Remembering Gary Kline

• We’ve lost yet another talented industry pro – noted engineering guru Gary Kline, probably best known for his lengthy run as SVP of Broadcast Engineering for Cumulus Media, passed away on Jan. 10, 2023 after a battle with cancer.

After leaving Cumulus in 2016 during a corporate restructuring, Kline offered his considerable talents to the industry as a technical consultant. One of those clients was Key Networks, where COO Dennis Green noted, “Gary was simply one of the most knowledgeable engineering and technical minds I had the pleasure of working with. He oversaw engineering at Cumulus and Cumulus Media Networks (which merged into Westwood One). He was able to explain things of a technical nature in a way the no technical type could understand and served countless radio stations small and large. If Gary was involved the sound quality was superior  He will be missed.”

Kline was also a consulting engineer for Benztown Branding, as Pres. Dave “Chachi” Denes relates, “Gary was not only a good friend, but he was also our Engineer. He was an early believer in Benztown and he was instrumental in building out our Los Angeles studios. He was a technical wizard with incredible ears and he possessed an artistic eye that’s usually unique to an artist or designer. His studios were acoustically and visually brilliant.” Denes, who bestowed the nickname “Ice G” on Kline due to his passion for iced tea, noted that Kline also loved to travel, so it was not uncommon to run into him at radio-related events around the globe like Radio Europe, Radio Days Asia, etc.

In addition to his many outside projects, we are told that Kline also helped build out studios for Kix Brooks, the American Airlines Center and at several Children’s hospitals around the country for the Ryan Seacrest Foundation.

For a more in-depth look at Gary Kline’s remarkable career, we suggest you check out this tribute posted at RadioWorld.com. [Photo courtesy of Benztown]