WTPA (AM)

The Pompano Beach Broadcasting Corporation received a construction permit for a daytime-only radio station on 980 kHz in Pompano Beach on October 15, 1958. WLOD, standing for "Wonderful Land of Dreams",{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39854556/|title=A Star is Born in Broward County|date=May 1, 1959|page=9-E|access-date=November 30, 2019|work=Fort Lauderdale News}} went on the air on May 1, 1959. The station went through several changes of ownership in its first few years. Before going on air, Wellington Shilling and Charles Johnson had sold their stakes to Arthur Harre and Leonard Versluis; within a year, the station had been acquired by the Franklin Broadcasting Company, which owned it until selling to Sunrise Broadcasting Company in 1965.{{Cite web|url= https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=66082 |title= History Cards for WTPA|publisher=Federal Communications Commission}} (Guide to reading History Cards) The station sponsored a women's tennis tournament, which was dubbed the WLOD International.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39855038/|first=Bill|last=Bondurant|title=Liddy And His 18 Headaches|date=March 19, 1969|page=1D|work=Fort Lauderdale News}}

After a series of attempts to improve WLOD's power and to broadcast at night, WLOD finally got both in 1978 with an improvement to 2,500 watts day and the addition of nighttime service with 500 watts.{{r|hc}} The station did not change its easy listening format, but it did use the move to relaunch as WPIP.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39855325/|date=June 20, 1978|title=WLOD Gets FCC Okay For More Power, Time|access-date=November 30, 2019|work=Fort Lauderdale News|page=6B}}

In 1981, WPIP's easy listening sound gave way to oldies, branded as "98 Gold, Blue Suede Radio". However, the choice of August 16 turned out to be a poor one to debut a new format: the station planned to be off the air, but instead it had to run hourly updates with Tropical Storm Dennis heading for the state.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39856055/|title=Radio station format switches at bad time|first=Bill|last=Kelley|date=August 18, 1981|work=Fort Lauderdale News|page=6D|access-date=November 30, 2019}} WPIP rebranded the next year as WBSS, for "boss", to complement the new format.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39855950/|first=Ron|last=Sympson|title=You, too, can cruise with a real dream boat|page=C1|work=Fort Lauderdale News|date=June 14, 1982|access-date=November 30, 2019}} A popular program in the WBSS era that also aired on other stations was the "Shoppers' Bazaar", hosted by Dick Vance, but the show was canceled in August 1983 after Vance, whose real name was Albin Richard Bloomburg, Jr., was investigated for misrepresentation in travel packages promoted on the program.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39856686/|work=Miami News|title=Warrant issued in travel-package case|first=Keith|last=Kohn|access-date=November 30, 2019|date=September 23, 1983|page=8A}}

On December 5, 1986, WBSS changed its call letters to WWHR, coinciding with a new "urban gold" format.{{cite news|title=Radio Stations|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39857048/|date=February 14, 1987|access-date=November 30, 2019|page=16D|work=News/Sun-Sentinel}} The move to a syndicated satellite format led to layoffs of most of 980 AM's air staff, with the station's operations director as the only local DJ in morning drive; the station also began broadcasting in AM stereo.{{cite news|url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1987-02-02-8701070611-story.html|work=South Florida Sun-Sentinel|date=February 2, 1987|title=AM RADIO STATION TO DOUBLE LISTENERS' PLEASURE|first=David|last=Altaner|access-date=November 30, 2019}}

