Captain Mel Berman

The "Capt. Mel Berman Show" 6 to 9 AM Saturdays on 970-WFLA, Tampa Bay; 1450 AM, Sarasota and on the Internet. "Florida's most popular radio fishing show" On the air since 1985. "Mel's Minute" Fridays at noon on WDAE 620 - "The Sports Animal" Contributor: Suncoast Fisherman's Guide "Fishing Florida OnLine Magazine" web site, www.capmel.com

A Special Tribute to Captain Mel Berman as he celebrates his 50th yr in broadcasting. (July 2002)

THUMBNAIL INFO:

• Native of Philadelphia, PA - Florida resident for 32 years
• Married. Wife - Ginny
  • Daughter -Debbie Yowell, English Teacher Tampa's Blake High School
  • Son - Ron Berman, Dir. Product Development and Engineering., Boston Whaler Boats, Edgewater, FL
• 6 Year veteran U.S. Navy Air Corps & Navy Air Reserves
• Education to Temple University (Psychology Major - not completed)
• 50 year broadcast career (as of July 2002) that includes employment as disc jockey, voice-over announcer and narrator, talk show host, TV news anchor, radio & TV news reporter, NBC operations manager, program director, producer, writer
• 19 years at 970-WFLA, Tampa Bay - Host of "The Captain Mel Show" for over 17 years
• Winner - Freedoms Foundation George Washington Medal, Peabody award
• Magazine & newspaper writer/columnist
• Licensed Coast Guard Charter Captain

"The Captain Mel Berman Show" is the most popular radio fishing talk show in all of Florida. Heard on 970-WFLA Radio, Tampa Bay -- WSPB 1450 AM in Sarasota -- and on The Internet, this unique 6 to 9 am Saturday morning program has been a sort of weekly "Town Meeting of Fishing" for more than 15 years.

Capt. Mel's highly professional voice and delivery was honed during a many broadcast years covering all phases of radio, TV broadcast and production, as a voice-over announcer, disc jockey and talk show host.

Even those who have only a casual interest in fishing have become avid listeners to this highly engaging talk show. Not simply a "what's biting and where program," it covers the usual fishing techniques, tackle, baits, what's new in the fishing world... but all with a strong emphasis on the environment and fisheries conservation. Inclusion of these ecological issues are what seems to attract a broad audience, many of whom have an avid interest in our ecology and a strong concern for our natural environment.

The result has been 'prime-time' numbers in the usually dormant Saturday morning talk station ratings. During numerous quarterly ratings surveys "The Captain Mel Show" has been placed number one in its time period, beating out the 40 other Bay Area radio stations, both AM and FM. The program boasts some 68-thousand thousand listeners throughout Florida and more via the Internet.

As an outdoor writer, Mel was a weekly columnist for The St. Petersburg Times, contributor to The Tampa Tribune, The Fisherman, Gulfcoast Angler, Suncoast Fisherman's Guide, as well as a numerous other fishing/outdoors publications.

Arriving in Florida 32 years ago, Capt. Mel resumed one of his earliest passions -- fishing. In 1980, he earned a Coast Guard Captain's License and chartered offshore for some 8 years.

Mel's background includes working as an air talent as well as in management positions with such notable broadcast organizations as NBC, Metromedia, Storz, Rollins, Strauss, and others. One of the original 'Top-40' disc jockeys in the country at WHB in Kansas City, Mel later became one of the "Good-Guys" at WMCA in New York during the 1960s.

As a beat reporter for Metromedia in the New York City area, Mel covered the United Nations and other major events. He was a recipient of a Freedoms Foundation George Washington medal for a documentary, which was aired by Metromedia around the world. Mel was also part of a broadcast team that received a Peabody Award for coverage of the United Nations. Among his other distinctions is production of the first network broadcast segment of the actual birth of a baby for the NBC Radio documentary "Second Sunday."

While operations manager for WJAS, an NBC owned and operated station in Pittsburgh, he instituted one of the country's first news/talk formats, garnering top ratings in the then nation's 9th market.

An accomplished photographer, Mel has taught photography, with a stint as a regular contributor to Popular Photography, US Camera, and Modern Photography magazines.

Captain Mel currently resides with his wife, Ginny and their Maine Coon cat "Mr. Big." in Tampa. They have two children... Debbie Yowell, a High School teacher in Tampa, and Ron Berman, the Director of Product Development and Engineering for Boston Whaler Boats at Edgewater, Florida. Ron is father to Mel's grandchildren Melissa, Matthew, and Emily.

Update 2/5/2010

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