I
“Bill was magical to be around. You could feel the energy in
the room multiply when he walked in. He always had a kind
word and his laugh was contagious.”
f ever there was a man who loved the broadcast
industry, it was Bill Spendlove. His natural inclination
toward radio and TV began in his youth and inspired
a multi-faceted career. His entrepreneurial instincts
brought him to Gilroy and planted the seeds of what would
become a family legacy.
During the 1970s to 90s, Bill and Carole Spendlove ran
Gilroy’s first FM radio station, attended Gilroy Presbyterian
Church, participated in community theater, and sent their
kids to Gilroy public schools. It was a good life.
Describing that era, Bill would say, “Gilroy was an easier
and quieter lifestyle than Los Angeles or San Jose. It was a
great place to grow kids.”
Bill passed away in February of 2019. Thanks to fam-
ily members and friends, a little slice of Spendlove history
has been preserved in Gilroy. Last summer, Bill’s story was
captured on camera by 152 West, he was honored with a
proclamation by the City of Gilroy, and he accompanied his
son Randy to see his grandson Brandon perform onstage at
the Gilroy Garlic Festival. What follows is based on my on-
and off-camera conversations with Bill Spendlove and the
recollections of others who knew him.
EARLY DAYS
Bill had fond memories of growing up in Los Angeles and
enjoying music as a young boy.
“It started in high school,” Bill said. “I put music on during
our lunch breaks. Then I went to LA City College and worked
at their radio station. I loved it.”
Bill interrupted his college career to join the US Navy, but
that didn’t keep him away from radio. During his training at
the San Diego Naval Base he learned radio engineer skills.
He was deployed to the Pacific Ocean theater and stationed
on a small mine sweeper vessel that operated along the coast
of Korea.
“I was the only one on board trained to work the radio,”
Bill said. He smiled at the memory and added, “That meant
I always got the scoop on our operations from the officers
before anyone else did.”
After nearly six years in the Navy, Bill resumed his college
studies, focusing on business and broadcasting, and earned
his degree from Cal State Long Beach.
FROM SAILOR TO FAMILY GUY
During a brief stint with a trucking company, he befriended
a young man at work who suffered from a brain injury. The
young man introduced Bill to his mother, who worked at
Westinghouse. She introduced Bill to her co-worker, Carole,
who won his heart.
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
Mattie Scariot
When Bill asked for Carole’s hand in marriage, he said “it
was a total package.” Carole had two children from a previous
marriage. Talking about it, Bill’s face lit up.
“There was Carlene, three; and Steven, barely over a year
old. He took his first steps to me. I raised them as my own.
Then Carole and I had our daughter, Kimberly, and then
Randy, our youngest boy.”
When it came time to find “a serious job to support the
family,” Bill’s gregarious nature, determination and resourceful-
ness came into play.
BREAKING INTO RADIO and TV
“I literally grabbed the Yellow Pages, drove up to Hollywood,
and asked to speak with the general manager at a radio station
there, only to be told they had no job openings.”
“I said, ‘I’m not looking for a job, I’m looking for a career!’
The general manager said he couldn’t hire me but asked if
there was some other way he could help. ‘Sure!’ I said, ‘Call
another radio station manager and introduce me.’”
That led to a string of introductions to station managers
from LA to Orange County. When Bill asked the station
manager at KWIZ FM in Santa Ana if he could shadow
the salespeople on their client visits, it was their positive
recommendations that helped Bill land his first job in
radio sales.
“Sales was nice. You had the weekends off with family.
Otherwise, radio was always twenty-four-seven.”
Bill not only sold commercials but helped some clients
produce them too. He did well at KWIZ and in the late 1960s
he parlayed that job into a new assignment at San Jose’s
popular KLOK Radio, where he was ultimately promoted to
General Manager.
LANDING IN SOUTH COUNTY
The way Bill saw it, “Everybody dreams, if they’re in radio,
about having their own station.”
In 1974 he realized that dream by entering into a partner-
ship to buy KAZA FM from the owner of its sister station,
KAZA AM, based in Morgan Hill. KAZA FM was located
between Fourth and Fifth Streets in downtown Gilroy on the
second floor of Don Cimino’s retail store.
“We changed the call letters to KSND—short for K-SOUND,
and switched to a popular oldies format.”
Bill juggled roles as an on-air personality, station manager,
salesman, and mentor. On his first day at KSND, he met
Bobby Day, a 16-year-old who read the news with a mature,
melodious voice far beyond his years. Bill assured the young
man he could keep his job, with one proviso. He had to
change his name.
june/july 2019
gmhtoday.com
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