In 1987, Sunrise sold WWHR to 777 Communications, Limited Partnership, for $1.4 million.{{cite news|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1987/BC-1987-04-27.pdf|access-date=November 30, 2019|work=Broadcasting|date=April 27, 1987|page=104|title=For the Record}} The new ownership, headlined by West Palm Beach advertising agency owner Dudley Baker{{cite news|url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1987-06-22-8702230838-story.html|date=June 22, 1987|work=Sun-Sentinel|first=Maureen|last=Glabman|title= SOUTHLAND ADVERTISING LEADER, PARTNERS BUYING RADIO STATION|access-date=November 30, 2019}} and with Joe Nuckols as general manager, changed the call letters to WWNN and relaunched the station on August 2 as the "Winner's News Network", featuring motivational programming.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39857332/|title=Radio station plays 'hit ideas instead of hit records'|first=Lori|last=Mirrer|agency=Scripps-Howard News Service|work=Miami News|page=4C|date=August 19, 1987|access-date=November 30, 2019}} The WNN format, the first of its kind in the nation,{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39874854/|work=South Florida Sun-Sentinel|first=David|last=Altaner|title=AM radio station hopes to motivate listeners|date=October 5, 1987|access-date=November 30, 2019|page=7}} included four- to five-minute segments of motivational tapes, obtained through an agreement with the Nightingale-Conant company and primarily focusing on sales and personal relationships, interspersed with news, weather and traffic reports{{r|hit}} and came with plans for national syndication.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39857898/|title=Waves of inspiration|pages=8B, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39858017/ 7B]|first=Neely|last=Tucker|work=Florida Today|date=October 23, 1987|access-date=November 29, 2019}} Because the station played ideas, not records, it played music between each motivational excerpt to help listeners digest each snippet.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39858176/|date=February 8, 1988|work=Palm Beach Post|access-date=November 30, 2019|title=Motivation station plans to syndicate|page=4|first=Elisa|last=Williams}}

At least one person found fault with WWNN's motivational programming, saying the station did not practice what it preached: a man charged in 1989 that the station refused to interview him for a position because he was blind, leading the Florida Federation for the Blind to protest outside a station self-help event.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39858431/|title=Charge of Unfairness: Blind man accuses radio station of hiring discrimination|first=Terry|last=Neal|date=July 28, 1989|access-date=November 30, 2019|page=8-B|work=South Florida Sun-Sentinel}}

In 1992, Howard Goldsmith's HMS Broadcasting, owner of Boca Raton's WSBR (740 AM), acquired WWNN and relocated its operations to Boca Raton.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39858698/|pages=1E, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39858760/ 6E]|title=Up in the Air|first=Liz|last=Doup|work=South Florida Sun-Sentinel|date=August 11, 1992|access-date=November 30, 2019}} Goldsmith retained the motivational format in morning and afternoon drive, but much of WWNN's other programming became health talk.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39858933/|date=September 24, 1992|first=Pat|last=Curry|access-date=November 30, 2019|title=Healthy motivation|work=South Florida Sun-Sentinel|page=3E}} The WWNN call letters were moved in 1997 when Goldsmith acquired a much stronger, 50,000-watt signal at 1470 AM, the former WRBD.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39859307/|title=Changes at WRBD|page=3E|first=Jeff|last=Rusnak|date=April 3, 1997|access-date=November 30, 2019|work=Sun-Sentinel}}

With WNN moved to 1470 kHz, 980 kHz entered into a new phase of its history and changed its call letters to WHSR, broadcasting programming in Haitian Creole.{{cite news|pages=1B, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39859431/ 5B]|title=Little Haiti: Immigrant shops bring Caribbean color to Delray|work=Sun-Sentinel|date=June 30, 1997|first=Brad|last=Bennett|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39859486/|access-date=November 30, 2019}} Most of WHSR's airtime was brokered to Lesly Jacques, a former Radio Métropole sports commentator who paid $600,000 a year in 1999 for 22 hours a day of airtime, operating as Radio Haiti Amérique Internationale and selling most of it to other programmers and using the rest for his own shows.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39860939/|pages=1D, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39860857/ 6D]|work=South Florida Sun-Sentinel|date=September 18, 1999|title=The sound of freedom|first=Thomas|last=Monnay|access-date=November 30, 2019}} He had started with a four-hour slot on the station after WWNN moved to 1470, and he had a devoted fan club and a retail store.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39861253/|pages=1B, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39861211/ 2B]|first=Marian|last=Dozier|title=Station's success based on education|date=May 5, 2000|work=South Florida Sun-Sentinel|access-date=November 30, 2019}} Operations remained the same after Beasley Broadcast Group of Naples acquired Goldsmith's three broadcasting outlets in 2000 for $18 million.{{cite news|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/00-OCR/BC-2000-01-10-OCR-Page-0066.pdf|access-date=November 30, 2019|date=January 10, 2000|work=Broadcasting & Cable|title=Changing Hands|page=84}}

