Best Political Activist 2007 | Fane Lozman | People & Places | South Florida
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Best Political Activist

Fane Lozman

Numerous former public officials in two South Florida towns wish Fane Lozman would get a damned job. Because if he had one, they'd still have theirs. Lozman, a wealthy young guy who lives on a houseboat, has made the government's business his business and has turned North Bay Village and Riviera Beach upside down in the process. Most recently, he sued Riviera Beach over its $2.4 billion redevelopment plan because it would have privatized the municipal marina where he lives. The city — his landlord — retaliated by evicting him. Lozman fought the eviction in court and, serving as his own lawyer, persuaded a jury that Riviera had violated his First Amendment rights. The eviction was overturned. Ten days after the verdict came down, four incumbents, including Mayor Michael Brown, were voted out of office — and Lozman had no small part in generating the "kick the bums out" vibe that sent Brown and his chums packing. How did he celebrate the Riviera revolution? A couple of bottles of bubbly in the marina he still calls home.

Best SportsCaster Dave Van Horne

WQAM-AM (560)

The Van Horne voice is radio. As he calls Marlins games, his tightly controlled yet strangely melodic voice conveys volumes with the slightest change of intonation. The man is a master whose virtuosity has come with a lifetime of practice. Consider that he called his first Major League game in 1969 on the day the Montreal Expos were born. Now he's in his 39th year, the past seven of them with the Marlins. During the span of two generations, he's called Willie Mays' 3,000th hit, Pete Rose's 4,000th hit, and Steve Carlton's 4,000th strikeout, among other milestones. But during baseball season, he's just Dave Van Horne, the guy with the smooth pipes who guides you through game night.

Best Radio Station

Lynks-FM (104.7)

This Caribbean-formatted station is a one-stop shop for all things pertinent to the West Indian community in South Florida. From intelligent talk radio in the morning to reggae throughout the day, it may not be as youth-friendly as other radio stations in the area (which spin only dancehall tunes), but the one-drop and rockers-style reggae that's broadcast here is family-friendly. As a result, Lynks is the perfect blend between community and contemporary radio. The music isn't necessarily old school; it's true school. This is the only local station where you can consistently hear legends like Augustus Pablo, Dennis Brown, and Steel Pulse. That may sound funny in a market like South Florida, where every form of Caribbean music is on the airwaves, yet somehow, foundation reggae is often excluded. The political conversations of on-air personality Sir Rockwell during the talk radio segment are always engaging, but they could focus on other regions of the Caribbean instead of just Jamaica. Still, if you're searching for a station with good music, good vibes, and an irie attitude, Lynks-FM is all you will need.

Best AM Radio Personality

Jim DeFede WINZ-AM (940)

Remember Jim DeFede's journalism heyday, when he was making beautiful journalistic music at Miami New Times? That was DeFede Raw. Then he went to the Miami Herald, where we got DeFede Lite (if there can be such a thing for a man of his considerable girth). And now, after his famous firing from the newspaper, he's doing radio on WINZ-AM (940) and regular commentaries on CBS (Channel 4). Call it DeFede Plugged. And we're happy to report that he's a natural on the air. DeFede can talk about the Iraq War, local politics, Tom Waits, and women all with equal aplomb. Does he have the deep impact he used to have with his trenchant newspaper reports? Maybe not, but he brings intelligence, knowledge, and wit to the airwaves of South Florida, a rare feat indeed.

Best FM Radio Personality

DJ Khaled

There aren't many radio DJs around the country who can lock down an entire time slot the way 99 Jamz DJ Khaled can. He's been bulldozing the competition during his weekly show, The Take Over. Lovers of urban music tune into him faithfully between 6 and 11 p.m., and there might as well not be another hip-hop DJ on the airwaves during those hours. He's known for dropping exclusive tracks during his sets and is able to use his industry connections to break music that's unavailable to most other radio DJs. Of course, The Take Over is a tandem show, and the affable personality of K. Foxx can't be overlooked. But the fact is, most listeners stay glued to 99 Jamz because of Khaled. His credentials run deep: He dominated the pirate radio scene under various aliases such as the Beat Novocain, he's an affiliate of Fat Joe's Terror Squad, and his mixtape series is respected throughout the country. That's a lot of skills to bring to one radio station.

