About The Host, Bill Grady
The
Short Story
I
started as a radio announcer in 1979 at age 18, but later decided to
drop my on-air aspirations and join a radio station's advertising sales
staff in 1982. From that point on my radio career was spent behind the
scenes; first as a manager of a 100,000 watt FM station at the age of
23, and later as a regional manager for a broadcasting group. I left
radio broadcasting in the summer of 2002 to start my own business which
today is focussed on teaching marketing to small business owners and
coaching managers how to become better leaders. Podcasting has allowed
me to re-discover what I left behind in 1982 and I'm enjoying this very
much! Today I live in Fort Dodge, Iowa. When I'm not
podcasting, I spend time with my family, friends, my motorcycles,
banging out tunes on the guitar, and watching NHL hockey.
Professional Bio
Bill
Grady was born and educated in Fort Dodge, Iowa, graduating from Fort
Dodge Senior High School in 1979. In 1981, Bill graduated
from
the broadcasting program at Iowa Central Community College.
During his broadcasting career he has worked as an announcer, chief
engineer, news director, sports announcer, and sales
representative. He became General Manager at KRIT-FM in
Clarion,
Iowa in 1984 at the age of 23. Grady also worked at KSMN/KLSS
in
Mason City, Iowa, KFIZ/WFON in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and WCWC/WYUR in
Ripon, Wisconsin. He came back to Fort Dodge in December of
1991
as General Manager of KVFD/KUEL. Bill Grady has been active
in
the community by serving on several local committees and organizations
including the Iowa Central Community College Broadcasting Advisory
Board, United Way Board of Directors, Fort Dodge Chamber of Commerce
Board of Directors, Chamber Ambassadors, Chairman of the annual "Fall
Fest" committee, and Chairman of the March of Dimes WalkAmerica in
1993, and Honoree Chairman of the March of Dimes WalkAmerica in
2001. Bill has also served several statewide and national
organizations and committees such as the National Association of
Broadcasters Education Foundation, NAB State Leadership Conference, and
served as President of the Iowa Broadcasters Association and President
of the Greater Cedar Rapids Foundation. While under his
leadership, the staff of KVFD-AM and KUEL-FM received many local and
national recognition’s including 3 consecutive Crystal Radio
Awards for excellence in community service in 1998, 1999 and 2000, 5
consecutive Crystal Radio Award finalist nominations (1996, 1997, 1998,
1999, 2000), 3 consecutive Marconi Radio Awards for overall excellence
in broadcasting in 1998, 1999 and 2000, 4 consecutive Marconi Radio
Award nominations (Jeremy Borash, Small Market Personality of the Year,
1997; KVFD, Adult Standards Station of the Year, 1998; KUEL, Adult
Contemporary Station of the Year, 1999; KVFD, Adult Standards Station
of the Year, 2000), recognized during the Service To America Awards in
Washington, D.C. in 1999 & 2000 for excellence in community
service, 2 Governor Media Awards for excellence in community
development in 1997 and 1999, Radio Wayne Streetfighter of the Year
Finalist (Ann Halbur, 1999), Iowa Sportscaster Association Play-by-Play
Announcer of the Year (Joe Peterson, 1996), Sorenson Broadcasting
Corporation Sales Department of the Year Award (1996 and 1998), and
United Way
of Greater Fort Dodge Corporate Leadership Award (1997). Bill
Grady was elected Chairman of the Sorenson Broadcasting’s
Employee Stock Ownership Plan by the trustees in 1997 representing the
financial interests of over 150 employees, and beginning in 1998 served
as the Eastern Regional Director for Sorenson Broadcasting, responsible
for the company’s stations in Iowa and Minnesota.
In 2000,
he was named Regional Manager for Waitt Radio, responsible for KVFD-AM
& KUEL-FM, Fort Dodge, KQWC-AM/FM, Webster City, and KHBT-FM,
Humboldt. Bill founded his own company, Star Communications
in
the summer of 2002 and since then has brought his advertising/marketing
knowledge and experience to thousands of small business owners in Iowa,
Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma.
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