Who's Who at WONN

Ed Kirkland

Ed is a Polk County native - born in Bartow, raised in Highland City, and a graduate of Bartow High School. He also attended Southeastern College in Lakeland. Art Rowbotham, President of Hall Communications, saw potential in Ed because he hired him for WONN and WPCV sales in 1987. Five years later Ed left for the Polk Shopper where he was Sales Manager for two years, but returned to radio in 1994 and spent a year selling for Root Communications’ WLKF/WEZY.

When Root sold off WEZY to Paxson in 1995, Ed returned to WONN and WPCV. Then, a year later, when Hall bought the stand-alone WLKF and the next year launched Lakeland’s new FM, WWRZ 98.3, The Rose, he was named sales manager for both while also selling for WONN and WPCV.

Ed is a board member of Leland Ministries, an outreach program for incarcerated youth and is instrumental in the fundraising branch of the program. He is a former president of the Imperial Polk Ad Federation, an organization that has named him “Advertising Man of the Year” three times, and has served on boards for the 4th district of the American Advertising Federation, which bestowed on him the prestigious Silver Medal Award.

If all that isn’t enough to keep a person busy, Ed also finds time to run his own business, Promotions Plus, a home and office entertainment and catering service.

Station History