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!

 

How naive was I?  Even with seven different General Managers and seven different Program Directors during my 9+ years, and CBS trimming about 250 people every six months at all their radio stations around America, I honestly thought I'd leave KOOL 94.5 Phoenix after 25 years with a gold watch and a pat on the back.  Not!  

   

After 9+ years on the KOOL 94.5 Phoenix morning show, I was called to the conference room after my show where the General Manager said, "I just had a terrible weekend!  I knew that today I'd have to tell good people like you that I can't afford to keep them anymore." I thought, "Now wait.  I'm getting canned and I'm supposed to feel sorry for YOU and your bad weekend?" 

  

    

 It's not like we weren't ALWAYS in the top five ratings every quarter; and not like we weren't billing over $50,000 per DAY in income.  CBS wanted more, and making on air people a lot closer to minimum wage was an easy way to accomplish that.. 

Along the way, I was often #1 in the coveted 25-54 age group in the morning and even got national award mentions among the radio industry icons.  Look down the bottom, second from the left.  That's me!

 

This one amused and even surprised me.  I'm probably the last person on earth still not on Facebook.  But my brother Alan is.  My seventh Program Director Kris Abrams recently sent this to Alan, who then forwarded it to me.  Kind of an apology after 18 years! :-)

No "tension" or rancor on my part toward the local management at KOOL.  Just the way they handled it.  No mention on the air at KOOL, no response to any "Where's Bill Gardner?" phone calls, letters, emails, and texts.  :-)  How do I know?  That's what dozens of former listeners told me when we'd finally connect, some by finding this site!.  :-)

I think they eventually promoted a weekend guy to mornings, and now he's gone and it's not even a local radio show.  No one "live" on air from Phoenix in the morning. It's simulcast of their Los Angeles DJ.  That's certainly a money-saver!

Cool Pic of the Day....

Doing the "how long ago" math for almost anything these days surprises the heck out of me.  This one was no exception.  It's now five years this month since I sold our Beech 33A airplane and delivered it from Las Vegas to lovely couple John and Janice in suburban Wichita Kansas.  I get asked regularly if I miss flying, now that I'm a retired old coot.  That depends.  Don't miss that airline flying AT ALL.  But that Bonanza?  Still wish it were parked in our hangar!  

 

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.  :-)

Ever hear of Saint Baldrick's?  It's a current annual fundraiser to benefit childhood cancer research.  Participants, or "shavees," raise at least $50 for the cause, then get their head shaved.  Sometimes they're lucky enough to be shaved by beauties like Mariah from the Luxor's nightly "Fantasy" show here in Las Vegas.  Mariah's been a part of this event for fifteen years!  My favorite local Las Vegas spot, McMullan's Irish Pub, is a big part of it too.  The McMullan's sadly lost a daughter to cancer at 2 1/2.