Captain Mel Berman — broadcast pioneer, popular fishing talk show host, licensed captain and charter fishing skipper, friend to fisherman, outdoorsman, and conservationist alike — passed away, from complications after heart surgery, at the age of 81 on February 5th, 2010. As the host of the Florida's most popular fishing show, The Captain Mel Berman Show on 970-WFLA, Berman used his experience as an award-winning newscaster and pioneering radio DJ to provide a forum for all who enjoy the beauty and bounty of the waters of Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. He provided an opportunity for everyone to voice their thoughts and feelings about everything from the right bait to the right way to protect the environment. He also attracted those who never wet a line, but who love the outdoors and the Bay area, and want to preserve it for generations to come.

For over 25 years, Captain Mel held his weekly 'Town Meeting of Fishing', which became #1 in ratings in the Tampa Bay market and the blueprint for similar programs across the country. In broadcasting, nothing suceeds like sucess. Berman's sucess began in 1952 when he started his broadcasting career, which included a stint as one of the country's first 'Top-40' DJs at WHB in Kansas City, Missouri. He was also one of the 'Good Guys' at WMCA in New York City during the 1960s. Later in the '60s, as a reporter for Metromedia in New York, Berman covered the United Nations, for which he received a Peabody Award, as well as other major events. He received a Freedoms Foundation George Washington medal for a Metromedia documentary which was broadcast world-wide. He also was involved in the production of the first radio network broadcast of the actual birth of a baby, a segment of the NBC Radio documentary Second Sunday. Berman arrived in Tampa in 1970 as program director of all-talk WINQ; when WINQ changed to a country music format in 1971, he moved to WDAE (then Top-40). As a Philadelphia native, Berman had spent time in his youth fishing off the Jersey shore. After arriving in Tampa, he bought a boat; in 1980 he acquired his Captain's license, and during a hiatus from broadcasting, ran a charter service out of Tarpon Springs. In 1984 he returned to the airways with a program called 'Tampa Bay Outdoors' on 970 WFLA, and Captain Mel never looked back. He proceeded to share his love of fishing and the outdoors with anyone who would listen. We all have been the beneficiaries. Along the way, Berman wrote: a regular fishing column in The St. Petersburg Times; as a contributing editor for Gulfcoast Angler, The Fisherman, Suncoast Fisherman's Guide, and Sports Tampa Bay magazines. He also wrote a book, Skinny, How to Fish in Shallow Saltwater, illustrated by Gary Poyssick. As an accomplished photographer, he was also a regular contributor to Popular Photography, US Camera, and Modern Photography magazines. There will be a Memorial For Mel 2pm, Saturday, March 6th, 2010, during the Tribune Outdoors Expo (March 5-7, 2010) at the Florida State Fairgrounds. Hurricane Pass Anglers Club President Ray Williams has announced a memorial celebration for Captain Mel will be held by the Hurricane Pass Anglers Club on March 25th at 7p.m. at the American Legion Post 7 in Clearwater, located at 1760 Turner Street. Captain Mel Berman's family is asking fans to donate in his name to the Coastal Conservation Association or the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Just in case you don't know, and you should know, there is a world of fishing information, including an archive of Captain Mel shows dating back to October 2010, at www.capmel.com