A Lakeland radio station is continuing its 42-year tradition of providing programming aimed at Polk County’s African-American residents.

  • WWAB 1330 AM started broadcasting in 1975
  • Station was county's first dedicated to programming for African-Americans
  • Station founder Hugh Hughes managed the station until his death in 2015

WWAB 1330 AM started broadcasting R&B music in 1975, and black residents were thrilled. It was the county’s first such radio station.

“It was just fantastic. We had our own music finally in Polk County,” said Dr. Pamela Wilson Hughes, the station's co-owner and wife of WWAB's late founder, Hugh Hughes.

“Being here locally and a high school football player we gravitated to WWAB because after practice and all we wanted to hear some music,” said WWAB sportscaster Reese King. King was a Kathleen High School student athlete when WWAB first started broadcasting black-oriented music.

Dr. Hughes said it has been difficult to keep WWAB on the air. Many smaller AM radio stations struggle financially, particularly those with minority-focused formats.

Currently, WWAB plays a combination of Gospel music during the day, and R&B during the early evenings.

Some little known facts about WWAB's history:

  • Hugh Hughes, who founded and managed the station until he died in 2015 at the age of 87, was white.
  • Hughes’ son Jerry was a long time DJ who went by the name “Brother Love.”
  • Hughes also started a newspaper called the Polk County Banner to cover the positive happenings in the black community. “There children could be represented when there was some accolade given,” said Dr. Hughes, who wrote for the Banner for decades.

Dr. Hughes told us that's when she and Hugh fell in love and got married.

“Yes I did. Yes I did, and I am so glad,” she said.

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