WDYZ (AM)

WDYZ (660 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Altamonte Springs, Florida, and serving Greater Orlando. The station is owned by JVC Media and airs a hot talk radio format. The studios and offices are in Maitland, Florida.

WDYZ
CityAltamonte Springs, Florida
Broadcast areaGreater Orlando
BrandingFlorida Man Radio 660 AM 105.5 FM
SloganUnfiltered. Unafraid.
Frequency660 kHz
Translator(s)105.5 W288CJ (Oviedo)
Repeater(s)WYGC
First air date1986 (as WGOR at 650 in Christmas, Florida)
FormatHot talk
Power3,500 watts day
1,000 watts night
ClassB
Facility ID21810
Call sign meaningDYZ (DISney, former owner of 990 AM)
Former call signsWGNZ (1984–1986, CP)
WGOR (1986–1989)
WORL (1989–2019)
Former frequencies650 kHz (1986–1990s)
OwnerJVC Media
(JVC Media of Florida, LLC)
Sister stationsWOTW
Websitewww.floridamanradio.com

WDYZ's transmitter is off Charles Street in Longwood.[1] The station uses a three-tower array. It is powered with 3,500 watts by day. But because AM 660 is a clear channel frequency reserved for WFAN in New York City, WDYZ must reduce power to 1,000 watts at night. The station uses a directional antenna at all times. Programming is also heard on a 250-watt FM translator, W288CJ at 105.5 MHz in Oviedo.[2]

History

The station first signed on the air in 1986 as WGOR.[3] Originally it broadcast on 650 kHz and was licensed to Christmas, Florida. WGOR was a daytimer, powered with 10,000 watts but required to go off the air at night. It carried a Christian radio format.

In the 1990s, the station was acquired by Floyco, Inc.[4] It changed its call sign to WORL to represent Orlando. It moved one spot up the dial to AM 660 and changed its city of license to Altamonte Springs. The move was designed to allow the station to broadcast around the clock, which was not possible when it was on AM 650, due to its proximity to WSM Nashville, the 50,000 watt clear channel station on 650 kHz.

In 2001, WORL was acquired by James Crystal, Inc., which also owned stations in the Miami and West Palm Beach radio markets. Crystal programmed a mix of talk, business news and religion. But the company ran into financial problems several years later. In 2006, Salem Media acquired the station, to air its own line up of conservative talk programming.[5]

In July 2019, it was announced that JVC Broadcasting, owners of country station WOTW, would acquire WORL and its FM translator for $900,000.[6] Salem moved the conservative talk format to WTLN 950 on August 19, 2019, and the station carried a looping promo redirecting listeners to the station. As Salem retained rights to the WORL calls, the WDYZ calls from a sister station were swapped to WORL. JVC announced that it planned to launch a new hot talk format on the station, Florida Man Radio, which officially launched on September 9th, featuring hosts like Bubba the Love Sponge, Scott Ledger, and The Shannon Burke Show (which had been displaced by WYAY in Atlanta after its sale and conversion to K-Love). [7] [8]

In November 2019, JVC announced plans to syndicate the Florida Man Radio programming state-wide, adding Gainesville sister station WYGC to the network beginning November 11, 2019.[9] The station also announced that Ed Tyll would join the network as midday host.[10]

References
  1. Radio-Locator.com/WDYZ
  2. Radio-Locator.com/W288CJ
  3. Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1989 page B-58
  4. Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2000 page D-85
  5. Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2010 page D-131
  6. "JVC Media Acquires 105.5 The Answer Orlando". RadioInsight. 2019-07-17. Retrieved 2019-08-23.
  7. "The Answer Completes Its Move In Orlando". RadioInsight. 2019-08-19. Retrieved 2019-08-23.
  8. "JVC Media To Launch Florida Man Radio In Orlando". RadioInsight. 2019-08-23. Retrieved 2019-08-23.
  9. "Florida Man Radio Expanding To Gainesville; Adds Ed Tyll". RadioInsight. 2019-11-05. Retrieved 2019-11-06.
  10. Boedeker, Hal. "Florida Man Radio adds Ed Tyll at midday". orlandosentinel.com. Retrieved 2019-11-06.

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