Paul Schafer dead at 90

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4/14/16 –  Paul Schafer – the “father of broadcast automation” has passed away February 23rd at the age of 90. In the early 1950s, Schafer developed remote control systems for radio stations and then moved to program automation. The first system, in 1956, in Bakersfield, CA, was a couple of Seeberg record players teamed with an Ampex machine to run KGEE  overnights, with the system moving to the next event upon detection of “silence.”

I was the Sales Manager for Schafer in 1969. Paul was a great mentor and one of the best creative sales people I ever met. He taught me how to treat a customer and close a sale in one visit. Fine dining, grooming and dress was his hallmark for all our sales people. In the two years I worked there I was in an airplane 250 days a year. Paul introduces me to all the major manufacturers of broadcast equipment all who became life long associates, including Jack Mosley, George Marti, Aron Myer (Belar), Ray McMartin, Bernie Wise, George McCurdy, Bob Orban, Bob and Tom Sillman (ERI)

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