George (Ogburn) was a radio announcer for over 20 years with broadcasting stints at WLEE in Richmond, VA (1957-1960 and 1962), program director at Tampa’s WDAE (1963-1966), and PD for Cypress Gardens’ WGTO (1966-1971). While at WGTO, he came up with the idea for two of the station’s most popular and enduring promotions – the WGTO Fish-A-Thon and the WGTO Open Golf Tournament. 

 

He left fulltime radio in 1971 to become public relations director for Cypress Gardens, and then Polk Community College, but continued to keep his foot in the radio business by doing high school football and basketball play-by-play for Winter Haven’s WZNG and WTWB in Auburndale.

 

George was also the PA voice at Tampa Stadium during the Bucs’ first year, announcing, as he says, more losing games in one year than any other announcer in NFL history. He also did PA work for Winter Haven High School football for a few years, Boston Red Sox spring training games for 26 years, the Kansas City Royals pre-seasoners for 10 years, announced ski shows at Cypress Gardens, and was “the voice” on the Winter Haven attraction’s radio and TV commercials up to the early 1980’s. 

 

When asked why he changed from his real name “Ogburn” to “Prescott” and then back to “Ogburn,” he gave this explanation. “It all began at WLEE in Richmond. Nobody could say Ogburn. It came out Osborne, Assburn, Ogden, etc. My boss named me after Norm Prescott, a top deejay at WBZ in Boston, a clear channel station that was heard in Richmond. The kids in Richmond thought they were listening to the “real” Prescott. The rest is history. It followed me until the early 1980’s. Then with four kids named Ogburn and half of Winter Haven wondering why I didn’t have the same name, I went back to college and finally got my BS degree. It said “Ogburn” and I made the switch back.”

 

George was one of Polk County’s first members of the Screen Actor’s Guild and lived in Haines City with his wife, Elaine (Powell), whom he met when both worked at WGTO in the 1960’s. The Miami native was 81 when he passed away February 27, 2016.