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!

Coolest part of Milwaukee was I didn't expect much.  They'd get me a nice hotel room and a car, pay a decent salary and I'd work at KZTR, "Star 95 FM."  Here's what it looked like:     

Milwaukee was fun!  Friendly folks everywere, and I was even invited to join in a local tradition "Fish Fries" every Friday night sharing lots of deep fried Perch and many cold beers too.  Mrs. Gardner would stay in Oklahoma City until I found the next job and I'd fly our Beech Bonanza back there most weekends.  I'd attend some Milwaukee Bucks NBA games at night, and heck, any town who's biggest economic claim is brewing beer is bound to be a perfect match for me!

Also on the Star 95 airstaff, I got to meet and become lifelong great friends with the morning guy, "Dutch" Van Hooten. "Dutch" was really Claude Hooten, who'd been known as Brad Edwards on Southern California and El Paso radio stations over the years.  Below, I was even best man when Dutch wed Shirley.  Below, we're on our way to wedding in the back of a limo.

Here we are thirty years later or so. I'd fly that Bonanza into Fort Bragg California to visit my friend "Dutch" who had purchased local radio station KUNK 105.1"Skunk FM."   Here we are after dinner at a seaside restaurant.  Sadly, "the Dutchman" is no longer with us and yet another good friend missed but with some wonderful memories starting in Milwaukee and beyond.       

 Another Milwaukee irony is when exiting a radio job, I'd usually be flown in to see a new radio station in a new city and meet new radio people.  But in Milwaukee, I was invited to fly to the Miami headquarters of Eastern Airlines to join as a Boeing 727 pilot!  More great memories and another story for another time.  I remember Mrs. Gardner saying, "You're going to take a 90% pay cut to become an airline pilot?"  Yep.  That was the starting salary back then.  I said "Our bills and cars are paid for, and that salary doubles in year two,.  Cmon!"  .  

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!"  That advice from my long time friend and mentor, the late George Johns. George gave me nothing but great advice over my career and I'll bet this one's true too.   I don't know much about this pretty lady other than guessing she's from WAY east of here.  Like Europe maybe.  How do I know?   Her name is "Slava Kol," so it says.  Doesn't sound like anyone from here, right?     .