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!

 

KVIL FM & AM, HIghland Park, Dallas Fort Worth.   I probably spoke those words to our station ID thousands of times and they always tasted good.  KVIL was huge.  The first radio station to charge $1000 a minute for a radio ad.  The station that sold for a bigger price than when Jerry Jones bought the Dallas Cowboys the same year!   I saved this note from Ron Chapman as we celebrated #1......again.

   

Something I noticed over my 40+ year career.  At the most successful stations, we all mostly liked one another and we never lost sight of having fun!  Below, that's Cat Simon, me, and Adventure Tours rep Gregg Erwin as we partied with two planeloads of our KVIL listeners at the Caleta Hotel,, Acapulco.         

  

    

In the mid-1970's Jack Schell and I split the KVIL middays.  I did 9AM to noon, Jack did 12PM to 3.  When I told Jack I'd brought my camera to save some images of KVIL, he thought that was a perfect time to hop up on our three feet tall cart rack and listen closely to the music coming out of one of our stereo studio speakers.  Yes, we were a very serious bunch.  

 

Even better, in the 21st century, we've had at least three KVIL reunions in Dallas, and even a couple ZOOM calls in recent years.  In this ZOOM call pic, left to right from the top, that's MIke "X" Rey, program assistant; Jack Schell;  Becky "Coz" Ericson, program assistant; "Major Tom" Lewis (Keiren), a one time KVIL evening personality and later legendary WRC-TV Washington DC TV weather man;, Steve Eberhardt, fill-in and KVIL-AM jock; me,:Craig Slayton, chief engineer; and Bud Buschardt, oldies specialist and oldies show host.   

Cool Pic of the Day....

Still a career hightlight and thrill for me while I was at KVIL was winning the Billboard Magazine "Major Market Air Personality of the Year" award in 1974.  My girlfriend at the time had a couple hundred of these stickers made, and even some matching t-shirts.  How cool was that!?!?  Was I impressed?  Full disclosure, that "girlfriend" has been Mrs. Gardner for 47 years later this year. .And I laugh when I think that most of those stickers are probably in landfills all across America!  Want one?  I've still got a few left.  :-)     

 

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 beautiful lady was yet another distraction in the margins of my email  check that kept me from learning immediately what someone had sent. Sorry if I was a little slow getting back to you.  :-)   .