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WCWR - A History

WCWR-AM 1470 Tarpon Springs – In its early days, Tampa Bay’s AM-1470 was Tarpon Springs’ five-kilowatt daytimer WBOY and WDCL (Dunedin-CLearwater). Then, it became WRBB (“Radio’s Big Beat”) in 1961, the station that backed “The Twist.” 

In 1964, AM-1470 flipped to a country format as WCWR (Wonderful Country Western Radio), owned by Pinellas Broadcasters (Cyril W. Reddoch, president and general manager). The station took on the moniker “The Boss of the Bay,” Tampa Bay’s first oldies station, in 1969 when Peeples Broadcasting (Joseph Peeples, president) acquired the station, re-licensed it to Dunedin, dumped the country format, and moved studios into the newly-opened Sunshine Mall in Clearwater. Lee Gorman, formerly with WINS/New York and Tampa’s WALT, became the GM around 1972.

The original Boss Jock lineup featured Tedd Webb (mornings), “Dangerous” Dan E. Miller (A.J. Anello from 9-12), PD John Anthony (12-3pm), and Joey Jay (Joey Stier from 3 to sign off). Webb came to WCWR from a stint in the Air Force and Anthony and Jay were brought in from WOR, the Drake station in New York.

In 1974, the oldies format was canned and the old WDCL calls resurrected as the station switched to an MOR format under the ownership of Dunedin Broadcasting Co. (John H. Price, president and GM). 

Other names from WCWR’s history (pre-oldies period) include: John McCrary (sales manager), Ted Seaman (chief engineer), David Morrison (news director), Roy Henderson (PD), Forrest T. Carlisle, Dan A. Rose, Jr. (PD), and Edgar Cole II.

Others names from WCWR history as an oldies and MOR station include: Frank Scott, Daylon Rushing, Scott Owens, Brent Alberts, who took the name Ted Webb (note the different spelling of the first name) because, it’s said, management didn’t want to pay for another jock ID jingle, Christopher Wayne (GM Mel Tinney), Billy Shannon (Bill Morejohn), Johnnie Dark (Robert Ottinger), John Scott, George Gainey (sales manager), Tom Storey (chief engineer), and Howard Hewes. GM’s during the oldies period included Arthur S. Karp and Mel Tinney.

Station History