I heard the news from the Indiana RadioWatch newsletter from Blaine Thompson.  Dave Keister, radio station owner in Martinsville, Indiana, has died.

I thought back to an evening in the early 1970s, which Dave was putting on a Christmas party for his staff and asked me to work that evening.  That was the first time I earned a paycheck from Dave Keister, but it was not the last.

I worked for his Martinsville radio station, WCBK, while going to college at IUPUI.  The staff at the time was a great group and I loved working with all of them.  I learned a great deal about the business of radio from Dave Keister.

He once told me the story of how he and his family had an AM radio transmitter in the back of a pickup truck, drove from MIchigan to Martinsville, and built a tower.  It was a daytime only station and he added WCBK-FM a few years later.

What I always admired about Dave was his perfect business sense on how to make money in small-town radio.  He had worked as an announcer and knew his way around a microphone as well.

Dave was such a success financially with his operation in Martinsville, his financial adviser pushed Dave to invest his money.  He knew nothing other than radio, so he started buying radio stations and had 30 stations in four states at the time of his death.

I was programming a station in Central Indiana during the late 1970s when it became clear that the station was up for sale and there would likely be no place for me when the new owner took control.  I went back and worked for Dave for about a year in the late 1970s.  One of the hardest things I ever had to do was tell Dave I was leaving to be the morning news anchor in Columbus, Indiana.  Dave and I hadn’t seen eye-to-eye on everything, but overall Mr. Keister treated me very well.

I sent Dave a congratulatory letter when he was honored by the Indiana Broadcasters Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award, an honor he richly deserved.

My heart goes out to Dave’s family.  Normally, I wouldn’t miss his funeral, but in the circumstances in which we live today, there likely will not be a traditional service for him.

When I think back to my 15-year career in radio broadcasting, Dave Keister was one of the biggest personalities I had to pleasure to work under.  I hope the City of Martinsville finds a special way to honor the memory of Dave Keister.