Karen Kay Biography

Karen fills us in on her career in Central Florida Radio.
"I started my local radio career in Brevard in 1991 spinning records at WPGS-AM 840, located in an old building on US1, on the riverfront in Titusville. After about a year, Charlie Liles approached me to do afternoon drive at the new station he was starting (as "Radio Brevard") on Hwy 46 in Mims. It was WAMT-AM 1060 (now WIXC-AM 1060), and we played ALL kinds of music, from the 40’s to easy listening of the 80’s. I started with Greg Sherlock, who I think might still be there! I was there for about a year, when I was hired at WHKR-FM 102.7, "The Hit Kicker", for 6-midnight. That was my first FM job, and the station was in the boondocks on Pluckebaum Rd. in Rockledge. One night, I couldn’t leave as my midnight replacement couldn’t get in, because there was a HUGE steer on the loose, running around the station. In 1994, Tanya Klepper hired me at , "Lite Rock 99.3" to do middays. At the time, I worked with Phil Noble, Jay Waggoner, Mark Cantoni and others. I stayed on in middays until 1996 when the morning guy/PD Dave Kelly was having problems finding a suitable morning partner. I was moved into mornings with Dave in 1996, and we were together as "Kelly and Kay and the Morning Wake Up Call" until September of 2000, (when she left the business.) After about a year, I started missing radio so in 2001 an old friend who is now the PD at WHKR, Ted Turner, hired me to do part-time weekends at "The Hit Kicker", which is now a Cumulus (Broadcasting) station in Melbourne. When they let their female morning show co host go, I was hired to work alongside Denny Stone for "Hit Kicker Country in the morning with Denny Stone and Karen Kay". I did that for a year, until working 2 fulltime jobs took its toll and I "retired" from radio again. It’ll always be in my blood…but I guess I’m getting too old to get up that early! I’ve been blessed to work with some great folks in the business."

Florida Today Cocoa, Florida
Oct 9, 2000
Deejay thanks listening public
By Karen Kay Titusville
After almost six years as a radio personality in Brevard at Lite Rock 99.3 FM, I have decided to leave the radio business to pursue other interests. Before I go, I wanted to acknowledge and thank those who have supported me along the way. I need to send out a big thank-you to Tanya Klepper, the former owner general manager of Lite Rock 99.3, because it was Tanya who hired a very inexperienced disc jockey, and taught me everything she knew about radio. She even taught me to ride a motorcycle. I also want to thank Dave Kelly, who moved me into the morning show "temporarily" four years ago, and we stayed together ever since. We have seen each other bright and early at 5:30 a.m. almost every day for the past four years. I will miss our "team." I will miss his quick wit and terrible jokes. He has been more than just a co-worker. Dave is more like a brother to me. And, finally, I would like to thank the Lite Rock listeners fans for all their support over the years. They have shared so much with me. They've given me gifts of chocolate, sent me cards, letters and e-mails. They've often shared their thoughts and feelings with me, and even though I've never even met most of them, they told me that I felt like a friend. Well, I do feel like a friend, and I will miss being a part of your everyday lives. Thank you for all of your support over the years. Maybe I'll run into you at the next Lite Rock event, when I'm trying to get my free T-shirt.