Ken Roberts (promoter)

Ken Roberts (28 Feb 1941 - 22 May 2014) was a concert promoter who developed KROQ 106.7 FM into an important modern rock station, helping to introduce Prince, Culture Club, and Duran Duran.[1][2]

Roberts was born in Hoboken, New Jersey. After attending Seton Hall University, he became a concert promoter in the 1960s, with such acts as The Temptations, Harry Belafonte and The Supremes.[1]

When he took control of the KROQ in 1974, it was seven million dollars in debt, but he sold it for $45 million to Infinity Broadcasting in 1986.[2] This was the highest price paid for a US radio station up to that time.[3]

Roberts was owner of The Robert Taylor Ranch, a private, 112-acre property nestled in the Mandeville Canyon within Los Angeles' affluent Brentwood neighborhood. He purchased it in 1975 for $900,000[4] In 2010 he was forced to sell the estate for $27.5 million to hedge fund New Stream Capital to repay his loans. [5] [6]

References

  1. ^ a b [1]"Ken Roberts, who nursed KROQ into radio behemoth, dies at 73," Variety, 7 July 2014. Retrieved 17 Feb 2015
  2. ^ a b [2] Woo, Elaine "Ken Roberts dies at 73; promoter transformed KROQ-FM into a powerhouse," LA Times, 4 July 2014> Retrieved 17 Feb 2015
  3. ^ [3] McNamara, Denis, "KROQ to Infinity for $45 Mil," Billboard, Vol 98 No. 17, 26 April 1986. Retrieved 17 Feb 2015
  4. ^ "The Big Picture". WSJ. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  5. ^ Buhl, Teri. "Hedge Fund Seizing L.A. Radio Mogul's Huge Estate". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  6. ^ Auctions, Concierge. "Auction Without Reserve Announced For Rare, 112-acre Estate In Los Angeles' Prestigious Brentwood Neighborhood". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2023-03-10.