Ad sales pioneer Ralph Guild has passed away at 93.
Guild is created with laying the groundwork for the modern ad rep sales industry with the founding of Interep in 1981. He spun that into a larger group that eventually included Group W Radio Sales (later CBS Radio Sales) and ABC Radio Sales.
Guild adapted to changing times with tweaks and permutations of the company, later moving into early digital and online ad sales.
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He began his radio representation career in 1957 at McGavren Radio — a San Francisco-based firm devoted to representing radio advertising, according to a notice. McGavren sent him to New York to open their first East Coast office. Due to his work, McGavren Radio was renamed McGavren Guild in 1967. Eventually Guild became the company’s president and chief operating officer, and later its chairman.
Not surprisingly, Guild collected a number of broadcast industry awards over the years including the Broadcasters Foundation Golden Mike, UJA-Radio Federation’s Radio Group Award, International Radio and Television Society Gold Medal. He has also been inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame and the Radio Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
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