Winds and flooding rains from Hurricane Milton’s landfall brought down the tower of a Florida LPFM station north of Tampa.
The tower for 96.7 WZPH(LP) in Zephyrhills, Fla., collapsed around 3 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9. It fell onto power lines that were submerged in more than five feet of water, according to station owner Doc Thayer.
While the area where the tower stood, southwest of Zephyrhills, still resembles a lake, Thayer said the water has begun to recede. He’s hopeful that a local tower climber can help lay the structure flat and replace any damaged sections.
“Our wonderful listeners’ prayers continue to be expressed as Floridians help each other,” said Thayer, who is optimistic the station will resume over-the-air broadcasting soon. For now, WZPH is streaming its rock ‘n’ roll oldies format online.
WZPH’s studio equipment is housed in an 18-wheeler trailer adjacent to the tower. Elevated off the ground, the equipment — including its Nicom NT1000 transmitter and SEPsoniX audio processor — was unharmed by the storm. The station runs 100 watts ERP. Kerri-Anne Sheridan, who has been with WZPH for five years, is its chief engineer. “She’s an absolute genius,” Thayer said.
This is not the first time WZPH has been impacted by a tropical system. In fact, the station’s origin dates back to Florida’s historic 2004 hurricane season when four hurricanes hit the state in six weeks. After the landfall of Category 3 Hurricane Jeanne, Thayer negotiated the purchase of WZPH, which had been airing a contemporary Christian format.
Since then, “The Zephyr” has gained visibility in the Zephyrhills community with events like its quarterly “Power Heroes” parades. WZPH’s call letters stand for “We’re Zephyrhills Power Heroes.” Over the years, the parades have attracted many local kids. “One boy was six years old when we started,” Thayer reflected. “He came every year until he was 16, always taking photos with us.”
The station is perhaps best known for holding the world record for playing over three million songs in a row, drawn from its nearly 17,000-song library. “Most listeners tell me, ‘I hear songs I haven’t heard in decades,’” Thayer said.
For now, Thayer and his team will spend the rest of the week working to see if the antenna tower can be restored.
[Related: “Letter: UPS Failure Took Down Our AM During Hurricane Milton“]
