Bob Sinclair Sr., Norfolk radio station owner, dies at 79
Broadcasting titan Bob Sinclair Sr. shaped the world of radio in Hampton Roads.
The longtime owner of Norfolk-based Sinclair Communications died on April 20 at 79. His son, Bob Sinclair Jr., and longtime employees carry on his legacy.
“He loved the radio business,” said Sinclair Jr., whose father named the station BOB-FM for his only son.
Sinclair Sr. is credited for the company’s growth from a single Norfolk station to five. His father, John Sinclair, founded the company in 1966. Today, the Sinclair portfolio includes AM 790 WNIS, 93.7 BOB-FM, US 106.1, 96X and WTAR (96.5 FM and 850 AM). Sinclair’s nine radio stations in Austin, Texas, are managed under Waterloo Media.
Sinclair Sr. was a visionary, trailblazer, risk-taker and the driving force behind the company, said Julianne Worden, general sales manager and program director for WNIS/WTAR. She worked for him for more than half her life. She said he transformed the world of radio for her and countless others.
“It’s hard to imagine a world without him, but his words and stories will live with us always,” Worden said.
Despite a five-year bout with cancer, Sinclair Sr. remained committed to the company’s day-to-day operations and was actively involved throughout his life.
“A lot of people said he was one-of-a-kind; he had a presence when he was around,” said Sinclair Jr., who joined the company in 2003 and is general manager for the Norfolk stations.
Office manager Julinda Britt recalled how Sinclair Sr. revolutionized workplace culture by relaxing the dress code, allowing staff to bring children to work and by calling all employees by their first names. Britt was Sinclair’s first local employee when she joined the family business 47 years ago.
“He switched from country music to talk radio and the rest is history,” Britt said.
Honey Radio (WHNE) swapped its country music format for news and information and became WNIS in 1979. Sinclair Sr. had moved to Norfolk in 1976 to manage the station while overseeing two other Richmond-based stations. The West Virginia native had earned his bachelor’s degree in history from Harvard University before joining his father’s company.
Sinclair Sr., who later moved to the Austin area, made radio fun but challenging, exciting yet predictable and a welcome refuge, said Ginger Power, a national sales manager who began her career with the company 35 years ago.
“He was larger than life and lived life to the fullest till the very end,” she said.
Tony Macrini, morning talk show host on WNIS, joined the station in 1991.
“I will forever be in his debt,” Macrini said on the air last week. “He hired me and took a chance when nobody else would.”
Luciana Varverud also feels gratitude to the man who offered her a job right after she graduated from Old Dominion University in 1999. Varverud, now FM sales manager, said he gave many employees the chance to develop their careers.
“He was a lot more than a boss; he was a mentor and someone I looked up to,” she said. “He is going to be missed tremendously.”
Steve Burton, president of Chesapeake-based Equity 1, has done a radio show on WNIS about financial advising for the past 21 years and credits Sinclair for helping his business grow.
“He was a solid guy who always treated me well,” Burton said.
Virginia Beach-based Wave Riding Vehicles was the first advertiser when 96X was launched in 1993. Manager Dave Lewis recalled his company’s co-founder Les Shaw encouraging him to get on the air as an advertiser — “pronto!”
“Bob — and Les — were two of the most successful, eccentric and passionate people about their businesses that I’ve ever had the privilege to work with,” Lewis said. “With what WRV was doing with surfing, Big Bob and the 96X crew were doing on radio with music.”
Dave Morgan, director of engineering, and Dave Thompson, IT manager and engineer, have a combined 59 years working for Sinclair and both attest to his ongoing devotion. The duo expressed that they will remember him for his kindness, work ethic and perseverance.
“He was a pillar in my life,” Thompson said.
Referencing the 1967 song “There is a Mountain” by Donovan, Morgan said, “He was the mountain, and now the mountain’s gone.”
In his free time, Sinclair Sr. enjoyed sailing, golf and travel, often hitting the links at both well-known and isolated courses. He journeyed to more than 100 countries and all seven continents, even penning a book, “Around the World in 80 Minutes.” He is survived by his wife, Lisa Heath, and four children, a stepdaughter and eight grandchildren.
Sandra J. Pennecke, 757-652-5836, [email protected]
Originally Published:
link
