Dave Harrell

I'm a third generation Tampa boy and a graduate of King High School. I caught "radio" in the late 50's listening to Bob Hoffer after school on WDAE. Later it was Marv Ray and Ron Hart at WALT. I used to call and win "Top Value Stamps" and boxes of worthless 45's. Then and of course there were all those Swingin' Gentlemen and The Weather Chick at 'LCY.

At USF in 1965, a classmate who was headed for the WUSF studio in the basement of the library invited me to tag along. I did my first station break on WUSF the next day and I was hooked. The following week I went out and got a job at WPKM-FM in the Bayshore Royal Hotel playing Mantovani, Lawrence Welk and Bert Kaempfert alongside an even younger Tedd Webb, Daylon Rushing and Dean Drapin. While there I worked a few weekend shifts for Carol Kelly at WPSA in Zephyrhills.

In 1967, after leaving WPKM because the new owner was going to "automate" the station, I spent the summer playing country music in Dade City at WDCF-AM. Tommy Thomas of WGUL "discovered" me and WGUL stole me from Dade City! I stayed with WGUL on through the late 60's, the 70's and into the early 80's, only leaving for a brief visit to New York in 1969 (where I worked for Ma Bell for several months) and a short stint at WWBA in 1971.

In 1983, I followed former WGUL owner Thad Lowrey to Crystal River to fire up Citrus 95, only to have him sell out his share the following year. I then moved to Lakeland's WVFM (later WEZY) and worked afternoons until "automation" again ran me off. In 1992 I found "The Dove" WDUV-FM, in Bradenton and was PD until Jacor bought us in 1995.

I moved to Tampa with WDUV only to have Jacor sell us to Cox in 1999 as a result of consolidation. Rather than move to Sarasota to program the new WDDV at 92.1, I opted to go with WDUV. After three years I left for the Sarasota Dove only to have Clear Channel kill it in favour of an Adult AC, WLTQ. I created an AM version of The Dove and a few weeks later my position was eliminated. I moved to the Tampa CC comples as a production assistant to the late Steve Sandy for about a year and then CC began downsizing and I was out again.

Today I am retired in Brandon operating a very small plant nursery on my half acre, selling some stuff online, and working at getting some voice over gigs. But basically I'm enjoying a fairly quiet life and sharing memories in the Tampa - St. Petersburg Radio History group. Oh yes, and looking forward to the next Tampa Radio Reunion.