An Industry Pays Tribute To Ralph Guild

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The radio industry found out Tuesday that former Interep CEO Ralph Guild passed away Monday at the age of 93. Guild created Interep Radio in 1981. In 1986, under Guild’s stewardship, Interep launched Group W Radio Sales, which ultimately became CBS Radio Sales.

Other rep companies created by Interep include ABC Radio Sales, HHW Radio, D&R Radio, Clear Channel Radio Sales, and Interep Marketing Group, the first national business development division.

Ralph Guild joined McGavren Radio, a radio advertising representation firm based in San Francisco, in the late 1950s and, shortly thereafter, opened up the company’s first east coast office in New York. The company was renamed McGavren Guild, and Guild was named President and COO in the late 1960s.

A recipient of numerous industry awards, Guild was inducted into Broadcasting & Cable Magazine’s Hall of Fame in 1991. In 1998 he received the Golden Mike Award from the Broadcasters Foundation for outstanding contributions to the radio industry. That same year he was inducted into the Radio Broadcaster’s Hall of Fame.

The comments about Guild came in immediately:

“It’s hard to think of Ralph without picturing that smile.  He created a novel, unique work environment for his employees which foreshadowed those established by many of today’s tech companies. His personality, his people skills and his kind, caring nature paved the way for him, and endeared him to many in our business.  And when you combine that with his passion for radio, his “we can make that happen” attitude, and his creative and innovative approach to the national rep business, he was quite a force to be reckoned with.  He was a visionary, a risk-taker, a master seller and marketer in one package, and he changed the model for the industry.”
David Kennedy

“I go back to 1966 when I worked for Ralph in Portland, Maine, Fresno and Sacramento. Through many ups and downs he never lost his enthusiasm for the radio business and life. He taught me how to buy radio stations with no money and it worked. He knew the rep business as well as anyone”
Bob Fuller

Ralph was a very generous person. He was always the first person to buy into any new idea to help radio. Most people probably don’t know how passionate he was about finding out how radio advertising works. He worked with the Wharton School at Penn to finance a myriad of programs with the best of the best researchers. He loved new ideas!
Jerry Lee
Former WBEB Philadelphia owner

“Ralph was a true visionary and loved the radio business.  He revolutionized the national radio business.  With the creation of Interep, it was at one point the largest national radio rep firm, and the first company to represent multiple companies in the same markets with unique selling teams.  The company was also the first one to have an unwired network department as well as entire department devoted to developing new business. His employees participated in the company’s employee stock ownership program which at the time was also unique.  In the NY office where Ralph was based whereas most executives had an executive conference room attached to their office, Ralph had a dance studio connected to his so he could practice his favorite pastime – tap dancing!  He was a true original!”
Erica Farber
CEO
RAB

“Ralph was a giant in our industry. As a leader, he was inspiring. He singlehandedly changed the national radio business, and while he will long be remembered as the founder of Interep and the creator of today’s national radio business model, he was  also the  first  to  represent  minority-owned broadcasters and opened  doors that delivered national dollars to those previously overlooked stations. I spent 20+ years working under Ralph’s leadership, and his deep commitment to his employees and their professional growth was unparalleled. Many of today’s leaders, across both local and  national radio, worked for and were inspired by Ralph . No one loomed larger than Ralph.”
Kevin Garrity
CEO
Gen Media Partners 

“The Radio industry has lost of its greatest innovators and transformative leaders with the passing of Interep Chairman Ralph Guild. Ralph embrace and committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Radio long before it became important in recent years. His commitment to serving African American and Hispanic broadcasters was without equal.

Under Ralph Guild’s leadership and commitment, The Power of Urban Radio was born over 30 years and it continues to thrive. My 15 years working for Ralph Guild at Interep were the best professional years of my life.. Along with being the visionary leader, he was the most generous, kind, warm, and fun-loving person.”
Sherman K. Kizart
(former Senior Vice President/Director of Urban Radio-Interep)
Managing Director
Kizart Media Partners

“To know and work for Ralph Guild was magic and so much fun!  He inspired us with his creativity and empowered us with his commitment to always saying “yes” to our customers and clients!  He backed us always to meet every promise and commitment. What a wonderful man, friend and company to have known.”
Kay Olin
Olin & Associates

“Ralph was such a big part of my life.  I learned so much from him as a radio executive and as his son-in-law.  Ralph was an innovator and visionary who changed the national radio business and a loving and caring family man. He was a big part of his grandchildren’s lives. I am fortunate to have known him and had him in my life.”
Phil Brown
CEO
Focus360

3 COMMENTS

  1. Mr. Guild. It was an Honor Working for you. You were the Best Boss I ever had. You wore your heart on your sleeve. A Wonderful Man with a Wonderful Heart Of Gold and an infectious Smile and Personality. I will never forget you. I still believe God sent you into my life as an Angel from Above. R.I.P. Sweet Man. I Love You Forever & Ever. ♥️🕯👼☕️💔🙏💫

  2. I will miss Ralph Guild because he was one of the most generous, sincere and fun loving
    people that I have known. His marriage to Calla and their eternal love affair was a
    relationship that was admired by everyone who knew them and made being in their
    company so special. Although, I grieve for losing a dear friend I am grateful to have
    known him.
    With deepest affection,
    Nannette Sloan

  3. I got to know Ralph early in my career when I was the editor of RadioActive magazine at the NAB in Washington, and we became life-long friends. While work was the driving force behind our friendship, I was especially moved the day about ten years ago that he gave me a tour of his pride and joy, Gray’s Grist Mill in Westport, MA. Not only had he purchased the historic mill where Johnny cake flour was still ground by a water wheel, but he also had bought up every property around the pond so it could be preserved forever. Outside the main building was the original granite post that was used to tie up horses in the late 1800s, and he was planning on installing a Tesla charging station to bring it full circle. He was that type of innovative thinker, and I already miss him dearly.

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