The man credited with popularizing the "98 Rock" branding for KPOI radio has died.
Brian Bieler, former vice president and general manager of KPOI-FM 97.5 and AM 1040, had been diagnosed with a brain tumor and died in January at age 70 in California.
Bieler’s career began in advertising sales for Women’s Wear Daily and Mademoiselle magazine before he branched into radio beginning with a station in Miami owned by Sudbrink Broadcasting. He later was promoted to vice president and general manager over Sudbrink stations in Baltimore, Orlando, Fla., and Honolulu, where he made 98 Rock a pop-culture icon.
"Brian was the first (general manager) I worked for and thus was very influential on my career," said Phil Abbot, who worked at KPOI-FM 97.5, known as 98 Rock.
"He brought the 98 Rock logo from Florida," he said, calling Bieler a "marketing wizard."
"He did the 98 Rock gear," Abbot said, including T-shirts, beach towels, Velcro wallets and three-ring binders with Velcro. The Velcro items were produced in conjunction with Robert Kiyosaki and a Hawaii company called Rippers Action Apparel. Kiyosaki later became a motivational speaker and author of "Rich Dad, Poor Dad."
Bieler later reconnected with Kiyosaki and produced seminars and workshops for him.
Bieler set up the 98 Rock Shop through an exclusive agreement with the Kramer Corp., which ran the Kramer’s retail store at Ala Moana Center, Abbot said.
"He also did a lot of stuff with On Stage Hawaii," owned by Hawaii’s Natural High owner Greg Azus, Abbot said.
Bieler "was fun to work for, a real pleasure," said Brock Whaley, a former deejay.
Abbot said Bieler was very direct. "I kind of liked that about him. You always knew where you stood with the guy." Abbot recalled a shift during which Bieler walked into the studio. He told Abbot, "We must like you because we still haven’t fired (you)."
One of the last regular broadcast events Bieler staged before leaving Hawaii for the mainland was "Finally a Friday," a KPOI-FM show broadcast live in the mornings in the 1980s from a nightclub called Coconut Grove on Ala Moana Boulevard, where the Hokua condominium tower now stands.
The show featured Mike Evans as deejay. A key Evans exclamation at the time was "hoo-ya," and Bieler, taking pictures at one show, said to Abbot, "Isn’t this great? I can hear all the kids at Punahou saying ‘hoo-ya!’" Abbot recalled.
Bieler moved up the broadcast food chain to become president of Viacom Radio Group, and later authored business books including, "Powerful Steps: 10 Essential Career Skills and Business Strategies for the Workplace Warrior," "The Sales Operator: Insider’s Guide to Successful Selling" and "Rich and Free: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Creating Wealth and Personal Freedom."
He was born Nov. 10, 1942, in Rahway, N.J., and was a resident of Santa Monica, Calif., when he died Jan. 23. Services were held.
Bieler is survived by Ann, his wife of 46 years, sons Drew and Jeff, daughter Danielle Barron and three grandchildren.