Jacques's popularity came under some fire after Haiti's 2000 presidential election, as some in the community protested that Jacques did not give airtime to supporters of the country's new president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39861393/|title=Protesters rip radio host|date=March 22, 2001|access-date=November 30, 2019|work=Sun-Sentinel|first=Marian|last=Dozier|pages=1B, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39861726/ 2B]}} Edouard Laventure, an Aristide supporter who was fired by Jacques for alleged breaches of their agreements, claimed that Jacques had become too self-important.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39859666/|date=March 9, 2001|title=Demonstration follows firing at Haitian radio station in Boca Raton|first=Marian|last=Dozier|pages=1B, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39861590/ 2B]|access-date=November 30, 2019|work=Sun-Sentinel}} In 2002, Jacques was on air for 60 hours a week on WHSR.{{cite news|title=Tuning in for Haitian interests|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39861805/|first=Susan T.|last=Port|date=April 1, 2002|pages=1D, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39861833/ 12D]|work=Palm Beach Post|access-date=November 30, 2019}} In addition to its music and talk programming for the Haitian community in South Florida, the station aired a variety of other brokered talk shows, including one hosted by a Jewish rabbi,{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39859573/|date=September 26, 1997|title=Rabbi on radio|page=5E|work=Sun-Sentinel|access-date=November 30, 2019}} Muslim programming, and Indian and Hindu programming.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39862002/|date=March 19, 2001|title=A festival to dye for|page=3B|first=Peter|last=Bernard|work=Sun-Sentinel|access-date=November 30, 2019}}

In September 2019, the city of Parkland approved the acquisition of the Nob Hill Road transmitter site used by WHSR and WSBR from Beasley for $7.1 million; the city is to use the land, and an adjacent 12-acre parcel owned by the city, for a future park.{{cite web|url=http://parklandfl.iqm2.com/citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1288&Inline=True|work=City of Parkland|title=Regular City Commission Meeting-Minutes, Thursday, September 12, 2019|date=September 12, 2019|access-date=December 1, 2019}} As a result of the sale, both stations signed off at midnight on December 1, 2019.{{cite news|url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/182110/7-1-million-land-sale-leads-to-sign-off-of-two-south-florida-ams/|work=RadioInsight|first=Lance|last=Venta|title=$7.1 Million Land Sale Leads To Sign-Off Of Two South Florida AMs|access-date=December 1, 2019|date=December 1, 2019}} Haitian programming that had been on WHSR moved to another Haitian station in South Florida, WSRF (1580 AM).{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/valencie/posts/10157016670886448|date=November 23, 2019|quote=A night of inspiration with keynote speaker, author Rene Godefroy; the last official 980AM event. The station is moving to 1580AM, to bigger and better things. Thank you to Lesly Jacques for 22 years of service to the community.|access-date=December 1, 2019|first=Valencie|last=Excéus |title=A night of inspiration... |via=Facebook}} Indian programming that had been on WHSR moved to WHSR's sister station WWNN.

Effective February 3, 2021, Beasley sold WHSR and translator W280DU to Sam Rogatinsky's HMDF, LLC for $362,500. On November 1, 2021, Rogatinsky moved the WTPA call letters from 1590 AM near Tampa that November to allow that station to become WHOT.

{{Reflist}}

{{AM station data|27420|WTPA}}

{{Miami Radio}}

TPA

Category:Radio stations established in 1959

Category:Pompano Beach, Florida

Category:1959 establishments in Florida

TPA