Who's Who at WPLA

Jim Maloy

Jim wanted to be in radio as far back as he could remember and, in 1960, finally got his foot in the door at WPLA, his hometown station in Plant City (FL), while still in high school. The 16-year old stayed with the station part-time during his junior and senior year, handling the music and an afternoon air shift, and then went fulltime following graduation.  

From there, he made stops at Lakeland’s WONN (MD and evenings, then mid-days), WHOO Orlando (mid-days), WWKE in Ocala (MD and afternoons), and again WPLA for his first PD’s job. In 1973, he began a four-year stint as PD/MD and pulled afternoon drive for Tampa Bay’s WQYK before leaving for Memphis to do late mornings at Plough’s flagship station WMPS. After that, he returned to Florida as PD/MD and afternoons at Lakeland’s WQPD, did mornings for five years with Cypress Gardens’ WGTO, and then mid-days at Lakeland’s easy-listening WEZY-FM.

Jim joined his final station in 1997, helping to launch Lakeland’s new 98.3 WWRZ. Since his air shift was afternoons, he was also able to become a regular (as “The Connoisseur of the Obscure”) on sister station WONN-AM’s morning show in 2001 and 2002. After 43 years behind the microphone, his broadcast career came to a close November 14, 2003 when he announced his retirement. The following year, he established RadioYears.com, his website devoted to the history of radio in the Greater Tampa Bay area.

Station History