Remembering Dave Roberts
• Former longtime major market programmer and research expert Dave Kelliher, a.k.a. Dave Roberts died Saturday, November 24 after a long battle with cancer. He had just celebrated his 70th birthday at the beginning of the month. Roberts started his radio career as a jock, notably plugging in at KYA and KIOI (K101)/San Francisco, KYNO/Fresno, KEZY/Anaheim, KMEN/San Bernardino, KPOI/Honolulu and many more.
Rob Sisco, now President, North America for SoundOut, recounts to RAMP, “I first met Dave when I hired him at K101/San Francisco in 1981. He went on to host national radio shows and filled in several times for Casey Kasem on AT40. Jo Interrante and I hired him to host the RKO Radio Networks artist profiles we produced in the ’80s, Music Star Special and The Hot Ones. Dave went on to narrate more than 250 shows for RKO.”
Off-air, Roberts was affectionately known as “Dr. Dave” because he earned a PhD in Communications Research at the University of Oregon and was a highly respected researcher throughout his career. After conceiving, launching and programming the successful KRQR (The Rocker)/San Francisco for CBS, Roberts was tapped as VP of Programming for the RKO Radio Networks and later served as VP of FM Programming for CBS.
For over a decade Roberts was partner in Roberts/Cooke Media Research and Resources with his longtime friend Dave Cooke, former VP of News for RKO Radio Networks, and together they consulted the CBS AM Group and numerous other major market stations and corporations. As Cooke commented to RAMP, “Dave was one of my dearest friends, and in addition to having been my business partner for 10 years in the ’80s and ’90s, he was one of the smartest and nicest people I have ever had the pleasure to know. My heart goes out to his wife, Marsha, and to all who knew and loved Dave.”
Sisco added, “Dave was an amazing talent, a brilliant programmer and researcher, a delightfully nice man and dear friend to all who knew him.” Roberts is survived by his wife, Marsha Kelliher, the President of Walsh College in Troy, MI. A private funeral will be held this week with a memorial TBD at a later date.
