WWKA
| Company type | Commercial radio station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Radio broadcasting |
| Founded | 1949 |
| Headquarters | Orlando, Florida , United States |
Area served | Central Florida (including Daytona Beach, Palm Bay, Lakeland) |
| Products | Country music radio programming |
| Owner | Cox Media Group |
WWKA (92.3 FM, branded as "K92-3") operates as a commercial radio station specializing in country music in Orlando, Florida. It is under the ownership of Cox Media Group. The station's studios and administrative offices are situated along North John Young Parkway in Orlando. Its transmission antenna, delivering an effective radiated power of 100,000 watts with beam tilt, is located in Bithlo, providing coverage across a broad area of Central Florida, including Daytona Beach, Palm Bay, and Lakeland. WWKA broadcasts utilizing the HD radio technology.
WDBO-FM
The station commenced broadcasting in 1949 under the call letters WDBO-FM as a companion to AM station WDBO, both held by the Orlando Broadcasting Company. During its early years, the two stations simulcasted and were affiliated with the CBS Radio Network, airing popular programming during radio’s "Golden Age." By 1950, WDBO-AM-FM had captured the largest audience share in Orlando, surpassing the combined listenership of the next three network stations.
In 1954, the company launched WDBO-TV. As television became the primary medium for network shows, WDBO-AM-FM shifted to a full-service local format that included middle of the road music, news, sports, and talk programs. By the late 1960s, WDBO-FM discontinued simulcasting and adopted an easy listening format marketed as "good music."
Country music WWKA
Following acquisition by Katz Broadcasting in 1982, WDBO-FM transitioned to a country music format and rebranded as WWKA, known on-air as "K92FM". (The WDBO-FM callsign was later reassigned in Orlando in 2011 at 96.5 MHz). Meanwhile, WDBO-TV changed its call letters to WCPX and is currently known as WKMG-TV, owned by Graham Media Group.
The switch to country music met some initial opposition; notably, on December 21, three broadcasters staged a brief protest by locking themselves inside the studio. This incident was resolved within hours.
Ownership changes
In August 1986, ownership transferred to Newhouse Corporation for both WWKA and WDBO.[1] While Newhouse expanded talk programming on AM 580's WDBO, it preserved WWKA's country music format.
Cox Communications acquired WWKA and WDBO in 1997,[2] adding to its portfolio which included ABC affiliate WFTV. In 2012, WWKA updated its branding by removing ‘FM’ from its station name.