Les Howard
Having served as an Army DJ with AFVN (American Forces Vietnam Radio) in Saigon during the late 1960s, Les Howard (Jacoby) moved to Lakeland in 1973 as Program Director for Hugh Holder’s Top 40 WQPD. From there it was to Tampa Bay’s Sun Country WSUN as Music Director in 1977 and then to Paradise 93.3 WPDS-FM (formerly WFLA-FM) as PD and afternoon drive host in 1985.
Other stops in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s included WYLT-FM and WKIX-AM in Raleigh, WJQY in Ft. Lauderdale-Miami, Group Program Director for Kelly Communications’ WXCL-FM in Peoria and KCIZ in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and in 1991, Operations Manager at WEZI-FM and WNWZ-AM in Memphis. For the next ten years, beginning in 1992, he was Program Director for WEAT-FM Sunny 104.3 in West Palm Beach before moving on to similar duties at Gainesville/Ocala’s WKTK-FM in 2002.
In 2007, Les moved to Sebring as operations manager for the five Sebring Cohan Radio Group stations and PD and afternoon drive host for one of them, Lite FM 105.7 WWLL. He hung up the earphones for good on Christmas Eve 2013 but will continue to consult Lite as an off-site music director.
Over the years the talented programmer picked up some nice awards for his efforts in the business, including Billboard’s “Adult Contemporary PD of the Year” honors in 2000 and a nomination from Radio & Records for “AC Program Director of the Year” in 2001.
Station History
1992 - 2013 Other Central Florida Stations (On Air Personality)
1992 - 2007 Other Central Florida Stations (Program Director)
2007 - 2013 Other Central Florida Stations (Operations)
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