City of Okeechobee Mayor Presents Proclamation! Businesses Salute WOKC’s Milestone on Signs! In 1962, three radio pioneers did the unthinkable. Frank Denmead, Charles Castle and William A. “Al” Stokes took a chance and launched a radio station in Okeechobee in a community of just 6,000 residents. On February 6, 1962, WOKC RADIO signed on the air at 2:00pm on a Tuesday. Owned by Sugarland Broadcasting Company under the direction of Mr. Denmead, the station was reportedly sold on the day it went on the air to Mr. Castle and Mr. Stokes, who did most of the work to get the station on the air in the first place. The new owner was Okeechobee Broadcasters, Inc. In 1964, Okeechobee Broadcasters, Inc. added the first FM station in Okeechobee, WLMC FM 103.1.
The station's studios were in the northwest corner of the third floor of the old Southland Hotel, which stood where the CVS Pharmacy is now, and were directly above the Okeechobee Post Office, which was housed in the ground floor of the Hotel. The primary format was intended as country, but some Top 40 music was included in the mix. The station was an ABC network affiliate. Its 165-ft. tower was in a field where Holiday Inn Express is now located. In addition to local and state news, the original list of station programs in 1962 included “Album Time, In Stereo,” (There was no AM stereo at the time) “Driving Tips” (twice a day) “Old Timer’s Show,” (gospel) “The Livestock Report,” and a show that is still on the air 50 years later, “The Country Store,” a buy, sell and trade program. In 2001 WOKC AM was purchased by Glades Media, LLC, the current owner. In 2007, Glades Media added WOKC FM 100.9 and today, WOKC AM/FM remains a truly local radio station that serves an area from Fort Drum, near Yee Haw Junction, to Moore Haven on the Southwest side of Lake Okeechobee. In addition, Glades Media also manages WAFC 106.1FM, Radio Fiesta, Okeechobee’s first-ever Hispanic station owned by BMZ Broadcasting, a great addition to a community where the Hispanic population is 24%. Today, the Okeechobee county population has grown to over 40,000 full-time residents and there are approximately 14,000 seasonal residents and an average of 1,000 visitors who come to the “big lake” each week-end to fish, relax and enjoy the many special events. In the 50 years the station has been on the air, WOKC has always been a “local” station serving the people of Okeechobee and Glades Counties as well as western Martin County and Eastern Highlands County with daily local news, weather, sports, business and agricultural news all programmed to meet the needs of local residents and businesses. On Monday, February 6th, WOKC Program Director and morning man, Billy Dean, dedicated the entire show to a historical look-back at the first days of WOKC. Ron Hayes who was just 13 years-old when the station signed on the air, became fascinated with the local station and by the age of 15 he was on the air at WOKC. Ron, who spends his time now working with the Okeechobee Community Theatre, was Billy’s guest and he shared audio from various station programs going back to the early 1960s and 1970s. He has been labeled the WOKC historian and keeper of the archives with his fascinating collection of audio, pictures and artifacts from the first days of WOKC.
In the 1970s, Ron Hayes was WOKC’s program director/announcer. His recollection of WOKC’s early days captivated the listening audience and listeners responded with their thanks and shared their memories of life 50 years ago in Okeechobee.
Former WOKC announcers from across the country recorded greetings recognizing WOKC’s 50th Anniversary, including Mylan Ray, now on the air in radio in Minnesota and soon to be inducted into the Iowa Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame, John Sims, News Director with KTBB in Tyler, Texas and Jim Williams, now living in Seattle, Washington and retired from broadcasting, just to name a few. Throughout the month of February, WOKC will continue the celebration by airing specials announcements that capture the 1960s, in Okeechobee, the State of Florida and the Nation. |
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