 |
| Author | Post |
|---|
artmorris
Administrator
|
Posted: Wed Jul 2nd, 2008 03:52 am |
|
Galen Gilbert sells his last station.
I have very mixed feelings about this one. Mr. Gilbert has literally owned radio stations for over 60-years.
Arkansas
KUOA-AM/Siloam Springs (Fayetteville)
PRICE: $355,000
TERMS: Asset sale for cash
BUYER: Jay Bunyard. Phone: 870-642-3637. It owns 10 other stations. This represents its entry into this market.
SELLER: Gilbert, Galen etal, headed by President Galen Gilbert. Phone: 479-524-0990
FREQUENCY: 1290 kHz
POWER: 5kw day/31 watts night
FORMAT: country
COMMENT: Gilbert Galen's 1290 Radio Inc's KUOA-AM/Siloam Springs, Ark., to Jay Bunyard's Hog Radio for $355,000. $17,750 escrow deposit plus $337,250 cash at closing.
|
MediaMogul
Member
| Joined: | Thu Apr 5th, 2007 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 33 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 2nd, 2008 05:56 am |
|
Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert on retiring from one of the most successful careers that I know of. At one time, they had fourteen markets ranging from Mexico MO to Midland TX and were running them all extremely profitably. This without the luxury of internet, and for some years without the speed and comfort of the interstate system!!
Of the stations they have owned over the years, I know of these for sure after consulting my collection of Broadcaster and Cable Yearbooks over the years:
KSTV AM/FM - Stephenville, TX
KBTN AM/FM - Neosho, MO
KSWM-KELE - Aurora, MO
KTLQ-KEOK - Tahlequah, OK
KWON-KYFM - Bartlesville, OK
KPGM AM - Pawhuska, OK
KWHW-KRKZ - Altus, OK
KQTZ - Hobart, OK
KDNT AM/FM - Denton/Dallas, TX
KZEE AM - Weatherford, TX
KPET-KTXC - Midland, TX
KDXE - Sulpher Springs, TX
KXEO-KWWR - Mexico, MO
KJAS AM/FM - Jasper, TX
KLRK-FM - Stockton, MO
KTRI-FM - Mansfield, MO
KBFL-FM - Buffalo, MO
KQMO-FM - Shell Knob, MO
KUOA-AM - Siloam Springs, AR
Look over those call letters, and you will see some of the most respected radio stations in small market radio today. And those are just the ones that I either found in the old yearbooks, or that were mentioned in conversations I have had with him from time to time.
Mr. Gilbert began his career at KUOA in 1939 and worked his way through college at John Brown University. He was sent by Dr. Brown to then manage KGER, a radio station the university acquired in Los Angeles. His career literally came full circle with his purchase of KUOA a couple of years ago.
They are such fine people. I wish them only the best in their retirement and for their families.
We need to interview him and write a book about small market radio. What a story!
Last edited on Wed Jul 2nd, 2008 05:58 am by MediaMogul
|
artmorris
Administrator
|
Posted: Wed Jul 2nd, 2008 12:30 pm |
|
Amen, Brother!
I worked for Mr. & Mrs. G for almost 20-years, and they are truly some of the finest people in the business. He taught me a lot of about running radio stations, but gave me the freedom to develop ideas and concepts that weren't exactly 'by the book'.
He absolutely loved 'buying and building' stations. During my tenure, we brought KSWM back from the brink of extinction, built 106.7 at Mt. Vernon (now owned by Journal), upgraded KBFL-FM (now owned by Ken Meyer), upgraded KTRI-FM (now owned by a Branson company), built 107.7 at Stockton (now owned by Cumulus), and 97.7 Shell Knob/Aurora (now owned by Falcon).
Unlike Jerrel Shepherd (another successful small-market operator in Missouri), Mr. Gilbert was never into 'being a star'. He was much more into 'putting his money where his mouth is'. His success spoke for itself.
Mr. G made some mistakes. Just ask Nory, she'll tell you all about them. But, their record of success, and the sheer number of stations and people involved in their career is simply amazing!
A tip of the hat to you, my friends!
Art
|
Jamie Turner
Member
| Joined: | Mon Feb 5th, 2007 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 201 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 2nd, 2008 03:54 pm |
|
Mr. Gilbert was quite the gentleman and I always had good dealings with him. I almost went to work for him while in High School at KBFL, but I chose the job at KJEL instead. I've heard he was well respected by his employees.
KUOA is a nice AM. It's good to hear music and interaction on that side of the dial.
Art, wasn't KSWM on 92.5 FM? I remember hearing a good mix of AC tunes. I remember those calls on FM because I always called it K-Swim.
|
artmorris
Administrator
|
Posted: Thu Jul 3rd, 2008 01:45 am |
|
Serendipitously, Galen & Nory were in Aurora this afternoon, and we had dinner with them tonight. We had a nice visit about things, and they're very happy with how the deal turned out.
