Broadcast engineer, station owner and businessman Ray Klotz passed away on Nov. 14 at a hospice in Springdale, Ark., according to an obituary. He was 60; he recently had been diagnosed with cancer.
Klotz most recently was president and CEO of his broadcast engineering, IT, studio systems integration company, Sierra Multimedia, based in Bella Vista, Ark.
Vance Harrison, president of the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters and someone who had worked with him extensively, called Klotz “the consummate engineer” and said in a eulogy posted on the OAB site: “The best description for Ray would be that he knew what was the right thing to do and he did it in the most professional manner. As a former general manager, I never worried about the engineering department with Ray in charge. His competency was unquestioned and his dedication to getting it done correctly was so much appreciated.”
Based on various accounts, he spent more than four decades in the broadcast industry in a variety of roles. Those ranged from chief engineer to station owner. Over the years Klotz had stops at KOMA(AM) (now KOKC), KRXO(FM), KMGL(FM) and KVOO(AM). Much of his career was in Oklahoma highlighted by chief engineer for the Tulsa cluster of the Journal Broadcast Group for many years.
He left the Journal Group to start his Sierra Multimedia operation. The multifaceted Sierra would specialize in Klotz’s interests, broadcast engineering, studio system design and buildout, IT/computer repair and home theater installation.
One recent broadcast engineering project for Klotz’s Sierra Multimedia was the installation of an AM HD Radio system at Tulsa’s KFAQ(AM), according to an SBE chapter newsletter article in 2009.
Klotz was active with SBE 56 (Tulsa, Okla.) and held CPBE, DRB, AMD, CBNT technical certifications, he was also a ham operator, K5RAY.
