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 I went to FTU (UCF) with Buddy Pittman,
Scott Harris and several others who
landed in the Orlando Broadcast Market upon graduation (1974). I started at
Orange Cablevision, doing production and then when Helen Pekin stopped doing
"Speakin' with Pekin", a local entertainment, community affairs show,
I took over the "hostess" role, different show name that I no longer
remember. I
do remember two great shows – one with Chubby Checker and the other a media
retro-look with guests Doris Ashwell and
Carole Nelson! Anyway,
my "covering" Orlando City Council meetings with Orange Cablevision (when
Carl Langford was Mayor) led to my working as a reporter at WHOO-AM
990. Adrian
Charles was News Director and he and Henry Johns "trained" me. Oh,
yeah, Rod Hemphill, from WKIS-AM
740 was also a mentor! Bill
Bauman was News Director at WLOF(-AM 950);
Wayne Trout, ND at WDBO(-AM
580) and Jim Philips took
over from Rod as, ND at WKIS, when Rod went to the Farm Bureau. And, when
Adrian left WHOO, I became News Director at WHOO. Was a GREAT time, lots of
good natured competition, sometimes long hours, but always fun! The
daily outside news gathering routine started in the old Courthouse Pressroom
with gossip and laughter, then our individual beats; back to the pressroom, file
stories and bytes. And if we went "live" on the phone elsewhere, our
portable phones were the size of a shoebox and as heavy as a bowling ball!
I
usually worked afternoon and evening drive on air. Occasionally however, Mike
Burger and I would work early AM and growl through the mornings, drinking our
coffee and then "SMILE" to our listeners when the mike was on! Also on
the news team was Alan Spector and
Paul Williamson. Great Guys!
Max
Rein came in as Station Manager (1979) and I went out pregnant --- now that
didn't sound right! I left and took a couple years off because baby number one was a darling
little boy that simply required my attention! But
since he also required food and we were living in East Orlando, I
applied for a radio news job at WMFE(-FM 90.7)
and got it. Did "Evening Edition" Anchor and
reporter duty for some time and then covering some event, ran into Bob Poe
(WKIS) and then I soon found myself at WKIS, again with reporter, editor, and
anchor duties – until child number two decided to come early, much to Jim
Philips' chagrin. I was ordered bed-stay immediately, just a few days before BIG
election coverage (1982) --- "Sorry, Jim"--but, she turned out to be a
smart, blonde, blue-eyed beauty! More
time off and when I did come back it was with Florida Radio Network, and
Larry
Spillman, Dick Sollom, Alan McBride, Reagan Smith and in time, there was another
election and I managed to get incoming Orange County Sheriff Walt Gallagher on
the air first in exclusive coverage. Next thing, I know, I'm asked to be a PIO
(Pubic Information Officer). And that meant an end to a daily broadcast career… solace was found in a
sizable increase in salary. Then
and now, I'm relegated to an occasional sound-byte or commercial or guest
appearance. And guest appearance is how I met (at long last) Bob
Andrews, now at
WLBE(-AM 790) in Leesburg. Up until I left Florida (for two years) in 2006, I was a
regular guest (as Public Education Specialist for the Lake County Department of
Environmental Services) on Teresa Watkins' "In My Backyard" Radio Show. My passion
is earth care and my profession now (with SP Recycling Corp.-- www.sprecyclingflorida.com)
and then is recycling. I may not be on the airwaves much these days, but I am
still "talking trash" for a living!
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