Allan Hollar
Allan is from Hagerstown, Maryland and, for more than three decades, was an engineer under six different owners for Bradenton’s AM-1490. When he first started there years ago, it was called WTRL, the station on the city’s Memorial Pier. In 2003 it became WWPR and moved to new studios at 5910 Cortez Road.
For more than 40 years, Allan climbed radio towers across Florida and Georgia, beginning in 1957 with Dixie Steeplejacks, a company that erected towers and antennas for AM/FM broadcasting, two-way communications, and cable TV. In the late 60’s he formed The Corporation of Manatee (The Hollar Enterprises) which went on to install the first earth satellite system in Florida for Scientific Atlanta. Many of these years were also spent building and coordinating the automation of broadcast stations.
In 1995, WWPR’s owner appointed him general manager, sales manager, and chief engineer and put him in charge of the station’s day-to-day operations. The Manatee Chamber of Commerce nominated him as Entrepreneur of the Year in 1998 and, a year later, Small Businessman of the Year.
Although visually impaired from a 2004 stroke that destroyed his optic nerves, Allan continues today (2008) as WWPR’s consulting engineer and troubleshooter, and also works with Condord2, the broadcast division of Condor Domincana.
Station History
1957 - 2008 Other Tampa Bay Area Stations (Engineering)
1995 - 2004 Other Tampa Bay Area Stations (Management)
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