As a teenager growing up in South Florida, I often found myself listening in the evening to the Allen Courtney Program on Miami’s vanguard AM station, WQAM 560. As I got older and interested in politics, I found Allen’s program to be ‘required listening.’ I can recall being so honored to be asked, by my then colleague, Senator George Firestone to join him as a guest on the Allen Courtney program during the 1975 regular legislative session and subsequent sessions. The Senator had a long time relationship with Allen and his wife, Bernice, and served as a Capitol Host for the program during the sessions. Allen was an arch conservative, but was very respectful of contrary opinions. I mentioned Bernice–after Allen passed on, she was a very able replacement for a number of years. Allen Country, a Miami media maven.
