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Wednesday, November 7, 2012

R.I.P.: Radio Veteran James Brand Was 78

James Maitland Brand II passed away quietly in Hospice Care in Gainesville, FL this past Saturday.

Brand got his start in Dallas, TX working overnights at KGKO. After stops in Tyler, Austin and Denver, he spent ten years in Louisville, Kentucky, working for WAKY. He was hired by Gordon McLendon as Program Director and remained with the station under LIN Broadcasting as group Program Director. He hired and motivated one of the finest air staffs ever assembled in gthe ‘60s.

After being Program director of WLEE in Richmond, VA, from 1969-1970, he worked for WMEX in Boston, MA as Program Director. Brand moved to Florida in March, 1970. A close friend has purchased WDVH in Gainesville.  Brand orchestrated the change from top 40 to country.

He stressed staff involvement in the community through his own actions, and supervised a staff of six on-air dee-jays and a news department of seven.  

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