WWMI
Encyclopedia
WWMI is a radio station
broadcasting a children's radio
format. Licensed to St. Petersburg, Florida
, USA, the station serves the Tampa Bay area
. The station is owned by The Walt Disney Company
.
affiliate, WTSP-AM 1380 and its FM, 102.5, from the St. Petersburg Times
in 1956. Not interested in pursuing FM, they shut it down a year later. On July 15, 1959, the AM's call letters and format switched to WLCY ("Radio Elsie
") and Top 40.
For many years WLCY-AM was the Tampa Bay area’s premiere rock and roll
station, with offices, studios, and transmitter in the previous WTSP facility on Gandy Boulevard near 4th Street North.
The disc jockey
s during the era were known as "The Swingin' Gentlemen" and included "Stanley Steamer" Jim Stanley (mornings), Johnny Dart (Stan Grams), Rick Morgan, Mark Wheeler, "Shy Guy" Roy Nilson (also the Program Director), Al Dunaway, "Swingin' Sweeney," Johnny Rebel (Herb Hunt), George Nix, Jack E. Rabbitt, Dick Stambaugh (later Dick Starr in Miami), Tedd Webb, Bob Tracey, "Big Daddy" Don Owens, Pepper Lipsinx (James Wayman), Frank Lynn, Kenny Parks, Bob Collins, Bob Cannon, (Clande Miranda), Jeff Laurence, Johnny Stevens, Dave Archard, Bob Carr, D.J. O'Day, Rock Robbins (Bob Bernstein), Murph McHenry, Al Summers, Jack Kane, Bobby Lyons, Dean Drapin, Ron Parker, Dutch Walker, Wade West, Jim Clark, Johnny Byrd (Dennis Waters), Daylon Rushing, Mike Scott (Jim Shirah) and Lolita (Dottie Groven).
Clair Linn provided news and the "WLCY Weather Chick" was Charlene Mathias. Newsman Marshall Cleaver hosted a late-night call-in show, Open Mike, and was succeeded by Harvey Sheldon. Jingles were tagged with, "WLCY, One-thirty-eight!"
The station later shared space with Rahall’s WLCY-TV
and the new WLCY-FM
at the "Rahall Color Communications Center", just east of the original Gandy site. The name of the licensee changed to WLCY, Inc., on June 20, 1963 and then to the Rahall Communications Corporation on October 3, 1969. WLCY-AM began to identify dual city of license as "St. Petersburg-Tampa" in 1976.
Rahall began to divest itself of its Tampa Bay properties, and in September 1978, Florida Radio, Inc. became the station's new owner. WLCY moved out of the TV building and back into the old WTSP studios.
In 1981, the station was sold to Harte-Hanks
and was changed to WNSI-AM (News, Sports and Information), and later, WRBQ-AM. In 1999, ABC Radio bought the station and it became WWMI.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
broadcasting a children's radio
Children's radio
Children's radio is a radio format aimed primarily at pre-teen children. Examples include the Radio Disney network of radio stations, XM Kids satellite radio channel and in the UK Fun Kids....
format. Licensed to St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
, USA, the station serves the Tampa Bay area
Tampa Bay Area
The Tampa Bay Area is the region of west central Florida adjacent to Tampa Bay. Definitions of the region vary. It is often considered equivalent to the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater Metropolitan Statistical Area defined by the United States Census Bureau. The Census Bureau currently...
. The station is owned by The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
.
History
Brothers Joe, Sam and Farris Rahall bought the city's Mutual Broadcasting SystemMutual Broadcasting System
The Mutual Broadcasting System was an American radio network, in operation from 1934 to 1999. In the golden age of U.S. radio drama, MBS was best known as the original network home of The Lone Ranger and The Adventures of Superman and as the long-time radio residence of The Shadow...
affiliate, WTSP-AM 1380 and its FM, 102.5, from the St. Petersburg Times
St. Petersburg Times
The St. Petersburg Times is a United States newspaper. It is one of two major publications serving the Tampa Bay Area, the other being The Tampa Tribune, which the Times tops in both circulation and readership. Based in St...
in 1956. Not interested in pursuing FM, they shut it down a year later. On July 15, 1959, the AM's call letters and format switched to WLCY ("Radio Elsie
Elsie the Cow
Elsie the Cow has been the spokescow for the Borden Dairy Company since her introduction in 1936.Elsie was created in the 1930s to symbolize the “Perfect Dairy Product,” and made an appearance at the New York World's Fair in 1939. She also starred in a movie, RKO's Little Men, in 1940...
") and Top 40.
For many years WLCY-AM was the Tampa Bay area’s premiere rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
station, with offices, studios, and transmitter in the previous WTSP facility on Gandy Boulevard near 4th Street North.
The disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
s during the era were known as "The Swingin' Gentlemen" and included "Stanley Steamer" Jim Stanley (mornings), Johnny Dart (Stan Grams), Rick Morgan, Mark Wheeler, "Shy Guy" Roy Nilson (also the Program Director), Al Dunaway, "Swingin' Sweeney," Johnny Rebel (Herb Hunt), George Nix, Jack E. Rabbitt, Dick Stambaugh (later Dick Starr in Miami), Tedd Webb, Bob Tracey, "Big Daddy" Don Owens, Pepper Lipsinx (James Wayman), Frank Lynn, Kenny Parks, Bob Collins, Bob Cannon, (Clande Miranda), Jeff Laurence, Johnny Stevens, Dave Archard, Bob Carr, D.J. O'Day, Rock Robbins (Bob Bernstein), Murph McHenry, Al Summers, Jack Kane, Bobby Lyons, Dean Drapin, Ron Parker, Dutch Walker, Wade West, Jim Clark, Johnny Byrd (Dennis Waters), Daylon Rushing, Mike Scott (Jim Shirah) and Lolita (Dottie Groven).
Clair Linn provided news and the "WLCY Weather Chick" was Charlene Mathias. Newsman Marshall Cleaver hosted a late-night call-in show, Open Mike, and was succeeded by Harvey Sheldon. Jingles were tagged with, "WLCY, One-thirty-eight!"
The station later shared space with Rahall’s WLCY-TV
WTSP
WTSP is a CBS-affiliated television station in St. Petersburg, Florida . It broadcasts its digital signal on VHF channel 10....
and the new WLCY-FM
WWRM
WWRM is an adult contemporary music formatted radio station serving the Tampa-St. Petersburg, Florida radio market. WWRM began on 107.3 , but later moved to 94.9 with its soft AC format...
at the "Rahall Color Communications Center", just east of the original Gandy site. The name of the licensee changed to WLCY, Inc., on June 20, 1963 and then to the Rahall Communications Corporation on October 3, 1969. WLCY-AM began to identify dual city of license as "St. Petersburg-Tampa" in 1976.
Rahall began to divest itself of its Tampa Bay properties, and in September 1978, Florida Radio, Inc. became the station's new owner. WLCY moved out of the TV building and back into the old WTSP studios.
In 1981, the station was sold to Harte-Hanks
Harte-Hanks
Harte-Hanks is an advertising and direct marketing company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is particularly associated with the publication of weekly shopper publications, with 13 million circulation weekly in 1100 separate editions of the PennySaver and Flyer each week in California and...
and was changed to WNSI-AM (News, Sports and Information), and later, WRBQ-AM. In 1999, ABC Radio bought the station and it became WWMI.