OCOEE, Fla. – WOKB Radio in Ocoee is under fire after a concert back in May sparked outrage from nearby neighbors, including people in Admiral Pointe.
“We’ve had music from the city and other places and it’s never been as loud as it was on the 23rd of May when it was boom, boom, boom, boom! from 2 o’clock to 8 o’clock,” said a resident who lives in Admiral Pointe.
“I live at least a mile and a half away from the station. It rattles my windows,” said another longtime Ocoee resident.
WOKB told Ocoee commissioners its most recent concert drew at least 400 people on May 23. The station said that event was permitted.
But Shante Persaud, the station owner, said the promoter, who is not from Ocoee, brought unexpected changes. Persaud said the promoter took control of the sound, including equipment placement and audio levels.
“Every time they have one of these concerts it’s boom boom boom boom boom. It’s not music. It’s noise,” another resident said.
“As a retired mortgage broker I have seen this area develop unbelievably. This situation that you guys want to bring to this area in a residential community is not effective not only to the property values but to the economical value,” a longtime Ocoee resident said.
Persaud said by the time the station’s sound engineer arrived, the event was already over.
“Going forward I will be the only person that will actually handle any sound, which we’ll keep to the right of the property staying far clear of the residents which is on the left side,” the sound engineer said. He added that plan has worked well at past events.
WOKB has an event planned for Father’s Day, but commissioners said the station does not yet have a permit and is working to obtain one. They said the permit process will have to go through the county, which they say is technically the station’s jurisdiction.