Miller, Richard J. (December 28, 2012)
Dates
- Existence: December 28, 2012
Biography
Mentor, pioneer and raconteur of local radio, Richard J. Miller moved to St. Louis from Atlanta in 1958 and purchased his first station, the gospel/R&B-formatted KXLW-AM. In 1969 he added KADI-FM, a progressive rock station, to his local operations and subsequently bought stations in two other cities: WMAS-AM and WHVY-FM in Springfield, Massachusetts, and KWKI-FM Kansas City.
KWKI was initially established in 1958 as KCMK, first as a classical music station, then later primarily as a country station in the 1960s. In 1971 Miller, as president of Communication Funds Inc., purchased the station, and changed its call letters and programming. From 1971-1973 KWKI operated as a soul music station catering to the African-American market, before adopting a mainstream rock format in 1974. The frequency, 93.3 FM, endured – surviving a competitive local market and numerous format changes since the late 1970s, including religious, soft adult contemporary (KLSI “Classy 93”) and hot adult contemporary/Top 40 (KMXV “Mix 93”) programming.
Miller helped launch broadcast careers for numerous personalities and established the concept of weekly oldies shows on Sunday nights. He was one of the first to promote his stations using posters. Miller sold all his radio properties by the mid-1990s when he founded and became chairman of Truman Bank. He passed away December 28, 2012, at age 81.
