Gary's Radio Journey

The Journey: A Life in the Speakers

The Spark

It started with a transistor radio in New York. I grew up in the shadow of the legendary towers, listening to the stations that defined the golden age of the medium. To most people, it was just background noise, but to me, it was a lifeline. I didn't just want to hear the magic, I wanted to know how the trick was done.

The Long Island Internship

That curiosity turned into action early. While I was still a teenager, I landed an internship at WGBB on Long Island. Walking into those studios was my first real look behind the curtain. I was the kid doing whatever needed to be done just to be near the console and the transmitter. That experience at WGBB solidified everything; by the time I headed off to college, I already had the "radio bug" in my system and a head start on the life I wanted to build.

The New England Apprenticeship

When I arrived at Emerson College in Boston, I didn't stay confined to the campus. While honing my skills at WERS, I spent my college years living a double life: student by day, hungry broadcaster by night and weekend. I crisscrossed New England, working at stations across the region, taking every shift I could get.

Those miles on the road were my real education. I learned how to handle different audiences and make connections with listeners in towns I was only passing through. By the time I graduated, I didn't just have a degree, I had a career already in high gear.

The WPRO Breakthrough

That early hustle paid off when I landed at WPRO in Providence. Even though I was still at Emerson, I was ready for the big stage. I worked my way up the ladder: from night personality to Music Director, and finally, to the Program Director's chair.

The culmination of that climb was being named the first-ever Program Director at 92 PRO-FM. Helping launch and shape what would become one of the most iconic FM sounds in history was a defining moment. 

My ties to Emerson remained a source of pride, being honored with the Emerson College Alumni Achievement Award and induction into the WERS Hall of Fame reminded me where that professional compass was first set. Decades later, when I was inducted into the Rhode Island Radio Hall of Fame, it felt like a tribute to those early days of grit, New England winters, and the sheer love of the game.

Building Winning Stations

From Providence, the challenges grew. At WROR Boston, we transformed an automated Oldies station into one of the country's first successful FM ACs. In Detroit, I led WJR to #1 and took WHYT to its highest ratings ever. Each stop, whether launching Q95 or fine-tuning a heritage signal, reinforced the same truth: a winning station is a puzzle where every piece has to fit perfectly.

The Consultant's Chair

In 1990, I realized I wanted to take those "in-the-chair" experiences and help other stations find their voice. I started Berkowitz Broadcast Consulting because I wanted to stay in the trenches.

Over the years, I've programmed and consulted for hundreds of stations across major broadcast groups including ABC Radio, CBS Radio, iHeartMedia, and Cumulus. I've helped build some of the nation's powerhouse ACs, from Fresh 102.7 in New York and Magic 106.7 in Boston to B101 in Philadelphia. Even today, whether I'm working with winning stations in Salt Lake City, Reno, and Eugene, or writing my column for Radio Ink, I'm still chasing that same feeling I had as a kid in New York.

The Home Signal

Today, I live in Detroit with my wife, Betty (you know her as BJ).  We've raised three kids and seen the industry change in ways I couldn't have imagined. But through all the digital shifts, the core of my story remains the same. I still believe in the power of great radio, I still believe in the AC format, and after all this time, I still can't imagine doing anything else.

What You're Getting

When you hire me, you're not getting a consultant who phones it in. You're getting someone who's sat in every chair, on-air, programming, and in those ownership meetings where the pressure is real.

Your station isn't just another contract. It's a signal with a story, a team that's counting on getting it right, and a community that deserves great radio. That's why I answer my phone on weekends. That's why I stay in the fight. And that's why I treat your station like it's my own.

If you want someone who will care about your station the way you do—and who has the track record to back it up, let's talk.