Bill Gardner

What Are These Trophies???

Not long ago, well-respected National Radio Consultant Mike McVay told me, "You have done it all.  Bill Gardner understands radio more than most ever did.....or will." Thanks Mike!  The amazingly humble HRHOF Inductee Mike McVay said "YOU are the one who should be in the National Radio Hall of Fame.  Seriously!"  Thanks again Mike.

Legendary radio programmer and former Exec VP NBC-FM Stations  Walter Sabo just told me, "Mike Phillips said you were the best AC jock alive, and he was right!"  Thanks Walter!  (On the air as Walter Sterling, currently national talk show personality by the way).

Another of America's leading radio consultants and a national name you radio guys know, (not George Johns, by the way), humorously calls Bill Gardner "the best radio morning man in America NOT currently on the air!"  We protect his confidence.  Ask and I'll whisper his name to you.

During the halcyon days at KOOL-FM Phoenix with General Manager Clancy Woods and Program Director Tim Maranville, our many number one "25-54 adults and 12+ persons" rating "books" were rewarded with these personalized trophies, still proudly displayed here at our home. Bill Gardner's ability to "remain under the radar," (amazingly sometimes even to his own consultants and management), has allowed him to "sneak into a situation," and enjoy some of the most defense- free, dramatic turnarounds, and a 100% success record as morning personality and program executive! 

 

An Exact Fit for Your Job Needs?

Bill Gardner has been an "immediate impact player" in Adult Contemporary, Country, Oldies, Classic Hits, and Rock & Roll radio.  There's "easy-to-document" success* as a Drive Time On Air Personality, a VP/Programming or Program Director, even President/General Manager while owner-operator of an Arizona AM/FM combo, many times assuming both senior programming and morning drive on air roles simultaneously back when doing both was thought to be impossible :-)  And this "easy-to-document success" doesn't happen some of the time...it happens every time!

(*Search or ask for your copy of the Arizona Republic July 31, 1999, article where with virtually no other change in KOOL 94.5 mornings other than hiring Bill Gardner, the Spring 1999 ratings "book" their radio and TV columnist detailed Bill Gardner with "the biggest gain in Valley radio," almost immediately moving from 13th to 4th most popular morning show in Phoenix."  Soon after to be #1 25-54!)

Bill Gardner On The Air!

You've found the site for airchecks, interview samples, resume, letters of recommendation and more for legendary radio morning guy Bill Gardner, for almost a decade through 2008 the top-rated morning personality of KOOL-FM Phoenix, as well as morning personality and program director for Los Angeles area's 92.7 Jill FM through summer 2010.

And a special thank you to the many KOOL 94.5 Phoenix listeners who've sought me out via search engines and sent emails to my email address below.  Even after more than ten years, new emails continue to arrive in my inbox!  Really!  Your thoughts and loyalty are genuinely appreciated!  It's nice to be missed, especially when I wasn't given a chance to say goodbye on air!

 

 Bill Gardner IN The Air!

I enjoyed a wonderful forty-five-year radio career in some of America's biggest radio stations and greatest cities.  (See the list by clicking "resume" at the top of the center column if you like).  But when bottom-feeding corporations slashed radio salaries and replaced most of us with lower cost people or recorded or out of town recorded voices, I'm SO fortunate to also have that Airline Transport Pilot license and join a small airline here in Las Vegas for almost nine years.   Until my retirement, my position was as an Airline Captain, with 4AM breakfast in progress pictured below. It was fun to be in a profession where gray hair and plenty of experience are actually appreciated!  :-)  But when I realized it wasn't as much fun anymore, I'm gone!

 

FUN Web Search?

Web site archive!  Enter billgardnerontheradio.com, or koolradio.com at www.archive.org and see posts dating back to my decade doing mornings at KOOL 94.5 Phoenix!  There's different stories and different radio stations each week.  See some fun posts you may have missed!

 

Leaving WFYR-FM Chicago in early 1982, I had a couple choices.  But the one that really looked the most exciting was working with my old pal George Johns again doing a morning show, with a new title ....Vice President/Programming in San Antonio Texas!  Here's how it looked in "Radio & Records."

   

I made so many great and lifelong friends in Dallas, but for comparing just city to city, beautiful San Antonio is my favorite in Texas.  We absolutely loved the Mexican culture, history, and the Riverwalk and have even come back to visit several times since.  

It was a rock bottom start at "Class FM," KLLS-FM, but with George as well as three different talented program directors and airstaffs like Harry Nelson, Rob Stewart, and Bruce "Jim Edwards" Buchanan over two and a half years along the way, we had a great team!  Bruce sent me this direct mail piece below this week that reminded me of some of the many great things at "Class FM."  This piece looks like the work of brilliant Jack McCoy and the forerunner of "The Incredible Prize Catalog" that would appear later at several great radio stations across America, including later with me at KVIL-FM Dallas-Fort Worth..     

  

    

Success came slowly, but over that 2 1/2 years, we grew "Class FM" to the top of the 25-54 ratings.  Our sales department was able to take advantage of our northside domination and bring in lots of money, and everyone was happy, including nice guy owner Ed Shadek who tranferred me to our sister San Diego radio station, KLZZ-FM in 1984.  

Among the cool things that happened in the Alamo City are the times we made the local newspaper.  Like below, when Mrs. Gardner convinced me to adopt a mistreated dog that was a local news story, she and son Will got their pictures on the front page of the San Antonio LIght!    

 

Another time was when local media columnist Jeanne Jakle learned that my morning news guy Lee Simpson was really my brother Al Gardner!  As I mentioned last week, Al and I had worked the morning show together previously at BJ-105 Orlando, and here in San Antonio were trying to duplicate that success.   

Cool Pic of the Day....

One time flying our Beech Bonanza back to the west from a Florida trip, the direct route I'd created took me right over Austin Texas.  Coming up on late lunchtime, I remembered how great the chicken-fried steaks were at the legendary Alamo Cafe San Antonio.  So I told the air traffic controller, "We'd like to turn about ten degrees left and amend our destination to San Antonio International."  I landed, borrowed a crew car, and moments later, this bad boy was sitting in front of me.  :-)         

 

Those Beautiful Girls Keep On Coming! . 

 "If you want people to visit your web site, you'd better have a picture of a beautiful girl!"  One of my favorite quotes from my friend and radio consultant, the late George Johns.  I had a fun and excellent 40+ year radio career with plenty of it following good advice from George, so here we go again.  :-)

We were celebrating one more lap around the sun last week for Mrs. Gardner at her favorite, "Top Sushi." Couldn't resist posting a picture of the happy lady and her pretty smile as they brought around her flaming desert.  .