A veteran radio personality who spent nearly three decades entertaining listeners across Florida’s Emerald Coast announced his departure from Z96.
- David “Gilligan” Oregon announced on social media that his final broadcast will air Friday, capping a 28-year career in local radio that saw him become one of the area’s most recognized voices.
“I have always said that if I ever stop loving what I was doing I needed to go. That’s where I am,” Oregon wrote in his farewell message to listeners. “I have been blessed to work on one radio station for my entire radio career and in my hometown!”
Oregon’s radio journey began in 1995 at WMXZ Mix 103.1 under the name David Lee. After a brief stint there, he joined The Radio People on Hollywood Boulevard in 1997, working part-time across several stations including 99 Rock, Country 105, Luv 100 and Z96.
- He landed his full-time role as night DJ at Z96 in June 1999, later moving to afternoons in 2000 and mornings in 2008. He has hosted the midday slot since 2016. During Cumulus Media’s acquisition of the station cluster in 2002, Oregon remained a steady presence on the airwaves.
His impact on the community extended beyond radio. Oregon briefly served as the voice of the Choctawhatchee High School Style Marchers and, alongside his wife Christina, ran a mobile DJ service that participated in community events like Relay for Life.
The two-time Best of the Emerald Coast Radio Personality winner (2020, 2021) noted that broadcasting wasn’t his initial career path. “I wanted to teach music,” he said, crediting jobs at The Track and Hardee’s for helping him discover his “gift of gab” that led to radio.
