Bill Gardner

What Are These Trophies???

Last year, 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!  This year, 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 Vega- for almost nine years.   Until my recent 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!

WIBG Philadelphia is the radio station I grew listening to.  Uniquely, I'm the only guy who worked at WIBG over parts of two decades for all three owners!  Storer Broadcasting in '68, Buckley Broadcasting in '70 and '71, and sadly, what would turn out to be "the last hurrah" for WIBG, Fairbanks Broadcasting in '76 to '77 shown here.    

   

That last piece of WIBG history always reminded me that no matter how excellent your boat is, you probably can't sail it up a raging waterfall coming the other way.  In 1977, music and personality radio was all moving to the FM dial and so was the audience.  Somehow we managed to get some growing and competitive ratings on "All New WIBG AM", but not the dominance we were all used to.  

It was good fun and great sounding, and we even got lots of good vibes and even press like this below.  That's me in the lower left with "Crazy Bob" McLain who ribbed me forever about the comments they wrote about me in the article, excerpted below.

    

That's a full page and tough to zoom or scan, so I've clipped my favorite piece of the article below.  :-)   

 

Among the best parts of my morning show was our incredible-sounding four member news team.  In order, that's Richard Hunt, Mary Margaret Myers, sports guy and my sidekick Don Henderson, and news director (and future major market TV news anchor) Ken Matz. Sadly, all but Richard Hunt are no longer with us.  We all really got along, really liked one another, and even went to breakfast almost every morning at a local deli after the show concluded!  

Cool Pic of the Day....

It's not just a Halloween leftover, it's one of my all time favorite songs, "Reach Out Of The Darkness" by Friend & Lover turned into one of the best and funniest videos I've seen!  I STILL laugh every time I see it.  Obviously not the original singers, but so well rehearsed and lip-sync performed by "Low Budget Studios" seventeen years ago, "Halloween style."  Is it hilarious, or is it just me?  Have a look with a click here: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Acdc_EhNOrI&list=RDAcdc_EhNOrI&start_radio=1  

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.  :-)

Happy 80th birthday Jaclyn Smith!  You're beautiful and amazing.  Yes, there's life after "Charlie's Angels." Jaclyn was the only original "Angel" to stay with the series through it's five year run from 1976 to 1981. These days, Jaclyn and her husband run a business selling "age defying" cosmetics.  What do you think?  Looks to me like they work really well!