Orlando Radio: Country Radio War Looms In Central Florida

Last September JVC Media announced an agreement with TTB Media Corp. to purchase Bilingual Spanish CHR radio station WHKQ 103.1 FM in Orlando.

JVC Media is an independently owned company headed by partners John Caracciolo and Victor J Canales (aka Vic Latino).  The company operates four FM stations in the 20th ranked Nassau-Suffolk NY radio market.

They also own and operate four radio stations serving the Gainesville-Ocala Florida market and have entered into agreements to acquire three radio stations and two translators serving the West Palm Beach Florida market.

WHKQ 103.1 FM (22Kw) 60dBu Coverage

JVC has filed for the call letters WOTW with the FCC and Media Confidential has learned the station (licensed to Windermere, FA) will be flipping to Country branding as "O-Town's Wolf" or "My Country 103.1 FM."

The Wolf will be prowling Central Florida  hoping to dent the ratings success of the market's heritage country station, WWKA 92.3 FM K92, which is owned by Cox Media Group.

WWKA, not only has the advantage of being Orlando's longtime Country station, it will also holds a power advantage.  WWKA boasts 99Kw versus 103.1 FM's 22Kw.

WWKA 92.3 FM (99Kw) 60dBu Coverage

In the Nielsen's PPMs for November,  K92 was the market leader with a 6.5 share (6+ AQH).  As Spanish CHR. WHKQ 103.1 FM was in 16th place with a 2.8.

JVC co-owner Canales has history in the Orlando market. He's an alumnus of WPYO during its early years as a Dance outlet.

Note: Technically, there already is a second Country station in Orlando as iHM features new country on WXXL 106.7 FM HD2.