Thursday, December 6, 2018

R.I.P.: Ken Byers, Former Prescott AZ Radio Broadcaster

Ken Byers
Former Hometown Radio Group VP/Broadcast Operations Ken Byers has died at the age of 62.

He joined the company just one week after 9/11 and led the broadcast operations right up to when his illness forced his retirement in October 2018. Byers anchored "The Morning Mix" on KPPV and made significant contributions both on-air and behind the scenes on all of its stations.

Born in West Virginia, Byers began his Arizona radio career in 1990 at KCKY in Coolidge and advanced to a position with KTAR in Phoenix the following year helping with technical and production for the "Pat McMahon show."

Byers wanted to be an on air personality so in 2000 he left KTAR to be the morning voice of KTHQ in Show Low.  The following year, he made the move to KPPV and KQNA. Byers moved from morning announcer to production supervisor to Vice President of Broadcast Operations with what became Arizona's Hometown Radio Group.

He had garnered several Associated Press awards for Best Newscast and Best Live Reporting. Byers also earned a "Silver Microphone" for creation of the KPPV 20 year anniversary montages.

When asked what he will miss most about being in radio, Byers said, "The relationships I have been fortunate to create and to be able to work at my life's 'dream job'. The hardest thing for me is to leave a job and people that I love so dearly who have been supportive even while I have been going to Phoenix for daily treatments. This is what I have wanted to do even as a little kid so that makes it hard to leave."

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