Ken Birdsong The Suncoast This Morning It all started when I was 10 and decided I wanted to be on the radio. Starting my radio career when I was 15 at Radio Station KWOC in Poplar Bluff , Missouri . (my home town). Getting a job at WPAQ took me to Mt. Airy , North Carolina , for a short stint and then back to Missouri , where I worked in Kennett, Jefferson City , Moberly, and Osage Beach . Later I would do afternoon drive in Las Vegas , Nevada , before moving to Englewood , Florida . I think had I started my career in Englewood I would probably not have traveled around and moved up and down the dial as much as I did. Making WENG Radio an important community information provider in the Southwest Plex is my driving force. I have been blessed in that I have been able to do what I wanted to do in life and have the same enthusiasm when I am on the air as I did when I was 15. I believe in community involvement and have served as Chairman of the Membership Committee of the Englewood/Cape Haze Area Chamber of Commerce. I have served on County Extension Boards in Missouri , President of the Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, and on the Board of Directors of the Lake of the Ozarks Convention and Visitors Bureau. Being involved in the community has always been very important to me. My wife Tammy and I live in Englewood.

Scott Holcomb The Morning Magazine I was an Iowa guy. Then I became an Illinois guy. The Midwest was a great place to grow up, but who wants to live there once you've experienced Southwest Florida? I arrived here in the Sunshine State in 1989, looking for adventure. Actually I came here to look for a job, because thus far my career choice had yet to pan out. My parents had moved down the year before and you know I wasn't doing anything at the time. I worked seawall to stucco until I found a part time job listing back in 1993 for a board operator position at... surprise! 1530am WENG. I currently serve as WENG's Operations Manager. I married my wife Debbie in 2000. Magical things do happen to those on radio. I play golf and stumble around community theater stages as a hobby. I hope you enjoyed the ride. Please come again.

Rich Spedaliere News Director I have more than 20 years in radio, doing everything from News to Sports to taking out the trash. I've lived in Florida on and off since I was 12, spending time in Ohio and El Paso, Texas. I've been on the Suncoast for the past 5 years. where I met my wife Laura while working for the biggest cheese of them all, Mickey Mouse. We've been married for 3 years and have one child, Samantha, 9, who I adopted on Halloween, 2006. In my spare time I am an avid sports fan. Hockey is my first true love, but I also follow football, baseball, basketball, and horse racing. I also enjoy poker, but they tell me that isn't a sport...oh well!

Bill Shepard Talent i.e. Jack of All Trades, Master of None! Bill began his radio career right out of high school, and in 35 plus years the journey has led him to jobs in New York, Connecticut, Texas and now Florida. He will be the first to tell you that after living in Englewood, he is "never going back to the Northeast". Working with Ken Birdsong and Scott Holcomb, Bill says, is an "experience". You never know what they are going to do next. An avid baseball fan, Bill made a point of traveling to Spring Training sites every March, but now it's just a short ride away. One of his biggest thrills was playing tennis with Billie Jean King at New York's Madison Square Garden in the early 70's. Bill lives with his wife of 25 plus years, Margie, who after 30 plus years in the corporate world, recently retired and is now a substitute teacher in the Charlotte County School District. They have two sons who are away at college.

Kevin Bedrosian Sales Manager

Steve Brown Sales Executive Web Master (Computer Geek) I avoided the draft back in the early 70s by enlisting in the United States Army where I first got into radio. I became an Intercept System Repairman for the Army Security Agency. I could tell you more but I'd have to kill you. I was only fixing them but, I did get to spend over a year in exotic Thailand. It was interesting the day we were restricted to post while the local "working" girls chased the protesting college students away with butcher knives. (I didn't even get to see it but I'm sure the Military Police wouldn't embellish.) My next career lasted almost twenty-five years. I became a software engineer working with microprocessors before they were putting them in Personal Computers. The first microprocessor I worked with ran at 1 MHz. In english that's one million cycles per second. Today I see they have processors running at about 3.5 GHz. That's three and a half billion cycles per second. That's 3,500 times faster than things were running in 1977. In 2001 I was given an "interesting" birthday present. Effectively my job went to India and all I got was a lousy pink slip. Just before January 1, 2000 everyone wanted to be a computer programmer and there were thousands of jobs to be had. When industry figured out that in India a highly educated programmer will work for 1/10 or less, of what they pay in the good old U S of A, things just had to change. Suddenly there were hundreds of computer jobs nation wide; counting data entry clerks and cleaning ladies. Some people think the glass is half-full. Some people think the glass is half-empty. Some people think the glass is cracked and leaking. (Dave McClure) I think the glass is the wrong size. (George Carlin)

Kiki Account Executive Hi – I’m Kiki Wingham, marketing guru for WENG.  I was born and raised in Findlay Ohio and moved to Florida in 1980.  I love the Sunshine State .   I am single and have two daughters Chelsey 17 and Ashley 23.  My career in Radio began last April and I love WENG.  I enjoy designing great commercials that enhance business.  I am the Senior Regent for the Women of the Moose in Englewood , and I am passionate about making a difference right here in this community.  I am fun loving and thrive on meeting new people and networking.

Jimmy Jay Who's Home On The Suncoast I've always loved radio. My first radio was a little crystal set. You had to use a water faucet as an antenna. My parents thought I was sleeping. I was listening to Alan Freed and his Moon Dog show on radio station WERE. I remember him calling the music he was playing rock and roll. I thought what fun he must have. I decided to pursue a career in music which I love to perform. I started playing the accordion at the age of 5. In 1968 I was a disc jockey for a short time in Cleveland, Ohio, and I became a jingle writer. So I now have the best of both worlds - music and radio. I love meeting so many talented people and having the opportunity to share their music with my listening audience. As my doctor said to me, I'm living his dream. I've been blessed with, many friends, and a talent I can share with others.

Kyle Turner Office Administrator