WOCL

Infobox Radio station
name = WOCL


city = Deland, Florida
area = Greater Orlando/Daytona Beach
branding = "Sunny 105.9"
slogan = "Orlando's Greatest Hits"
airdate =
frequency = 105.9 MHz FM
HD Radio
105.9-2 FM Alternative rock "O-Rock" (HD Radio)
format = Oldies/Classic Hits
erp = 96,000 watts
haat = 484 meters
class = C
facility_id = 10138
callsign_meaning = Orlando's CLass (former station branding)
owner = CBS Radio "(sale pending)"
sister_stations = WJHM, WOMX-FM
webcast = [http://player.play.it/player/player.html?id=484&onestat=wocl HD1] , [http://player.play.it/player/player.html?id=2113&onestat=wocl HD2]
website = [http://www.sunny1059.com/ www.sunny1059.com]

WOCL (105.9 FM, "Sunny 105.9") is a radio station broadcasting in Orlando, Florida. The station airs a 1960s, '70s, and '80s Oldies/Classic Hits format known as "Greatest Hits" concentrating primarily on music released from 1964 to 1989. It is similar to the format used by sister station WCBS-FM in New York. The station can be heard not only in the Orlando area, but also 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 Palatka, in Putnam County. It can also be heard in portions of the Tampa Bay Area.

History

* 1965: Station launched as WDLF a country music station based in Deland
* 1977: Call sign changed to WELE-FM after being sold to Joe Gratz, then owner of WELE-AM 1380
* 1986: Format changed to 60's - 80's oldies as "Class 105.9" with new call letters as WOCL
* 1988: Format changed to 50's - 70's oldies as "Cool 105.9".
* 1999: Format changed to Jammin' Oldies as "Power 105-9".
* October 31, 2000: Format changed to alternative rock as "O-Rock 105-9". For the next seven years, the station varied in the rock genre, starting off as a broad-based alternative rock format, then active rock, and then back to a more modern-based rock format focusing on considerably more new music.
* January 4, 2008: Station drops alternative rock format and begins playing Bill Drake's "The History of Rock & Roll".
* January 10, 2008: Station begins airing an oldies/classic hits format as "Sunny 105.9".

While the station was under a modern rock music format, they were also noted for doing the Mr. Bergis prank calls, a series of prank calls to a racist and homophobic man named Richard M. Bergis, who constantly explodes into profanity-laced tirades after the deejays provoke him by calling him multiple times or exposing his racist and homophobic beliefs. These prank calls became an internet phenomenon.Fact|date=April 2008

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

=Stunting and 2008 format change=

Without warning on Friday, January 4, 2008, at 9 AM, the station dismissed its on-air staff and began the transition to a new format.Fact|date=April 2008 The alternative rock format was abandoned, and was replaced with Bill Drake's "The History of Rock & Roll" program. The last song played on O-Rock was "Down" by 311. WOCL's webpage shows a banner with pictures revolving between country music stars, classical figures such as Beethoven, smooth jazz icons such as Kenny G, and sports.

At 12:40 PM on January 10, 2008, the station began playing a year-by-year musical montage covering the years from 1964 to 1989. This montage was similar to the one played by WCBS-FM in New York when they relaunched their oldies/classic hits format known as "Greatest Hits" on July 12, 2007. At 1:05:09 PM (Station "105.9"), the station launched a "Greatest Hits" hits format branded as "Sunny 105.9". It features a playlist and imaging that closely resembles that of WCBS-FM. The first song played on Sunny 105.9 was KC and The Sunshine Band's That's The Way I Like It.

A MySpace page maintained by CBS indicated that O-Rock will return as an HD-2 channel and stream online. At that time, orock1059.com will relaunch.As of April 2008, O-Rock is now broadcasting on WOCL's 2nd channel, calling itself "O-Rock HD2."

Personalities

*Downtown Billy Brown, Weekday Mornings
*Bob Berry, Weekday Afternoons
*Chris Orion, Weeknights

External links

* [http://www.sunny1059.com/ WOCL official website]
* [http://www.myspace.com/orock1059 "O-Rock 105.9" MySpace page]
* [http://radioinsight.com/boards/index.php?t=rview&goto=60752&th=13599 Radio forum posting tracking the stunting]

*FMQ|WOCL
*FML|WOCL
*FMARB|WOCL