K.P. Manning Biography
WDAT WNDB WROD WELE-AM WELE-FM WTRR WNDB WWLV WFBO
K.P.
got into CB radio, which was "the thing" in the late '60s and early
'70s, and he knew then that he wanted to be a Disc Jockey like the ones he heard
in New York City. At the age of 13, K.P. began his radio career doing traffic
reports for WGBB in Freeport, N.Y., on Long Island, and then at 14 he
became a weekend DJ there. At the age of 16, K.P. moved from West Hempstead, New
York to Ormond Beach, FL. and started working at WDAT-AM
1380 weekends, while he was a junior at Seabreeze High School. At
WDAT, he worked with Gabe Burton,
Frank Reed, "The Janitor",
and other Central Florida names. "Going to Seabreeze High
School and being a disc jockey was cool", as he remembers. After WDAT,
K.P. went to WROD-AM 1340 in Daytona Beach
for a short stint, in ’75 to ’76. As we all move in radio, K.P. was hired by
a local radio legend Jim
King, (The Kingbird), now at WKRO-FM 93.1
doing mornings, when Kingbird
was Program Director at WELE-AM 1380
and WELE-FM 105.9 in 1976. K.P. was moved from the AM to the FM side for a larger audience, still part time, because he was attending UCF. In February of 1979, K.P. was hired at WTRR-AM 1400 in Sanford as the Program Director and afternoon drive personality. As P.D. he changed the format from MOR to Country. Keep in mind he was still full time at UCF (University of Central Florida), working at the TV department in school. Talk about burning the candle at both ends! K.P. also produced, directed, shot, wrote, edited, and read the Crimewatch TV spots being produced at UCF in 1978-79 with Orlando Police Department Officer Jim Bishop. He also directed the cable TV show "Quest" seen on campus and Orlando cable as well. Marla Weech was a co-host on the show before she started at WFTV, Channel 9, now at WKMG-TV 6. After graduation from UCF with a B.A. Degree in Radio, Television, and Advertising from UCF (1979), he was hired full time at WELE-FM 105.9 and did the 7pm till Midnight shift, where during one rating period he had a 50%+ share of the audience at night. After his Dad died that year, he moved back to Ormond Beach to be with his mother to comfort and live with her to help her through her rough times. His Mom passed one day shy of her 81st Birthday in 2002 the same day of his son’s graduation. A bittersweet day for family and many friends to say the least. He left WELE-FM and was hired by Dave Laing, at WNDB 1150 AM working the 6p-Midnight slot, from 1980 until 1982. "I remember doing those traffic reports almost daily for WNDB, flying in a two-seater Grumman American 1000, that was great! He also concurrently worked at WWLV-FM 94.5 when they were beautiful music. In fact, they ran a program called "Symphony Hall" from 8pm until 10pm that he had to tape and edit. It was all automated and right across the room from WNDB's studios, so you could keep an eye on the tapes, (which were on) 4 reel to reel and cart carousel automation. K.P. went back to WELE-FM 105.9 in 1982, and that same year quit radio to enter teaching for the Volusia County School System where he taught Journalism and Speech for a bit over a year. K.P. married Christine in 1984 and bought a laundry and linen service they ran for 9 years. He owned an independent television news service, working part and full time from 1985 till 2002, which served the Orlando and Jacksonville markets as well as selling to National networks. That radio bug bit him is the butt again for a while, well 4 years starting in 2002. K.P. was the General Manager/Program Director/Production Director and Morning Air Talent at WFBO-LP 93.3, Flagler Beach/Palm Coast till he decided to leave in July 2006. K.P. and Christine have two children, Clinton, 21 (is in the U.S. Army as an intelligence analyst after one year at Stetson on a full academic scholarship, which he will finish after the military) and Leeza 19 is planning to be a massage or physical therapist.