5 ELVES OF INTEREST
TheVOICES OF
THE HOLIDAYS
BY CAMILLE S. YATES
PHOTO BY ED DRONDOSKI
The year was 1946, when the first radio station on
56
the Treasure Coast, WIRA 1400, broadcast an appeal
to help a little girl with brain cancer. Listeners
responded overwhelmingly with toys and
money to assist little Reba Nell with her medical
challenge. This was the beginning of a long-standing community
service program called Christmas Kids.
Change stations to 1992, when Greg and Carol Wyatt, television
reporters based in Los Angeles, thought about buying
a small radio station. Serendipity brought the couple to the
Treasure Coast when a friend told them about an opportunity
to buy WPSL 1590, then owned by Roger Ailes. Ailes, now
president of the Fox News Channel in New York, sold the station
to the Wyatts in 1993.
Shortly after the Wyatts bought WPSL, they heard that
WIRA planned to discontinue its Christmas Kids toy giveaway.
The Wyatts wanted to become more involved in the
community, so they took over Christmas Kids in 1994. With
the help of Ann Wilder, Ed Birchfield, and Pauline Clutter, the
couple navigated the charitable event through tough times.
WPSL broadcasts Christmas Kids donation appeals
every year from mid-November to mid-December in the
11 a.m. time slot on weekdays. They truly reach out to the
community, broadcasting from businesses that support
Christmas Kids. “We load up our remote equipment for
our Christmas Kids Show,” says Greg. “We have so much
going on with live broadcasts at our local sports events
>>