WZEP (1460 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a Variety format. Licensed to DeFuniak Springs, Florida, United States, the station serves the Ft. Walton Beach area. The station is currently owned by Tom Fleetwood, through licensee Fleetwood Communications, Inc., and features programming from Florida Network News and CBS Radio.[2]

WZEP
Broadcast areaFt. Walton Beach area
Frequency1460 kHz
Programming
FormatVariety
AffiliationsSalem Radio
Ownership
Owner
  • Tom Fleetwood
  • (Fleetwood Communications, Inc.)
History
First air date
1955
Former call signs
WFNM (1956–1959)
WZEP (1959–1984)
WPAF (1984–1985)
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID70821
ClassD
Power10,000 watts day
186 watts night
Transmitter coordinates
30°43′45.00″N 86°7′4.00″W / 30.7291667°N 86.1177778°W / 30.7291667; -86.1177778
Links
Public license information
Websitewzep1460.com

History

edit

According to a recorded interview with H. Byrd Mapoles on the WZEP website, the station was built in 1955 by Mapoles' father, Milton newspaperman and broadcaster Clayton Mapoles (who, after selling WZEP, built a station in Milton using the same basic building specs). The original call letters, WFNM, signified the initials of Clayton Mapoles' daughter, Frances Nelda Mapoles. As noted in the 1960 Broadcasting Yearbook, the change to the current WZEP coincided with the 1959 purchase of the station by Dr. Leonard S. Zepp. For a period of about 11 months, beginning in March 1984, the station's call-sign was changed to WPAF, reverting to WZEP in February, 1985, as referenced in the station's FCC call-letter file. WZEP was the first radio station licensed in DeFuniak Springs, Walton County. Prior to 1955, a radio station from Crestview held remote broadcasts near Lake DeFuniak. In 2003 WZEP increased its power from 5,000 watts to 10,000 watts daytime.

References

edit
  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WZEP". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ "WZEP Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
edit