Captain Mel Berman hosted Florida’s most popular outdoors radio talk shows for 25 years right up until his passing at the age of 81. Covering successful fishing techniques, tackle and baits, The program also brought listeners up to speed on what’s new and what’s hot in the fishing world.
It was indeed a fishing show — but with a much broader mandate. The Captain Mel Show also took a stand on vital fisheries and conservation issues. In fact, it was a talk show — just like the rest of 970 WFLA’s programming — pushing the envelope, breaking new ground where fisheries and the environment issues are concerned- such as the latest developments in fishery regulations, controversial issues, and the status of various species.
As a result Captain Mel consistently achieved number one ratings in its time slot, drawing a very broad audience from the vast Suncoast population. Interestingly, a large proportion of Capt. Mel’s listeners were comprised of not only avid anglers, but also folks who don’t fish, but found the show compelling and highly informative.
An expert angler and former charter skipper, Capt. Mel was also a seasoned broadcaster with more than 40 years in radio and television. He is still talked about daily inside the fishing world and that voice and that man is missed.
