A long-time figure in the Australian radio industry is being remembered as a “great friend, advocate and leader”.
Les Heil passed away on April 26, aged 91, after being involved in the radio industry for more than seven decades.
He held several board and CEO roles, including a period as Wesgo Chairman.
He drove the conversion of 3KZ (now Gold 104.3) from AM to FM band and facilitated the creation of the Sea FM Network.
Mr Heil received the Commercial Radio Achievement Award in 1985 and was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1988 in recognition of his services to media and to radio broadcasting.
He was inducted into the Radio Broadcast Industry Hall of Fame in 2002.
Mr Heil assisted in driving new broadcasting services overseas, working with a team to develop the Solomon Islands Commercial Broadcasting Service and contributing to the establishment of Radio Hauraki in NZ.
He retired on the Sunshine Coast but continued to contribute to radio, as Sunshine FM 104.9 board chair.
The radio station paid tribute to Mr Heil.
“Sunshine FM has lost a great friend, advocate and leader,” its statement read.
“Les is remembered as a remarkable man. Compassionate, courageous, humble, funny and quite simply, a brilliant radio innovator. His generosity and his integrity knew no bounds.
“Les contributed a great deal to the communities he lived in.
“Les is an enormous loss to his family, his friends, our community and our radio station that he loved so much.”
The Community Broadcasting Association of Australia also acknowledged Mr Heil via its website.
“The CBAA was saddened to hear of the recent passing of Les Heil AM, a long-serving contributor to, and later leader in, the commercial and community radio sectors, who had a significant impact in the Australian radio industry as well as overseas.”
