much more. And don’t forget to click on the Featured Audio Clips box to hear some vintage commercials from radio’s golden era.
It’s all here, and more, inside Radioyears.com – your source for the history of Polk County radio and other really great Tampa Bay and central Florida stations. So sit back, kick your shoes off, and reminisce through our pages about your favorite station or personality.
OUR STATIONS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM |
| Featured Stations: |
WLAK, WONN, WPLA |
| Other Stations: |
Hall Communications Big 4, WFSI, WGTO, WLKF, WMBL, WPCV, WQPD, WSJT, WVFM/WEZY, WWRZ,
WYSE/ WWAB |
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WBAR, WCIE, WFXI, WHAN, WHFL, WHNR,
WINT AM/FM, WIPC, WLVF AM/FM, WPUL, WSIR, WTHN, WTWB, WWBF, WXKL, WYFO, WYXY, WZNG |
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WALT, WAZE, WBOY, WBRD AM/FM, WBVM, WCLE, WCWR, WDAE AM/FM, WDCF, WDCL, WDHL, WDUV, WEBK, WENG, WFHH, WFLA AM/FM, WFLZ, WFNS, WFSO, WGHB, WGUL AM/FM, WHBO, WHNZ, WHVE, WILZ, WINQ, WIOK, WJIS, WKES, WKXY,
WLCY AM/FM, WLVU AM/FM, WMGG AM/FM, WMNF, WMTX, WNSI, WPAS, WPIN AM/FM, WPKM, WPLP, WPOI, WQBN, WQSA, WQSR, WQYK AM/FM,
WRBQ AM/FM, WRXB, WSPB AM/FM, WSOL,
WSUN AM/FM, WTAN AM/FM, WTBT, WTKN,
WTMP AM/FM, WTRL, WTSP AM/FM, WTUN, WTYM, WUSA, WUSF, WWBA AM/FM, WWQT, WWRM, WXCR, WXTB, WYND, WYNF, WYOU, WYUU |
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WAPG, WAPR, WAUC, WBIL, WDBO AM/FM,
WHOO AM/FM, WITS, WJCM, WKKO, WLBE AM/FM, WLOF, WMFJ AM/FM, WSLC, WWJB, WWKE, WWLL, WWOJ, WWTK |
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What's New |
NOW IN OUR 5TH YEAR
ON THE WEB
July 2009
New Stations Added
WUSF-FM 89.7 Tampa
WLVU-AM 1470 Dunedin
WLVU-FM 106.3 Holiday
WGHB-AM 1130 Clearwater
WFHH-AM 850 Clearwater
WRXB-AM 1590 St. Pete Beach
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Who's Who - New Bios
Charlie Brown, Charles Burkhart, Bob Clark, Reggie Fine,
Tom Henderson,
Haywood Henson, Karol Kelly,
and Bob Seymour
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Check Out 14 New Audio Clips
Thanks to Reggie Fine for his
mid 80's WTMP clip with
newsman Tom Hankerson for Tampa Bay Audio Clips. And
to Dick Wheeler who got us
clips of WYOU's Bill Floyd (1969) and Laurie Bandemir (2009)
from Timeless Memories
WMGG AM-1470.
Look for newly-added 1989 station ID's from WGUL, WUSA, WWRM, and WYNF, a 1987 station ID from WKRL, and a couple 1999 Mason Dixon and Bobby Rich aircheck clips from WAKS 100.7 Kiss FM.
In Other Stations are a 1992 WPCV station ID and 1993 WEZY positioner, and in Other Polk County Stations are 1989 station ID's from WCIE and WHGS.
(Audio clips are filed
alphabetically by station.)
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New in the Photo Albums
For Tampa Bay Photo Album's "Mobile Units" Kevin Coldiron sent pics of 1980's and 90's remote vans from WQYK, WTKN, WUSA, WYNF, Mix 96 WMTX-FM, and WYUU. For "Studios" he sent a couple recent photos of the old WLVU-AM studios in Palm Harbor, a 2009 photo of the former WFSO/WPLP building in Seminole, a late 90's pic of WDAE/WUSA's Reo Street studios, and a 1992 shot of the WYUU tower.
Brad Moore added four 1979 WJYW photos in "Studios,"
plus one in "People" of himself
on the air at WWLF in 1981. He also sent a couple 1979 shots
of WROD/Daytona's remote
van that we added to the
"Mobile Units" pages of the
Central Florida Photo Album.
(Photos are filed
alphabetically by station.)
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Memorabilia
Earl Polk sent Tampa Bay Memorabilia a postcard photo
of Everett Whitney singing at a WHBO microphone for our
"Station Related" section and some WYOU "Newspaper Ads/Articles" from 1968, 1969, 1970, 1975, 1976, and 1977. We also added five WTSP ads. One announces
the new and modern WTSP-FM, courtesy Kevin Coldiron, who also included a 1982 photo of 98 Rock WQXM's studio sign for our
"Station Related Items."
Thanks to Brad Moore for
a 1979 WIPC rate card in
Polk County Memorabilia's
"Sales Related Items."
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And thanks to Frank Berry...
...for the vintage Chevrolet, Jello Pudding, Brylcreme, Top Value Stamps, and RCA Victor radio commercials running as our Featured Audio Clips.
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Be a part of RadioYears.com
Got photos, memorabilia, or information about Tampa Bay or other Central Florida stations and personalities to share?
We update our station history pages and personality bios as
new information comes in.
Check back with us often.
Click here to contact us.
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