Robert Hyland
Encyclopedia
Robert Hyland, Jr. was CBS regional vice president and general manager of radio station
KMOX in St. Louis, Missouri
for four decades.
; he also made the decision in 1960 to eliminate the station's afternoon music programming in favor of talk radio
, a critical change which led to the station's subsequent dominance of the St. Louis radio market. He also introduced the first listener call-in programs at KMOX in 1960.
Robert Hyland, the senior vice president of CBS Radio and general manager of KMOX radio. Mr. Hyland joined the network-owned KMOX 41 years ago as national sales manager and was credited with its later position as one of the nation's top news-talk stations in terms of advertising. William Paley, the founder of CBS, called KMOX "the jewel in CBS's crown." Mr. Hyland was the only radio executive at CBS to be named a senior vice president. He was offered the presidency of CBS Sports and of the CBS Radio Network, but turned them down to remain in his native St. Louis.
His list of firsts in the industry include the inauguration in 1960 of the talk format that has since been adopted by some 2,000 radio stations around the world. Under Mr. Hyland, KMOX was also the first CBS-owned station to endorse a political candidate.
Mr. Hyland was president of the St. Louis Zoo Commission and board chairman of St. Anthony's Medical Center. He was a founding member of the organization responsible for the building of the Gateway Arch, which has become a symbol of St. Louis.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
KMOX in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
for four decades.
Personal life
He was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1920. He attended both St. Louis University High School and St. Louis University. Before going into radio he embraced the idea of becoming a professional baseball player and even an actor, but these ideas were shot down by his father or other reasons. Hyland was the son of the longtime Cardinals team physician, Dr. Robert F. Hyland, M.D.Contributions/Career
Hyland emphasized and leveraged KMOX's relationship with the St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
; he also made the decision in 1960 to eliminate the station's afternoon music programming in favor of talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
, a critical change which led to the station's subsequent dominance of the St. Louis radio market. He also introduced the first listener call-in programs at KMOX in 1960.
Robert Hyland, the senior vice president of CBS Radio and general manager of KMOX radio. Mr. Hyland joined the network-owned KMOX 41 years ago as national sales manager and was credited with its later position as one of the nation's top news-talk stations in terms of advertising. William Paley, the founder of CBS, called KMOX "the jewel in CBS's crown." Mr. Hyland was the only radio executive at CBS to be named a senior vice president. He was offered the presidency of CBS Sports and of the CBS Radio Network, but turned them down to remain in his native St. Louis.
His list of firsts in the industry include the inauguration in 1960 of the talk format that has since been adopted by some 2,000 radio stations around the world. Under Mr. Hyland, KMOX was also the first CBS-owned station to endorse a political candidate.
Mr. Hyland was president of the St. Louis Zoo Commission and board chairman of St. Anthony's Medical Center. He was a founding member of the organization responsible for the building of the Gateway Arch, which has become a symbol of St. Louis.
External links
- www.stlradio.com The hall of fame section contains a biography of Hyland.