Both of them are about 90-years of age, and still doing remarkably well. If he hadn't lost most of his sight to macular degeneration, I'm sure he'd still be 'in the game'.
They're looking forward to retirement, and spending more time with each other, and less worrying about paying the bills of the business.
I raise a glass to the Gilberts!!!
Art
Took this picture today!
Attachment: IMG_0255.JPG (Downloaded 51 times) Last edited on Thu Jul 3rd, 2008 02:39 am by artmorris
|
Ace
Member
| Joined: | Tue Sep 11th, 2007 |
| Location: | Missouri |
| Posts: | 79 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 4th, 2008 02:19 am |
|
Congrats to the Gilberts - they are one of the greats. Never worked for them, my father did, but some of my best childhood memories are of the conventions they threw at Rock Lane Lodge, and even one at Disneyland! Mrs. G would always have a gift for me when they came into town.
|
gomizzoutigers
Member
| Joined: | Mon Mar 5th, 2007 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 190 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 4th, 2008 02:29 am |
|
I knew I had seen his name on the KXEO/KWWR web site history page. As a sort of a radio/TV history buff, I wish that all stations had some sort of a historical background page on their website. On their website, the station includes the names of previous owners and station managers.
According to the website, Galen Gilbert owned the stations between 1978 and 1986.
|
reporterbob
Member
|
Posted: Wed Jul 9th, 2008 11:39 pm |
|
I never knew the Gilberts, although I worked at KSWM VERY briefly, from August 1973 until January 1974, when the sagging economy forced a 15-percent expenses reduction throughout the company -- -- -- and I was "it" in Aurora.
Still, it was my FIRST full-time radio job -- when I still was young (22) and ready "to set the world on fire."
Although I never met the Gilberts, I DID work with some fine people for my brief stint in Aurora .... where then Station Manager Everette Archer let me learn from some major mistakes (including the time in mid-December I talked on-the-air about planning to "drive around Springfield that night to do some Christmas shopping" -- -- after all, I LIVED in Springfield and commuted to Aurora -- -- but the comment set a number of local advertisers on a strongly worded mission to make sure that mistake wasn't made, again, on their station ...... !!)
The fact they had hired good, quality people taught me a lot in that brief time ... and I always will be grateful.
|
artmorris
Administrator
|
Posted: Thu Jul 10th, 2008 12:17 pm |
|
Hey Bob....
I had no idea you ever worked in Aurora. Back in the 60's and 70's, KSWM was a VERY profitable radio station for the Gilberts. They sold it twice in the 80's, but Mr. Gilbert was smart enough to 'tote the note', so he got it back twice.
That's when I came along in 1990, and worked for him until 2005. He and I would occasionally disagree, but if you really believed in something, he'd give you the latitude to give it a try, and see if you could make it work.
In 1991, when he got KSWM back again, we were getting ready to put it back on the air. I convinced him that he didn't want to buy some worn out piece of automation equipment, but left me put in this new fangled 'computer' system (Computer Concepts DCS) that would be a much better choice. Despite their age, they were very much into new technologies. We eventually put DCS into all his stations in the 90's. (They're using Prophet at KUOA, because it was already there).
Art
|
reporterbob
Member
|
Posted: Thu Jul 10th, 2008 12:42 pm |
|
Art -- --
When you and I worked together at KLIK/KJFF -- you in traffic and I in News -- I didn't have the same appreciation for my Aurora experience as I do now ....... although I ALWAYS will remember some of the neat people I worked with and how kindly they treated me.
But back when I was young, I WANTED a Big Time NEWS job in the Big City (Springfield), so I could "make all my mistakes in Radio" and then move back "Home" to St. Louis (where both my then-wife and I grew up).
Although I've never been one of those who believes EVERYTHING "happens for a reason," my life eventually worked out pretty well.
I had taken the full-time job at KSWM AM/FM (BEFORE the FM became KELE) because it was full-time, and I didn't have to work 2 jobs (one at Arby's on Glenstone, the other at the old KBUG with Ben Atwell, Bill Davis and Audrey Burtram, under Larry Dixon's ownership).
I WANTED a FULL-TIME job!!!
Being "forced" out of Aurora in January 1974 put me in a situation where I cooked Tacos and beans and washed the dishes at the old Taco Hut on Sunshine (at the end of the old Kmart Plaza, practically across the street from KY-3) because I could NOT find a full-time broadcasting job (and had written a letter to all the Springfield stations, saying I could help them do a better job in news, that their managers took offense to .... it even cost me a job at KGBX under Ernie DeCamp two years later!)
So, in July 74 when we had the opportunity to move to Jeff City ..... we took it.
And, 34 years later this week .... we made what eventually led me to the best job I've ever had (even though it's in newspapering, not radio ........ )
But, as I said, when you and I were talking nearly 30 years ago ... I didn't realize any of that!
((If only we could know then what we know now ..........................))
|
Current time is 04:51 pm | |
|
|
|
|
