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!

 

You agree?  There's almost nothing better than connecting with old friends!  This week?  Three of them!  Got a call from my Rock & Roll Hall of Fame team mate Max Floyd who helped me launch America's first FM rock and roll station KLZ-FM Denver in 1965!  Then I heard from Gary Kelly, who shared the airwaves with me at legendary KCBQ-AM San Diego during the Q's #1 heydays back in the 1970's.  Gary, kind to mention me on his Internet radio, https://grown-upradio.com and wanted to make sure I didn't miss it.  But number three, Dan Bell, my KVIL Dallas-Ft. Worth long time pal was actually IN Las Vegas last week!

   

Above, we were able to lure my friend and fellow Texas Radio Hall of Fame member off the Strip to my favorite local watering hole, McMullan's Irish Pub for some food, grog, and reminiscing with me and "The War Department."   Smithwick's Irish Red Ale among the many on tap!      

  

    

Dan arrived in Las Vegas after completing a southwest U.S. vacation swing that included a two day luxury train ride aboard the Canyon Spirit from Denver Colorado to Moab Utah.  Then days at Canyonlands, Bryce, and Zion Natonal Parks, and topped off with a couple nights on the Las Vegas Strip at the Bellagio, with a performance of remade "Wizard of Oz" film showing at the Las Vegas Sphere!  Glad that Dan saved us some catching up time at McMullan's. 

Below, that's Dan on the left, then Cat Simon, former KVIL GM Dave Spence, me, and Steve Eberhardt at the 2019 KVIL Reunion.  

 

Here's a little bighter picture from that KVIL 2019 reunion in North Dallas with Dan, consultant George Johns, me, and Cat Simon swapping lies. Yeah, I'm almost always the tallest. :-)   

Cool Pic of the Day....

When I say Dan Bell and I go WAY  back  I mean WAY back!  Dan's front and center in the middle as I and four great friends bellied up to the bar at Tony Roma's Dallas on Central Expressway in 1979!  TR's was opened a block from KVIL at Mockingbird.  Up front on the left, that's Greg Erwin, then with Adventure Tours, our KVIL travel partner.  Behind Greg, my long time 777 pilot pal Bill Evans enjoying a day off from American Airlines; and behind me, Tom Abney, Chief Financial Officer with the Roma Corporation, operators of Tony Roma's around the world.  Good fun to see Dan Bell again last week and a good excuse to dig out some old pictures and share great memories.       

 

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.  :-)

Thank goodness, we're headed back into beach weather around the U.S.  Don't know this beach beauty, but I'm sure she wasn't alone long and has no problem making new friends.  :-)    .