Barry Thomas

Barry Thomas (November 11, 1962–December 6, 2018) was a nationally respected broadcast engineer and technical executive who spent the final chapter of his career in Denver. Over more than 35 years in broadcasting, Thomas built and managed radio facilities, led engineering operations for major station groups, helped develop patented radio technology, served as president of the Society of Broadcast Engineers and became one of the profession’s recognized technical leaders.

Early career and national engineering work

Thomas was born in Dillon, South Carolina, and attended the University of South Carolina in Columbia. Biographical accounts place his early broadcast work in South Carolina, including Broadcasters’ General Store and WNOK AM/FM. His career later took him through engineering positions and projects around the country.

Thomas became Vice President of Engineering for Westwood One and later co-founded StratosAudio, where he served as chief technology officer and helped develop patented technology intended to add real-time interactivity to FM radio. He subsequently joined Lincoln Financial Media as Vice President of Engineering. During six years in that position he supervised technical operations and capital investment for 15 AM and FM stations in four top-25 radio markets.

Industry leadership

Thomas was deeply involved in the Society of Broadcast Engineers. An SBE member from 1986, he served on the national board, held the office of treasurer and was elected the organization’s 25th president in 2007. SBE records show him serving as president from 2007 through 2009. He later received the organization’s Fellow designation, one of its highest membership honors.

His industry service also included leadership and participation in national technical standards work. He chaired the NAB Radio Technology Committee, chaired the National Radio Systems Committee’s RBDS Subcommittee and continued working on NRSC subcommittees. His professional certifications included Certified Professional Broadcast Engineer (CPBE), Digital Radio Broadcast Specialist (DRB) and Certified Broadcast Networking Engineer (CBNE).

Radio World Excellence in Engineering Award

In 2011, Radio World selected Thomas for its Excellence in Engineering Award, recognizing his technical work and broader contributions to radio engineering. The honor became one of the signature professional recognitions of his career.

Wilks Broadcast Group and Denver

Thomas joined Wilks Broadcast Group as Director of Engineering in August 2013 and moved his professional base to Denver. In addition to corporate engineering responsibility for Wilks’ 21-station group, he became chief engineer for the company’s Denver FM cluster: KIMN 100.3, KXKL 105.1 and KWOF 92.5. Thomas succeeded Mark Smith in the engineering role; the two engineers overlapped for approximately a month during the transition.

Thomas continued operating his contract engineering business, Thomas Media Systems & Design, as time allowed. His technical interests ranged from digital radio and standards work to emerging technologies. In 2015 Radio World featured Thomas in coverage of broadcasters exploring unmanned aerial vehicles for applications including tower inspection.

KSE Radio

Thomas later became Director of Engineering for KSE Radio in Denver. By 2017 the Society of Broadcast Engineers identified him in that position when he was elected to another term on the SBE board of directors. He remained KSE Radio’s Director of Engineering through the end of his career.

Legacy

Thomas spent more than 35 years in broadcast technical operations and was widely known for mentoring other engineers and contributing his expertise to the industry beyond the stations and companies that employed him. He was credited as a co-author of five United States technology patents. Colleagues remembered him as a forward-looking engineer, a generous mentor and an advocate for radio engineering.

Thomas was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2008. He continued working full time through years of treatment and remained professionally active. He died at his home in Denver on December 6, 2018, at age 56.

Sources

• Radio World, “Thomas Now at Wilks,” August 6, 2013 — Wilks appointment, Denver stations and transition from Mark Smith.
• Radio World, “Barry Thomas and Lincoln Financial Part Ways,” May 10, 2013 — Lincoln Financial, Westwood One and StratosAudio career history.
• Radio World, “SBE Names Barry Thomas Its 25th President,” September 13, 2007.
• Society of Broadcast Engineers — National Presidents — lists Thomas as president, 2007–2009.
• Society of Broadcast Engineers — Fellows.
• Radio World, “Radio Loses Broadcast Engineering Stalwart,” December 10, 2018 — KSE Radio role, industry service and death.
• Radio World, “Barry Thomas Excelled in His Field for 35+ Years,” January 28, 2019 — retrospective and colleague recollections.
• Society of Broadcast Engineers, 2017 election results — identifies Thomas as KSE Radio Director of Engineering in Denver.