Halls of Fame

Bob Hardy – Legacy

​Bob Hardy is best-known for his many years of work as a newsman and program host at KMOX. He joined that station in 1960, having previously worked at WIBV and WIL. At the latter station, he served as news director from 1957 – 1960. At KMOX, Hardy wrote and produced more than a dozen major documentaries and covered political conventions from 1964 – 1992.

Many of Hardy’s broadcasts were pioneering. In 1978, he inaugurated a special weeklong live broadcast of “At Your Service” from Washington, DC., and he later served as host for the “Radio Bridge,” a monthly satellite broadcast link between St. Louis and Moscow.

KMOX and Bob Hardy received a National Headliner Award for a series featuring live broadcasts from five European capitols in five days, culminating the effort with the first live call-in show originating from Red Square in Moscow. During the Gulf War, Hardy went on special assignment in Saudi Arabia, broadcasting live via satellite.

His awards fill an entire page, ranging from a Peabody Award, 3 Missouri Associated Press awards, UPI Regional Broadcast Award, Daughters of the American Revolution Medal of Honor, and Illinois Friend of Farmer Award.

Bob Hardy worked at KMOX until 1993, when he passed away. He was, for many years, the market’s news voice.

Paul & Angel Harvey – Legacy

Paul Aurandt was a young newsman hired when KXOK signed on in 1938. A year later, Lynne Cooper began working at the station as a producer, and their subsequent marriage produced a national broadcasting empire.

The names changed slightly. On their first date he nicknamed her “Angel.” His air name was changed to Paul Harvey. After a couple other jobs, they moved to Chicago in 1944, he as a newscaster on WENR; she as his producer, editor and writer. They moved as a team to ABC Radio in 1951.

During their long career operating the “Paul Harvey News” organization, the couple maintained a farm south of St. Louis, where they installed a broadcast studio so he could continue his broadcasts while visiting the area.​

Bernie Hayes – Legacy

​Bernie Hayes’ name was closely associated with the development of ethnic radio in St. Louis, but he had a highly successful career even before coming to this market.

​He arrived in St. Louis from KSOL in San Francisco, becoming a disc jockey at KATZ, playing soul in the afternoons and jazz at night. Hayes also worked at KWK, KKSS, KIRL, WESL, KXLW and KADI in various capacities, including air shifts.

​He was the host of the first radio talk show for black audiences here and later parlayed his knowledge of the community into a prestigious job as the first African-American to be appointed news director at KWMU, the market’s major NPR affiliate.
​He also shared his knowledge of the business by teaching media courses at Webster University. In addition to over 45 years working in various media, Hayes labored tirelessly to preserve the history of Black radio and its personalities, especially those in the St. Louis area.

Listen to Bernie Hayes on KATZ, in 1966

Gene Hirsch – Legacy

​Gene Hirsch worked at WIL in St. Louis for 34 years. He worked his way through college as a radio announcer and after graduation he was a “guest announcer” with Armed Forces Radio in Korea.

​He was later hired by Balaban for their Dallas property. In 1960, they transferred him to their station in St. Louis, WIL.

​Most of his time at WIL-AM & FM was as the news director for the stations. In spite of competition from other heavily staffed radio newsrooms, Hirsch won many awards from the Missouri Broadcasters Association, including “Best Newscast,” “Investigative Reporting,” “Public Affairs,” and “Documentaries.” In 1993, the year before he retired, Gene Hirsch won the First Place Award – News and First Place Award – Documentary/Public Affairs in the statewide competition.

​He was known in the market for his willingness to work with college interns trying to break into broadcast journalism, and he served on several charitable boards during his time in St. Louis.

​The voice of Gene Hirsch was truly the voice of WIL News for over three decades.

Grant Horton – Legacy

​His given name was Harlan, but on the air here he was “Grant.” His style was laid-back, friendly, sincere.

​Grant Horton came to St. Louis and broke into radio as “Grant Williams” in 1959 on the CBS franchise “Housewives’ Protective League,” which he hosted on KMOX until 1967.

​He then moved to KSD where, it was said, he acquired the name “Horton” after holding an informal contest to name the deejay.

​His career continued with stops at KSCF, WRTH, WEW, KXOK, and a final stop at KMOX. At each station, he continued his folksy approach that his listeners had come to expect from him. He left the KMOX airwaves after his second stint there in 1989.

​He was awarded the Nellie Booth Award by the St. Louis AFTRA office for “exceptional and meritorious service to AFTRA and to the industry.”

Listen to Grant Horton on KMOX, in 1988

Robert Hyland – Legacy

​Robert Hyland’s name was essentially synonymous with that of the radio station he managed, KMOX.

​His St. Louis radio career actually began in 1945 at KXOK, where he worked as an advertising salesman. In 1946 he was appointed sales manager of KXOK-FM. The station’s owners put Hyland in charge of the effort to sell “transit radio,” an ill-fated venture around the country to rescue a gasping FM radio industry by placing receivers in municipal streetcars and buses.

​He was hired by CBS radio in 1950 and sent to WBBM in Chicago, returning to St. Louis less than two years later to work at KMOX. He quickly rose from his first job as national sales manager to general sales manager to assistant general manager in 2 years. In 1955, Hyland took the reigns as KMOX general manager, a position he held until his death in 1992.

​Under Hyland’s leadership, KMOX became the first major radio station to adopt an all-talk format, which was dubbed “At Your Service.” He also developed KMOX into the “Sports Voice of St. Louis” with play-by-play for the St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis Football Cardinals, St. Louis Blues, and University of Missouri football and basketball.

​KMOX consistently registered the highest listening ratings in the nation and often the highest gross revenues in the CBS-owned radio chain. The Wall Street Journal cited Hyland as one of the nation’s most notorious workaholics. He arrived for work at KMOX at 2:00 a.m. six days a week, usually staying until 5:30 in the afternoon.

​Hyland turned down offers to become president of CBS Sports, and later, of the CBS Radio Network, choosing to remain in St. Louis. CBS founder William Paley said of Hyland’s KMOX, “It is the jewel in CBS’s crown.”