Quick Facts
Biography
James Gabbert (born 1936, Chico, California) is a radio and television entrepreneur from the San Francisco Bay Area. He has owned and managed various TV and radio stations, including KOFY-TV, KIOI radio, and KSOL radio. He studied electrical engineering at Stanford University, and in 1957, while in school, founded KPEN-FM in Atherton. After purchasing it, he moved K101 to San Francisco and purchased KSAY (1010 AM), switching its call letters to KIQI. Gabbert acquired two Honolulu stations in 1979, KIKI and KPIG-FM. He then sold all four radio stations and bought KEMO-TV (Channel 20) in San Francisco. The call letters were changed to KTZO in October 1980. In 1986, KTZO became KOFY. In 1994 Gabbert was approached by Warner Brothers and asked to be the Bay Area affiliate for the new WB Television Network. In 1994, the California Broadcasters Association named Gabbert Broadcaster of the Year. He sold his last two radio stations, KOFY 1050 AM and KDIA 1310 AM, and KOFY-TV, in 1998. He lives in Sausalito.
He has been president of the National Radio Broadcasters Association.
Additional sources
- Vane, Edwin T. (January 1994). Programming for TV, Radio, and Cable. Focal Press. pp. 87–89. ISBN 9780240801285. Retrieved 8 June 2014.