1960s Top 40 talent turned broadcasting executive Gary Stevens passed away on Monday, February 17 at the age of 84.
Stevens worked on air at stations including WWOW Conneaut OH, WCKR, WAME and WFUN Miami, WIL St. Louis, WKNR Detroit, and WMCA New York from 1959 through 1968. After a stint in Europe selling American television shows internationally, Stevens returned stateside to join Doubleday Broadcasting as a manger where he would spend time leading KRIZ Phoenix and KDWB Minneapolis where he helped move the station from AM to FM before being named President of Doubleday Broadcasting through 1985 growing the company to include stations including WHN and WAPP New York, WLLZ Detroit, and WAVA-FM Washington DC.
Stevens then would move into radio station brokerage and served on the Board of Directors of many companies and organizations including Radio Advertising Bureau and the Electronic Media Ratings Council. His final position was serving as interim Chairman of Saga Communications in 2022.
Stevens’ daughter Kris Sexton shared the following…
Gary Stevens (Gulfstream, FL and New Canaan, CT), a pioneering force in the radio industry, passed away on February 17, 2025, in Delray Beach, Florida, at the age of 84.
Born on April 5, 1940, in Buffalo, New York, Gary’s passion for broadcasting began early. He launched his on-air career in 1959 at WWOW in Conneaut, Ohio, while on break from college. His early years in radio took him to WCKR and WAME—known as “Whammy in Miami”—as well as WFUN while he was a student at the University of Miami. In 1961, he moved to WIL in St. Louis before making a name for himself at WKNR (“KEENER”) in Detroit in 1963.
Gary became a household name in April 1965 when he joined WMCA in New York City as one of the “Good Guys,” the station’s beloved group of on-air personalities. Hosting a weeknight show from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., he quickly became a favorite among teenagers who tuned in on their transistor radios. His influence extended beyond U.S. airwaves when, in 1966, he hosted a daily American music program for pirate radio station Swinging Radio England that operated from May to November of that year.
In September 1968, Gary retired from his role as a disc jockey and relocated to Switzerland and London, where he launched a company selling US TV programs to broadcasters across Europe and the Middle East.
After starting a family abroad, he returned to the United States in 1971 when Nelson Doubleday Jr. recruited him to manage KRIZ, a Phoenix-based radio station. In 1975, he moved to Minneapolis to oversee KDWB 63 AM and played a pivotal role in acquiring its FM counterpart at 101.3 for one of the first-ever simulcasts across both bands. His leadership and vision led to his promotion as President of Doubleday Broadcasting in 1977, where he remained until 1985.
During his tenure at Doubleday Broadcasting, Gary managed stations across major markets, including WLLZ (“Wheels”) in Detroit, KWK in St. Louis, KPKE (“The Peak”) in Denver, WAVA in Washington D.C., as well as WAPP (“The Apple”) and WHN in New York City. He made waves in the industry when WAPP launched its groundbreaking “Commercial Free Summer” promotion—a bold move that shook up traditional advertising models and garnered national attention.
When Doubleday decided to sell its broadcasting assets in 1986, Gary transitioned into media investment banking as Associate Managing Director at Wertheim Schroeder & Co., Inc., where he brokered major radio transactions. Later striking out on his own, he became President & CEO of Gary Stevens & Co., specializing in radio station investments. He also served on several boards, including the National Association of Broadcasters, the Radio Advertising Bureau, the Electronic Media Ratings Council and several public companies, including Saga Communications, where he served as Lead Director, leaving an indelible mark on the industry he loved so much.
He is survived by his wife Frankie; his children Kristin (Stevens) Sexton, Christopher Stevens, and Victoria (Stevens) Chapman; and his grandchildren Georgina and David Chapman III. He was predeceased by his parents Gertrude and Leslie Grossman and his brother Arnold J. Grossman.
Gary Stevens’ legacy lives on through the countless listeners he entertained and the industry professionals he mentored throughout his remarkable career.