THE
RAY MARSH AWARD FOR
Tonight’s winners of the Ray Marsh
Award are pioneers in bringing unconventional talk radio to the FM
airwaves. Rich Dickerson and Glenn
Curtis – better known to all of us as the Love Doctors – are radio veterans who
began their broadcast careers as teenagers.
Glenn spent his lunch hour at Vero
Beach High School as a D.J. at the school radio station. After going to broadcast school, he took his
first full-time job at WFTP in Ft. Pierce.
Rich developed a love of radio as a child, when he would literally fall
asleep with a radio under his pillow while listening to baseball games. His first on-air experience took place when
he was 16, and by 21 he was doing his first paid gig.
Together, they began broadcasting
as the Love Doctors on WAVW in 1987.
They moved the show to WZZR in 1991, and the rest, as they say, is radio
history. Their no-holds-barred call-in
show has become a staple for the Treasure Coast and far beyond.
While the Love Doctors are known for their outrageous moments, they are even better known for their charitable work. They founded the Love Doctors Charities in 1994, holding annual on-air marathons every holiday season to collect toys for children in need. Over the years, they’ve raised over $1.4 million and brought joy to 67,000 children!
They have also provided
sponsorships for children to attend Diabetes Camp, and were a major contributor
in building a special needs playground at Martin County’s Challenger School.
Many of us relied on the Docs after
the Treasure Coast suffered a battering from numerous hurricanes, particularly
Frances and Jeanne. Their show was a
lifeline, getting important information out to the public while also broadcasting
the needs of local sick and elderly citizens, which were met by generous Love
Doctor listeners.
Major emergencies aren’t the only
times when the Love Doctors come to someone’s aid. On any given day, callers can contact them
for a variety of good-deed needs, such as finding blankets for seniors during
the cold snap, locating the owner of a lost dog or a new home for an orphaned
pet, and even finding jobs for the unemployed.
In 2000, the Love Doctors’
bighearted listeners donated everything necessary to build a new home for
Mildred, a longtime listener who was fighting ovarian cancer. She enjoyed that home for several years
before losing her courageous battle.
It’s clear the Love Doctors don’t
just live and broadcast here – they love and care about this community. Their fundraisers keep things local, and help
area citizens who need it most.
For their work on behalf of the
community, the Treasure Coast Advertising Federation is pleased to present the
Ray Marsh Award for On-the-Air Excellence to Rich Dickerson and Glenn Curtis,
the Love Doctors.
END