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WOCL
Broadcast areaGreater Orlando - Central Florida
Frequency105.9 MHz (HD Radio)
Branding1059 Sunny FM
Programming
Language(s)English
FormatClassic hits[1]
Subchannels
Ownership
Owner
History
First air date
July 10, 1967; 57 years ago (1967-07-10)
Former call signs
WOOO-FM (1967–1970)
WDLF (1971–1974)
WELE-FM (1974–1986)
Call sign meaning
Orlando's CooL (former format)
Technical information
Facility ID10138
ClassC
ERP100,000 watts
HAAT484 meters (1,588 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
28°55′12″N 81°19′08″W / 28.920°N 81.319°W / 28.920; -81.319
Translator(s)HD3: 93.5 W228DF (Orlando)
Links
WebcastListen live (via Audacy)
Websiteaudacy.com/1059sunnyfm

WOCL (105.9 MHz "Sunny FM") is a commercial FM radio station, licensed to DeLand, Florida, and serving Greater Orlando and Central Florida. It is owned by Audacy, Inc., and airs a classic hits radio format, focusing on the hits from the 1980s but with some 70s and 90s titles as well.[2] The radio studios and offices are on Pembrook Drive in Maitland.[3]

WOCL has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 100,000 watts, the maximum for non-grandfathered FM stations. The transmitter is on Miller Road in Orange City, Florida.[4] WOCL can be heard as far away as the Space Coast in Brevard County, and the eastern shores of Central Florida. To the North, the station can be heard up to Jacksonville. Sunny can also be heard as far west as the Nature Coast of Citrus and Hernando Counties. Sunny FM is also one of the few Orlando stations to cover Ocala with a decent signal.

History

Country and Oldies

On July 10, 1967; 57 years ago (1967-07-10), the station signed on the air.[5] It was a country music station with a limited signal. The original call sign was WOOO-FM, which changed to WDLF three years later.[6][7] It was sold in 1977 and re-branded as WELE-FM as a sister station of WELE 1380 AM in South Daytona, Florida.[8]

In 1986, the format was shifted to oldies and the call sign changed to WOCL.[9] Initially called "Class 105.9", it was renamed "Cool 105.9" in February 1988.[10][11]

On April 8, 1999, the oldies format was moved to WSHE at 100.3 and called Cool 100. (That station has since been reformatted to Latin pop and become Rumba 100.3 with new call letters WRUM.) 105.9, meanwhile, was changed to Jammin' Oldies, a fad format at the time, and re-branded Power 105.9.[12][13][14][15]

CBS Radio ownership

In 2000, as part of AMFM Media's merger with Clear Channel, WOCL was sold off to Infinity Broadcasting (renamed CBS Radio in 2005). By this time, the Jammin' Oldies format had entered a period of decline. Between October 31, 2000, and January 4, 2008, the station played modern rock, known as O-Rock 105.9. During this time, they were also noted for airing the Howard Stern morning show and also the Mr. Burgess prank calls.[citation needed]"[16][17][18][19]

O-Rock 105.9 logo used from October 31, 2000 until January 4, 2008. The logo would later be in use again after O-Rock returned on WOCL-HD2.

Two talk shows, The Morning After Show and The Jody & Scott Show were turned into music-only shows in mid-2007.[20]

Stunting and 2008 format change

Sunny 105.9 logo used from 2008 to 2010.

Without warning, at 9:00 a.m. on January 4, 2008, after playing "Down" by 311, WOCL dismissed its on-air staff and began stunting with Bill Drake's The History of Rock & Roll program. During this time, WOCL's webpage displayed a banner with pictures revolving between country music stars, classical figures such as Beethoven, smooth jazz icons such as Kenny G, and sports icons.

At 12:40 p.m. on January 10, 2008, the station began playing a year-by-year montage of snippets of popular culture (including movies, commercials, and of course, hit music) and news stories covering the years from 1965 to 1989. This montage was similar to the one played by WCBS-FM in New York City when that station relaunched its oldies/classic hits format in July 2007, and almost exactly the same one that would be used by classic hits convert WJMK in Chicago in March 2011. At 1:05:09 p.m., WOCL re-launched with a Classic hits format, branded as Sunny 105.9.[21] It features a playlist and imaging that closely resembles that of WCBS-FM in New York. The first song played on "Sunny 105.9" was "That's The Way I Like It" by the Florida-based group KC and the Sunshine Band.[22]

The shift left WJRR as Orlando's only alternative rock station, although WJRR transitioned back to active rock in 2011 because of panel changes on Nielsen BDS. (Alternative would make two subsequent comebacks on analog Orlando Radio - first at 107.3 FM from June 2014 to February 2016, then on sister station 101.9 WQMP in November 2017.) O-Rock 105.9 returned as an HD2 channel in April 2008, restoring its modern rock format.