Best TV News Anchor

Dwight Lauderdale WPLG-TV (Channel 10)

Newcomers could be forgiven for believing that Fort Lauderdale is actually named after Dwight Lauderdale, a dude who seems to have been here since time immemorial. (Actually, it's 1976.) For folks who've lived in the area for 30 years or more, Lauderdale is more than just a local institution. Unflappable and classy and one of the few TV journalists who doesn't abuse his title, he's a rarity during these dumbed-down days of endless infotainment. The guy's so trustworthy and well-respected, he could probably run for office and win strictly on the strength of name recognition. Mustache or no (Lauderdale's facial-hair status is the topic of tons of water-cooler discussions), he's the one anchor we'll turn to when we wants facts instead of fluff.

Best TV Reporter

Kerry Sanders NBC News South Florida & Latin America

He's earned a Peabody and two Emmys and has eked his way out of local newsdom to reach the world with his stories on the uniquely weird news of hurricanes, South American dictators, and the violent conflicts that pop up from time to time with our neighbors down that way. Sanders is officially listed as a Miami correspondent for NBC Nightly News, the Today Show and MSNBC, and he contributes to Dateline NBC, but we all know that ever since Anna Nicole died north of the Golden Glades interchange, the real South Florida news is happening up in these parts. Hell, even CNN moved its Miami bureau to Broward County earlier this year. But back to Sanders: If Fidel Castro does ever actually die, Sanders will be prepared. He's been in Iraq for the Gulf War and Operation Iraqi Freedom. In-country this last time, Sanders brilliantly illustrated Iraqi children's attitude toward America when he showed them a world map — and they couldn't find us. Now, that's good TV!

Best Weathercaster

Elita Loresca, WSVN-TV (Channel 7)

Hurricanes will certainly hit South Florida again, and the question is: With whom would you rather weather the storm? An avuncular South Florida institution like Channel 10's Don Noe? Or an almond-eyed vixen like Channel 7's Elita Loresca? Poor Don doesn't stand a chance. Elita Loresca... her very name sounds dulcet to even the deafest ear. And on a visual plane, she manages, somehow, to distinguish herself among the TV news fem-bots who rule Today in Florida, the top-rated South Florida morning show, which scores highest in those crucial demographics of drooling men 18-49 and fashion-critical women aged 25-39.

Best TV Station

WFOR-TV (Channel 4)

Everybody loves a good hidden-camera bust. Sometimes it's dirty dining. Sometimes, as during November sweeps on CBS 4, it's dirty politicians — who just happen to be dining, and wining, on the taxpayer dime only moments before showing up at a City Commission meeting! These Cooper City commissioners were so drunk with power (if not with wine) that on one occasion, they had the audacity to vote to double their own pay! Are you furious yet? And if not, are you at least entertained? Whatever the case, this is TV-news "gotcha " journalism at its very best, and considering what a den of iniquity South Florida politics is, we oughta have a lot more of that. Just don't bring that hidden camera into the sauna with Hollywood Mayor Mara Giulianti. There are some things we don't want to know.

Best Quote

Tim Hardaway

We're yawning over Mara Giulianti's obfuscations. We're asleep before somebody can finish the name Ken Jenne. And while we're still cackling over Mitch Ceasar's abomination of a standup routine, we can't bear to repeat lines so unfunny. So this year, we're ignoring all the corrupt, lying, and downright stupid politicians and keeping it simple. We've selected a quote from a widely known man with a clear, concise message. We're talking about former Heat superstar Tim "I Hate Gay People" Hardaway, who apparently didn't get the memo: Gay-hating means you're gay, dude. Didn't you see American Beauty? For those of you who managed to miss this gem, it went down in February, just after former NBA player John Amaechi became the first former pro basketball player to come out. It was Dan Le Batard of 790 the Ticket who solicited Hardaway's feelings on the matter. "First of all, I wouldn't want him on my team," Hardaway said of a hypothetical gay player. "Second of all, if he was on my team, I would really distance myself from him because I don't think that's right and I don't think he should be in the locker room when we're in the locker room... I'm homophobic. It shouldn't be in the world, in the United States. I don't like it." We don't like much about you either, Tim — except, of course, that you made the Heat P.R. shit their pants.

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