Remembering Gary Fries

Former longtime RAB President & CEO Gary Fries died last Friday at the age of 76. Fries had been receiving hospice care in Arizona.

Current RAB President and CEO, Erica Farber issued this heartfelt statement about her predessesor, commenting, “It is with great sadness that we mourn the passing of our friend and colleague, Gary Fries. Gary served the RAB and industry for 14 years and during his tenure as radio’s leading advocate he provided tremendous leadership and guidance. Under his direction, the RAB increased its membership and introduced and advanced numerous sales training programs. He spearheaded radio to the forefront in media accountability, playing a dominant role in the development of RAEL working with advertisers, agencies and broadcasters to further the industry’s understanding of how radio advertising works. He also encouraged radio to embrace electronic data interchange, urging the industry to adopt electronic invoicing.

Farber continued, “Upon his departure from the RAB, he left with the title of President Emeritus and continued to hold a seat on the RAB Board to his very last day. With a large physical presence and a strong personality he always made his presence known. On a personal note, Gary and I partnered together on many initiatives and I always found a welcoming partner and friend. Our thoughts are with his family and friends during this time.”