In February 2010, WOCL modified its moniker to 105.9 Sunny FM, focusing on music from 1970 (with a few songs per day from the 1960s) to 1989, with the core being the late 1970s and 1980s, with even some 1990s.

Entercom/Audacy ownership

On February 2, 2017, CBS Radio announced it would merge with Entercom.[23] The merger was approved on November 9, 2017, and was consummated on the 17th.[24][25]

In 2018, the station changed its slogan to "We Own the 80s", and also updated its logo. The station tweaked its format, dropping all 1960s music, and most music before 1975. The station's playlist is mostly 1980s music with some 1970s and 1990s songs. In 2020, WOCL adopted the slogan "Nobody Plays More 80's".

On March 30, 2021, Entercom rebranded as Audacy, Inc.

WOCL-HD2

WOCL's former modern rock format "O-Rock" aired on WOCL's HD2 subchannel from 2008 until 2019. That format stayed in place even after sister station WQMP switched to alternative rock in November 2017. A simulcast of New York sports radio station WFAN moved from 105.9 HD3 to 105.9 HD2 to accommodate the playlist overlap of sister alternative rock station WQMP and move of regional Mexican-formatted "Ok 93.5" from WOTW-HD3. In early 2020, Entercom switched the feed of 105.9 HD2 from the WFAN simulcast to the national CBS Sports Radio feed.

WOCL-HD3

WOCL is the current originating station of Regional Mexican-formatted "Ok 93.5", moving from WOTW-HD3. Ok 93.5 is rebroadcast onto FM translator W228DF, heard on 93.5 MHz.

Broadcast translator for WOCL-HD3
Call sign Frequency City of license FID ERP (W) HAAT Class Transmitter coordinates FCC info
W228DF 93.5 FM FM Orlando, Florida 156373 240 121 m (397 ft) D 28°32′29″N 81°30′39″W / 28.54139°N 81.51083°W / 28.54139; -81.51083 LMS

References

  1. ^ "Arbitron Station Information Profiles". Arbitron.com. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
  2. ^ "Arbitron Station Information Profiles". Arbitron.com. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
  3. ^ Audacy.com/1059sunnyfm/contact-us
  4. ^ Radio-Locator.com/WOCL
  5. ^ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2009 (PDF). 2009. p. D-133. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  6. ^ "WOOO-FM 105.9 Deland". Cflradio.net. 1965-07-10. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
  7. ^ "WDLF-FM 105.9 Deland". Cflradio.net. 1967-07-10. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
  8. ^ "WELE-FM 105.9 Deland". Cflradio.net. 1967-07-10. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
  9. ^ "Archives: OrlandoSentinel.com - WELE CHANGING OWNERS AND NAME". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. 1986-01-13. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
  10. ^ "Archives: OrlandoSentinel.com - COOL RULES AT WOCL". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. 1988-02-16. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
  11. ^ "WOCL-FM 105.9 Deland". Cflradio.net. 1988-02-14. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
  12. ^ "Archives: OrlandoSentinel.com - OLDIES STATION WOCL HAS LOST ITS `COOL' MANAGEMENT CHANGES ITS TUNE, DUMPS THE ELVIS CROWD IN FAVOR OF DISCO, '70S SOUL AND MOTOWN". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. 1999-04-14. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
  13. ^ http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1999/RR-1999-04-09.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  14. ^ "R&R" (PDF). Americanradiohistory.com. April 23, 1999. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
  15. ^ "WOCL-FM 105.9 Power 105.9". Cflradio.net. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
  16. ^ "Rhythmic Oldies "Power 105.9" WOCL becomes "O-Rock 105-9" - Format Change Archive". Formatchange.com. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
  17. ^ "Archives: OrlandoSentinel.com - ALTERNATIVE ROCK FORMAT HITS AIRWAVES". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. 2000-11-01. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
  18. ^ "Archives: OrlandoSentinel.com - O-ROCK ROLLS INTO TOWN AS JAMMIN' OLDIES SHUFFLES OFF POWER 105.9 LAUNCHES AN ALTERNATIVE ROCK FORMAT WITH A NEW SENSE OF OPTIMISM". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. 2000-11-03. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
  19. ^ "R&R" (PDF). Americanradiohistory.com. November 3, 2000. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
  20. ^ "WOCL-FM 105.9 Deland". Cflradio.net. 1967-07-10. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
  21. ^ "WOCL-FM 105.9 Deland". Cflradio.net. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
  22. ^ ""O-Rock" 105.9 WOCL Orlando Becomes "Sunny 105.9" - Format Change Archive". Formatchange.com. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
  23. ^ CBS Radio to Merge with Entercom
  24. ^ "Entercom Receives FCC Approval for Merger with CBS Radio". Entercom. November 9, 2017. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  25. ^ Venta, Lance (November 17, 2017). "Entercom Completes CBS Radio Merger". Radio Insight. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
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