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In 1964 I was GM of WQXI in Atlanta. I
was always looking for public service announcements or
programs that made sense for our popular TOP 40 station.
Bayard Walters entered my life at that time. Everyone calls
him Bud. He was the information officer for the Air Force
Reserve for the southeast.
He was on active duty stationed at
Dobbins Air Base in Atlanta. He had public service
announcements that made format sense for us. Bud seemed very
interested in radio, and I remember walking him through our
studios describing the function of equipment, introducing
him to our disc jockeys, etc. As I recall it we spent an
hour together talking radio.
When Bud left the studios I remember
thinking two things…first, what a likeable guy…and second,
this guy really enjoyed the tour and the radio talk. During
his assignment in Atlanta we talked by phone quite a few
times. Then, suddenly he was gone.
I didn’t know where the heck the guy
was until one day in the early 90’s the phone rang…and I
heard a very familiar voice say, “Hi, I’m Bud
Walters…remember me?” I responded, “I sure do…where are you
and what have you been up to?”
Bud said, “Well, you probably don’t
know this, but I am owner of a group of radio stations
called the Cromwell Group…mostly small market
stations…although we do have a couple on the outskirts of
Nashville.”
He asked if I had time to fly to see
him. I did so and learned a great deal about the time he
left Atlanta till he surfaced. Bud liked to build his own
stations, but he did buy a few. His first was in Hawesville,
Kentucky, which is now part of a seven station cluster he
owns in Owensboro, Kentucky. He also owned six stations in
Peoria (which he sold for a handsome profit a few years
ago).
He owns stations in Mattoon and
Decatur, Illinois. At one time he owned thirty stations, but
now owns about twenty. And he asked if I could help him with
his stations in Nashville which I did for a number of years.
But, Bud’s story doesn’t stop with
just building and operating a group. He has served on the
board of both the Radio Advertising Bureau and National
Association of Broadcasters…representing the broadcast
business with great integrity. He is currently the Chairman
of the Tennessee Association of Broadcasters.
He is on the Board of Trustees of
DePauw University and St. Andrew Sewanee School. Bud is a
busy guy!!! He is a pilot, and has a few interesting flight
stories which you should ask him about when you meet him
…like landing in a corn field when his engine sputtered and
gave up.
Bud and his wife
Rose Mary do quite a bit of traveling and have great travel
stories and pictures. We should all be so lucky to meet a
gentleman like Bud Walters.
I feel very fortunate to have known
him. I know because I WAS THERE!!!
I have not asked Bud this…but I like
to believe that the WQXI station tour and our radio
conversations made a career decision for him...called
RADIO!!! Lucky for all of us!!!!
e-mail Kent
kent@kentburkhart.com
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