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!

I counted the number of mornings at 10AM that I unplugged my headphones in the studios at KOOL 94.5 Phoenix and Tom Peake plugged his in to begin his world class midday show.  I counted well over 2.000 times over almost ten years! And it was never without some conversation between us.  About almost anything.  Hot Phoenix weather, cars, kids, doctors and dentists, you name it.  February 1999 to April 2008.  But that was the blink of an eye compared to Tom Peake on the air at KOOL....40 years, 1979 until retiring in 2019. At one radio station.  Unheard of.  Every former teammate still surprised at his passing.  Tom and I were in touch after I left KOOL, but he never mentioned his fight with that awful disease, cancer. Tom's passing had me reflecting on my time at KOOL.

Take a look at the page below.  There's news samples of THREE different rating periods where KOOL was on top...#1. That happened often. And a lot of that had to do with Tom Peake, honestly the heart and soul of that radio station, KOOL 94.5. 

Over my 40+ year radio career, I noticed at most stations, the sales account executives are long timers, and the on air DJ's keep changing.  At KOOL however, it was the other way around!  There seemed to be new General Managers and new faces in the sales department all the time.  I worked with seven General Managers over my time there.  They came and went.  But me, Tom Peake, Camelback Jack, John MIchaels traffic and news in the daytime line up were there for years.   Another thing is we seemed to all like each other.  Egos mostly in check, good things said about the other guy on and off the air.   And I'd listen to Tom Peake on my way driving home and he'd frequently amaze me and make me smile.  I recall one time he played Oliver's "Good Morning Starshine," and warned everyone on air about every "Gliddy glub goopy, nibby nabby noopy, la la la lo lo, sabba sibby sabba, nooby abba nabba." to expect.  :-)    

Did you know there were hosts and letter turners on "Wheel Of Fortune" before Vanna White, Ryan Seacrest, and Pat Sajak?  Above, that's the original host Chuck Woolery and letter turner Susan Stafford at the "Wheel." Add one more after Elvis's manager Colonel Tom, B. B. King, KLAS-TV Channel 8 news anchor Denise Valdez, and others.  Just found out this week that former letter turner Susan Stafford lives here in our little gated community here in Las Vegas. Cool!  Ms. Stafford, by the way, has a radio connection.  She was once Mrs. Gordon McClendon, an original pioneer of Top 40 radio and station owner.  

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.  :-)

Couldn't let the 100th anniversary of the birth of Marilyn Monroe last week go by without a commemoration.    .