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!

And then recently, another wacky idea....  How about I draw a map of every move made starting from Philadelphia to Denver in 1965 to America's first top 40 station on the FM dial, KLZ-FM Denver Colorado, and then beyond? The arrows point you in the right direction each time.  This top map ends with with the second half of my career at KVIL-FM & AM Dallas-Fort Worth Texas.  Can you follow it?  Or too tricky?  Or just too many lines and arrows?

And then there was winning Billboard Magazine's "Major Market Air Personality of the Year" in 1974, and part two of my work, starting at KVIL-FM & AM and then up to Framingham (Boston) Massachusetts and WVBF-FM on the map below.

This third map was the most fun of all to remember and to draw because it contains all the "what ifs?"   Follow the directional arrows on this map and see all the times I talked with a prospective radio employer, hopped an airplane to continue the discussion in person, but for one reason or another was NOT able to close the deal.  Again, the arrows show the way to missed opportunities in SF, Miami, L.A.,   Montreal, Denver again, Detroit, and several more that were not to be.  I always wonder what might have been!  Do I regret not accepting any?  People have laughed when I told them that Detroit was always on my "bucket list" but neither Golden West's WCAR Detroit or Liggett's WCLS-FM Detroit and I were able to lock down a plan we both liked..   

Ahhh Halloween!  This was taken in the lobby of the radio stations WE owned in Arizona's White Mountains, KRVZ-AM, KQAZ-FM Springerville-Eagar on Halloween Day 1990.  Alongside me, Mrs. Gardner in her cow costume, local artist and Realtor Brandee Snyder as the mime, one of our employees Pamela Schoolcraft in her "Madonna" glitter rock outfit, and Brandee's vampire son Skye up front.  I remember buying those wooden letters behind us at Home Depot and varnishing them and couldn't wait to proudly display them in our lobby when we bought the stations.   The glass window on the left looked into our KRVZ-AM studio..  .  

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 no exception here. 

What would Halloween be without an Elvira picture?!?!   I've watched many a silly horror movie over the years, hosted on TV by Cassandra "Elvira" Peterson.  I saw Cassandra appearing recently on "The Weakest Link," saying she's officially retired "Elvira."  Her great sense of humor among the reasons we all stayed tuned in.  I recall her saying in an interview one time that she got the idea for Elvira's hairstyle from 60's girl group, the  Ronettes!  :-)    .