Withers Broadcasting founder dies

W. Russell Withers Jr., founder of Withers Broadcasting Cos., died Friday at age 77 in Mount Vernon, Ill., where he lived.

Withers was born in Cape Girardeau and began his radio career in 1955 as an announcer at KGMO-AM 1550, now KAPE-AM, according to previous Southeast Missourian reporting. He purchased the station, his first, in 1970.

Withers was president of Cablevision of Cape Girardeau and was an advocate for bringing cable TV to Cape Girardeau in the 1970s, according to Southeast Missourian archives.

In 2008, Withers purchased six Southern Illinois radio stations from Clear Channel Communications in West Frankfort, Murphysboro, Johnston City and Herrin, under Withers Broadcasting of Southern Illinois LLC, he told the Southeast Missourian. Along with his daughter's company, Dana Communications, the family's broadcasting empire at the time controlled 35 broadcast stations concentrated in Missouri and Illinois.

Withers was a member of dozens of organizations, including the National Association of Broadcasters, of which he was a board member of the Radio Board representing Illinois and member of the Executive Committee and co-chairman of the National Association Broadcasters Political Action Committee; Radio Board chairman of the National Association of Broadcasting; board member of the Associated Press Broadcast Board; and winner of the Honor of the Lincoln, Illinois' highest honor for professional accomplishments and public service.

"When I was 10 years old, I sat on a hillside out on what is now Route K but was then Gordonville Road, and decided I wanted to be in radio," Withers told the Southeast Missourian in 2008. "I am doing what I set out to do when I was 10. And when I set out in radio, I thought it would be good to own some stations."

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