Tim Camp, a radio host whose name was synonymous with a beloved independent rock station and sports talk station in Mobile, has died, according to information provided by WZEW-FM 92.1.

WZEW business manager and general manager Jane Hamilton confirmed that Camp had died on Saturday, Sept. 13. He had turned 73 on Thursday, Sept. 11. Camp’s wife, Esther Chung, said that cancer had been the cause. “He fought a hard fight, it was more than four years,” she said.

“The Sound of Mobile, WNSP and 92 Zew Family regrets to announce the passing of Charles “Tim” Camp who departed this life on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025,” said a statement released by station officials. “An undisputed pillar of the greater Mobile community, part owner of four radio stations: 92.1 FM WZEW, 92.5 FM The Soul of Mobile, 96.5 The Crab and founder of the first 24-hour FM sports radio station in the country – WNSP 105.5 FM – Tim did so much for so many, working tirelessly to bring countless performers and bands to the Gulf Coast, and promoting their music.”

The station’s statement credited Camp with helping launch the Hangout Music Festival and Mobile’s Ten Sixty Five festival, a free event that followed Mobile’s BayFest. It described him as “a consummate sound engineer, avid keyboard player, songwriter, father, husband and friend. Tim spent nearly 56 years in radio broadcasting and his lasting influence will be sorely missed. A celebration of Tim’s life is forthcoming, date and time to be announced.”

WZEW switched to an AAA or Adult Album Alternative format in 1984 and quickly carved out a niche with an eclectic mix of blues-based rock, Southern rock, contemporary singer-songwriters and local artists. After a hiatus from 1994 to 1997 due to ownership changes, WZEW returned under the ownership of Dot Com Plus, which also operates sister station WNSP.

Camp was not the only person whose tastes shaped the WZEW playlist and attitude, but his definitely were evident.

“Mobile has always been under the influence of New Orleans and the Mississippi Delta and the blues and soul music transcends cultural backgrounds,” Camp told an interviewer in 2014. “What may work in Birmingham may not work in Mobile and vice versa. The ZEW’s playlist mixes in Dr. John, Trombone Shorty, and Galactic. We say we are the sound of Mobile because this is who we are. We play music that people on the coast turn us on to and music that was written here by local artists.”

Camp’s death follows the death of his wife Lee Ann Camp, another WZEW personality, in 2020. The couple had two children and Camp had three grown children. Camp and Chung married in 2024.

Chung said the station would publicly announce details of the planned celebration when they are finalized.

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