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Al Corbett

Al left Ohio and headed for the Sunshine State in 1952, settling on Longboat Key along Florida’s west coast. After a move to Tampa, he enrolled at Brewster Vo-Tech, where he majored in auto shop, became a member of the Tampa Fire Department Auxiliary at the age of sixteen, and then entered the Air Force to train as a clinical lab tech. It was during this period that he developed an interest in radio. While stationed in Del Rio, TX in 1962, he got his first experience behind the mic doing part time work at KDLK.

After returning to Florida in 1963, the DuBois PA native spent about six months at Lakeland’s MOR-ish WWAB doing middays, before leaving to take over the same time slot at WTRL in Bradenton. He also put in a yearlong stay at WSUN as host of the all-night show, “Midnight Sun.”

Al moved to the engineering department in 1974 at WJCM in Sebring, where he did mornings and some sales. He also did a little part-time work at Avon Park’s WAVP before moving to WRGI-AM, a 250-watt daytimer along Florida’s southwest coast near Naples. In 1978, he returned to Tampa as assistant to chief engineer Richard Lucas at WDAE-AM and WJYW-FM, and was later elevated to the chief’s position when Lucas departed. From Tampa, he moved to Portland, OR, where he designed and built a new transmitter site and studios for an FM.

In 1983, he returned again to Tampa Bay and joined WFLA AM-FM as a project engineer, designing and constructing new broadcast and production studios for the station, as well as other engineering work. In 1986, he opened Goodmorning Technical, a transmitter parts and equipment business, in the street level space of the old WDAE garage.

When he retired from radio in 1989, Al returned to the medical field and became an RN and paramedic, satisfied another of his life long interests by earning his CDL (with all endorsements) to drive OTR, and ran a radio shop and antique auto repair business.

Station History