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Jim Brand
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Jim came to Tampa Bay to work mornings at WQYK in 1972, and for a brief part of his time there, used the name Chuck Brand. The next year he returned to WDVH in Gainesville, the station where he had worked prior to the Tampa move.
The Fargo, North Dakota native attended Southern Methodist University and the University of Kansas City and majored in radio speech. He began his radio career in Dallas in 1953 at the age of 18 as a half-time announcer for the Cotton Bowl and worked part-time for KGKO. His full-time professional radio career was launched in 1958 at KDOK in Tyler, Texas. From there it was on to KOKE in Austin as deejay and Production Manager and Denver’s KICN. In early 1960 he returned to KDOK as Program Director.
Jim was hired by Gordon McLendon to program WAKY in Louisville in September 1960. When the station was sold to Lin Broadcasting in 1961, he left for Plough’s flagship station, WMPS in Memphis, but eventually returned to WAKY before moving on to WLEE Richmond, VA.
It was while he was co-PD at WMEX in Boston in the late 1960’s that he heard a friend of his had bought a station in Gainesville, FL and urged him to “come on down” and join him in switching the operation to country. That station turned out to be WDVH, and Jim has been associated with the station in one capacity or another ever since, except for his stint at WQYK.
Jim retired from radio in May 2012. He lost his battle with cancer and passed away the following November 3rd at the age of 78.
Station History
1972 - 1973 Other Tampa Bay Area Stations (On Air Personality)
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