WTLN (AM)

WTLN (990 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station located in Orlando, Florida. It is owned by the Salem Media Group and it airs a Christian talk and teaching radio format. The offices and studios are on Lake View Drive in Altamonte Springs. Some of the national religious leaders heard on WTLN include David Jeremiah, Chuck Swindoll, Jim Daly, John MacArthur and Charles Stanley. Hosts pay for 30 to 60 minute segments on WTLN and can use the time to seek donations to their ministries. WTLN is known as "AM 990 and FM 101.5 The Word."

WTLN
CityOrlando, Florida
Broadcast areaGreater Orlando
Frequency990 kHz
BrandingAM 990 and FM 101.5 The Word
Programming
Language(s)English
FormatChristian talk and teaching
AffiliationsSRN News
Ownership
OwnerSalem Media Group
(Salem Communications Holding Corporation)
WORL
History
First air date
December 5, 1947 (as WHOO)
Former call signs
WHOO (1947–1985)
WMMA (1985–1987)
WHOO (1987–2001)
WDYZ (2001–2019)
Technical information
Facility ID23442
ClassB
Power50,000 watts daytime
14,000 watts nighttime
Transmitter coordinates
28°34′27″N 81°27′46″W
Translator(s)101.5 W268CT (Orlando)
Links
WebcastListen Live
Websitethewordorlando.com

WTLN broadcasts by day at 50,000 watts, the maximum power for commercial AM stations, covering much of Central Florida. But it uses a directional antenna at all times. It must protect co-channel WMYM in Miami. At night, when radio waves travel further, power is reduced to 14,000 watts, with its signal directional towards the east, to protect clear channel station CBW in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The transmitter is off Park Hamilton Boulevard in Pine Hills.[1] Programming is also heard on 225 watt FM translator 101.5 W268CT in Orlando.[2]

History

Early years

On December 5, 1947, WHOO first signed on the air.[3] It was the ABC Radio Network affiliate for Orlando and was co-owned with the Sentinel Star newspaper. The studios were in the Fort Catelin Hotel.

An advertisement in the 1948 Broadcasting Yearbook said that WHOO celebrated its debut broadcast with 5,000 guests, a New York dance band and a full-time "girl singer." It boasted that it had Orlando's first city room to gather local and Florida news stories and the largest sports staff. A short time later, it added an FM station, 96.5 WHOO-FM (now WOEX).

In the late 1950s, as network programming moved from radio to television, WHOO shifted to a Top 40 music format and was a top-rated station in the market until slipping behind upstart AM 950 WLOF "Channel 95" in the mid-1960s. WHOO then switched to country music in 1968 and continued with this format until 1987, when the station switched its call sign to WMMA "Magic 99." airing a satellite-fed soft adult contemporary format from the Satellite Music Network. A short time later, it changed to oldies.

Standards, country and rock

A succession of formats followed over the next several years: the station was briefly WHTQ in 1988, simulcasting the album rock format of WHTQ-FM. It returned to the WHOO call sign with an adult standards format known as "The Music of Your Life." Within a year, it changed to classic country in 1989 and then returned to simulcasting WHTQ-FM's rock music (although still as WHOO) from 1990 to 1993.

In 1993, WHOO returned to adult standards, this time using the syndicated "Stardust" format from ABC Radio.

Radio Disney

In 2001, WHOO was acquired by the Walt Disney Corporation for $5 million.[4] With Orlando the home of Disney World, it was logical the company would flip WHOO to children's radio. The station became WDYZ as a Radio Disney owned and operated station. The DYZ stood for "Disney." The standards format and WHOO call letters were shifted onto AM 1080 in Kissimmee.

On August 13, 2014, Disney put WDYZ and 22 other Radio Disney stations up for sale, in order to focus on digital distribution of the Radio Disney network.[5][6] On December 15, the Radio Disney Group filed to sell WDYZ to the Pennsylvania Media Associates, Inc.[7] Pennsylvania Media is a subsidiary of the Salem Media Group.[8] The FCC granted the sale on February 10, 2015.[9]

Salem ownership

On March 10, 2015, Salem Media CEO Ed Atsinger revealed that WDYZ would be the eighth company-owned station to carry Salem's "Radio Luz" Spanish Christian format.[10] On March 18, 2015, WDYZ dropped Radio Disney programming and went silent.[11] The sale was consummated on March 27, 2015.[12] On April 13, 2015, WDYZ returned to the air with a Spanish Christian format, branded as "La Nueva 990."

On August 5, 2019, WDYZ flipped from Spanish Christian programming to English-language Christian talk and teaching, branded as "The Word."[13] It was part of a Salem Media shuffle of its Orlando stations. AM 660 WORL, the home of Salem's conservative talk format, was sold. Salem shifted WORL's programming and call sign to AM 950. In turn, the WTLN call letters and Christian talk and teaching format moved up the dial to AM 990.

References
  1. Radio-Locator.com/WTLN
  2. Radio-Locator.com/W268CT
  3. Broadcasting Yearbook 1948 page 106
  4. Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2002-2003 page D-99
  5. Lafayette, Jon (August 13, 2014). "Exclusive: Radio Disney Moving Off Air to Digital". Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  6. "Radio Disney to Sell the Majority of Its Stations". Billboard. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  7. "Application for Consent to Assignment of Broadcast Station Construction Permit or License". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. December 15, 2014. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
  8. Parties to the Application - FCC
  9. Application Search Details - FCC
  10. Salem Reveals Pending Formats For Disney Acquisitions - Radio Insight
  11. Notification of Suspension of Operations / Request for Silent STA - FCC
  12. Consummation Notice - FCC
  13. Salem Begins Orlando Format Shuffle Radioinsight - August 6, 2019
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