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!

 They're correct saying that "FM radio was hard to sell to advertisers."  I remember at one point, we actually started playing one or two national, good sounding commercials as "freebies" just to break up all that music!  It's so hard to believe that was the way it was back then, but it's true!  We were in the same Denver building as successful KLZ-TV channel 7, and KLZ-AM 560.  KLZ-FM was part of Time-Life Broadcasting, publishers of those two famous and widely circulated national magazines as well as Sports Illustrated, so they had plenty of money to support little KLZ-FM.  They just didn't know where and how to spend money to spread the word.  Here's another example of a local newspaper ad describing the "unbelievable news."  Top 40 music and live DJ's were actually on the FM dial!  How shocking! :-)

Like our two AM competitors KIMN and KBTR, KLZ-FM began publishing and distributing a free music survey, free to pick up at local music stores each week.  Now there were three of us on the air!  Here's a "KLZ-FM 70 Survey" right after we added another fun voice, the late JIm "Odie" Cloney, from Springfield Illinois. 

Two interesting spots where KLZ-FM was discovered quickly by listeners that hadn't required any advertising was the University of Colorado in Boulder, and the U. S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs!  They just discovered us, probably by word of mouth. Some of the first callers back then were from these two groups.  But we still needed to gather more listeners,  One spot selected to spread the word about KLZ-FM was local high school newspapers. 

Above is an ad from Lakewood High School.  How about those KLZ-FM blazers they bought us for the picture?!  Max, Odie, and I would also happily do interviews with high school newspapers when asked.  I'll share one next Friday.  

Literally turned over my slide collection this week looking for this picture I remembered.  It was a Sunday family drive in Colorado during my KLZ-FM Denver days in the 1960's.  We were coming back from the mountains near Colorado Springs.  Stopped at the light, and probably the second thing I said was "He's got a freakin' bear in the back of his car!"  No place but Denver.  :-) 

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.  :-)

This pretty lady showed up on my new Google Images page when I opened it up.  They sure know how to get my attention!  I've got her saved as "Happy Cowgirl."  Thanks pretty lady for making ME happy too!

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