Where Are They Now?

     

Walt Marsicano

Born in Rome, Italy, Walt’s family literally came over on the boat when he was 3. Raised in South Florida, he moved to Mobile, Alabama for his first radio job at the age of 19. Two years later, Walt moved to Tampa in the winter of 1981 and began working at 1250 WDAE.

By the summer of ’81, WDAE’s programming changed from Top 40 format to Music Of Your Life, AKA Big Band. Walt was one of the few who remained on staff doing overnights and trying desperately to move down the hall to WDAE’s sister station WYNF. He got some support from the night jock at YNF, Ron Diaz, who put in the good word to Al Peterson, program director at the time.

It wasn’t long after that Al Peterson moved on to become a radio consultant and Taft brought in George Hawras to program WYNF. George would later change his last name to Harris and become a respected consultant of his own, but not before he asked Walt to change his on the air. Walt chose Bob for a new air-name – short for his real middle name Robert. Diaz began calling him Walt-Bob and the nickname stuck.

In 1982, Ron Diaz paired up with Steve Austin, who was doing sports and production for the station, to become the new YNF morning team. Steve became Jack Strapp and the duo started getting some decent numbers. That left an opening in the Production Department. George offered the position to Walt. Tired of doing overnights and weekend shifts, he took the gig. And there began the career he still maintains today.

Walt Marsicano stayed with 95YNF to the very end, and during that time he had the chance to meet and interview dozens of rock’s superstars, from Eddie Van Halen to Jimmy Page, Jon Bonjovi, Sting, and the late Jerry Garcia to name a few.

In 1993, CBS Radio, who had purchased WYNF from Taft (by then Great American Broadcasting) in the mid 80s, decided to sell the frequency and it’s studios to COX Radio, firing the entire staff. Walt was fortunate enough to be the first one with a new job. Within 48 hours he had an offer from WSHE, the heritage AOR station in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He took the position and was there 5 months when COX called and made him an offer to return to Tampa. With his family and home still in Tampa, it wasn’t too hard to make that decision. He was back home by Christmas of ’93 and started working for WWRM the next day.

Today Walt Marsicano is Creative Services Director for WWRM, WDUV, & WPOI and has won several awards for commercial production. He also has his own Mobile DJ Business and does some sports reporting on the Tampa Bay Lightning. He’s married to his wife of 19 years, Laurie, and has two sons, Chris and Steven. Favorite pastimes include watching Steve play ice hockey, listening to Chris’s punk-rock band, and cheering on the Lightning. GO BOLTS!