Ft Myers Radio: Radio Vet Walt Tiburski To Retire

Walt Tiburski will be retiring from the radio business upon his April 30, 2021 departure from Alpine Broadcasting Corporation’s iconic market-dominating radio station, WAVV 101.1FM, Naples/Ft Myers Florida, where he served as General Manager and VP/ Sales for the past 13 years. 

Walt Tiburski

Tiburski will remain with Alpine as a business consultant until mid-2022.

The announcement was made by Donna Alpert, CEO of WAVVs Alpine Broadcasting Corporation who stated; “Walt Tiburski has tirelessly led WAVV and Alpine Broadcasting Corporation, as GM and VP Sales, for the last 13 years. He is a class act who operates with great energy, intelligence and integrity. Walt is highly respected by other broadcasters, peers and staff and has shared a wealth of knowledge and experience with us. Above all, Walt is a true gentleman; when my husband and Alpine/ WAVV founder, Norman Alpert, became ill and subsequently passed, Walt stepped up to be sure that the traditions set by Norm would go on. We are excited that Walt will continue with us as Station Consultant into 2022.”

Alpine will be announcing Tiburski’s WAVV successor in a forthcoming announcement.

Walt Tiburski began his early radio business career in 1969 at WIXY 1260, then Metromedia’s early version of WMMS, Nationwide’s WNCR, all in Cleveland, then WSHE 103, Ft Lauderdale.

In 1973, Tiburski was hired by Milt Maltz at Malrite Communications newly acquired WMMS/Cleveland, where he began his accomplished radio career in earnest. From 1973 to late 1984, Tiburski rose quickly in rank from Account Executive to Sales Manager to Vice President and General Manager of the legendary WMMS 101.1FM “The Buzzard”. During the term of Walt Tiburski’s leadership at WMMS, the station was named “Radio Station of the Year” by Rolling Stone Magazine, for 5 consecutive years. WMMS, The Buzzard” achieved legendary radio station recognition nationally and attained record breaking audience share and soaring ad revenues under his management.

Tiburski left WMMS in late 1984 to found and develop his own radio acquisition company, Win Communications, Inc. with broadcasting business veteran Tony Ocepek. WQAL 104.1 Cleveland was their first radio station acquisition. WQAL quickly gained large audience shares and increased revenue that rivaled his former same- market radio station, WMMS. In a little more than a year’s time, Tiburski’ s Win Communications purchased the Mid America Radio Group’s 5 station group in the Indianapolis ,Tulsa ,Peoria and Davenport markets, then subsequently added WEJZ Jacksonville FL.

In late 1988, Tiburski and his partner sold their private and closely held Win Communications radio station group to a Merrill-Lynch Public Limited Partnership, ML Media, headed by the late Elton H. Rule, for forty six (46) million dollars cash. Tiburski and his radio business partner then assumed leadership of the ML Media radio division and expanded the ML partnership’s radio station portfolio acquiring additional radio stations in San Juan, PR, Norfolk Va., Norwalk, Connecticut and Anaheim CA to add the group.

In 1990 Tiburski and partner concluded their ML Media management and joined the Ameritrust Bank as radio business consultants where they did interim management , station repossession and loan debt work out of troubled radio stations owned by the bank. Upon completion of the Ameritrust Bank consultancy, Tiburski re-joined Malrite to consult and assist with interim management operations in the sale of WMMS to Roy Disney’s Shamrock Broadcasting. 

Tiburski was then asked by Metroplex’s Norm Wain, to assist in the sale of WNCX/WERE Cleveland and the Metroplex stations in Florida to the then new public company, Clear Channel Communications. Upon closing of the sale, Tiburski was invited by then Clear Channel Communications Chairman Lowry Mays to join the company and operate their new Cleveland radio stations WNCX and WERE. Tiburski spent the next 11 years with the Clear Channel stations as Vice President and General Manager. A subsequent station swap and acquisition of these stations by Mel Karmizan’s Infinity/CBS/Viacom was made during this period. In 2005, he moved from Cleveland to Naples, FL to provide interim management of Renda Broadcastings four radio stations in Naples Ft Myers, from 2005 to early 2007, then on to WAVV 101.1FM.

Walt Tiburski is an “Inductee (non-performer) in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame and Museum” and in 1998 was honored by the Rock Hall as one of “The Instrumental Few” for his dedication, service and work on various steering committees and boards during the formative and early days of this globally recognized institution.

In 2005, Tiburski was honored by the Cleveland Association of Broadcasters with the organizations “Excellence in Broadcasting “award for outstanding achievements in the radio business. He served on the Board of Directors of the Ohio Association of Broadcasters and is also a member of the Florida Association of Broadcasters.