Presentation on Florida radio history, book signing scheduled

CRESTVIEW — Donn R. Colee Jr., author of "Towers in the Sand," has scheduled a presentation and book signing.

The Crestview Historical Preservation Board and the Baker Block Museum are sponsoring the event, which is 6-7:30 p.m. April 13 at the Crestview Public Library, 1445 Commerce Drive.

Colee's book tells the history of Florida broadcasting, the radio and television stations, and the events that built an industry and a state. From the 1920s land rush through the Great Depression, the book chronicles hurricanes, the post-war boom, local TV stars, rock 'n' roll, heroes and scalawags, deregulation, the Internet and an uncertain future.

The presentation features stories from WJSB/WAAZ's Jimmy Whitaker; former Crestview mayor, station owner and newsman Jerry Milligan; W.D. "Cooter" Douglass; and Clayton W. Mapoles, among others.

Colee is a seventh-generation Floridian and second-generation Florida broadcaster who began his career as a teenage disc jockey at Orlando's top-rated rock 'n' roll radio station.

In 1971, after service in the U.S. Navy, he moved to Palm Beach County and joined his father's advertising and public relations firm.

In 1988, Colee resumed his broadcasting career at WPEC CBS 12 in West Palm Beach, working in marketing, community relations, programming, and senior management positions. He took early retirement from the station in 2009 to finish his book and serve as a nonprofit fundraising consultant.

He is a member of the Florida Association of Broadcasters and the Florida Historical Society.

He is also an avid fisherman and serves on the board of the historic West Palm Beach Fishing Club.

He and his wife, Martha, reside in Palm Beach Gardens. They have three grown children and six grandchildren.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Presentation on Florida radio history, book signing scheduled