The Broadcast License Store
HISTORY
The Broadcast License Store broadcast brokerage was founded by Gerald R. "Jerry" Proctor as The Proctor Group in 1988. In 2013, Jerry invited Craig A Ruark to join the Proctor Group and take over the brokerage practice once he retired. As a result, the Broadcast License Store was incorporated in 2015 with Ruark and Proctor as equal partners.
Jerry started his career in 1950 as the studio engineer for KPAC-AM in Port Arthur, TX. From 1952 to '57, he served as a Radio Operator/Ship's Purser in the U.S. Merchant Service. In 1961, Jerry owned and built his first radio station, KHGM-FM, in Beaumont, Texas. Since that time, he has built, from the ground up, numerous AM and FM radio stations, VHF and UHF TV stations, and several cable TV systems. In the past 25 years, he has served as an industry consultant to a number of broadcast organizations in numerous 'turn-around' or new-build situations. There is no broadcast job position that he has not performed or administered. In his over 61 years of industry experience, Jerry has bought, sold, and brokered over 400 radio and television stations, translators, and low-power FM and TV stations.
Craig grew up in the broadcast business, following in his father, Robert "Bob" Ruark's footsteps. Bob started in radio and television in 1959 at KUAM, Agana, Guam, while serving in U.S. Airforce. In the '60s, Bob had the highest-rated radio and TV talk show in the Tampa/St. Petersberg, Fla. market. By the '70s, Bob became a radio consultant specializing in station turn-arounds.
Craig started his professional career in high school, in 1972, as a top 40 DJ in Rosewell, NM. In '74, Craig joined his father, who was managing an AM/FM combination in Carson City, NV. Under his father's tutelage, he served as the traffic manager and automation programmer, then moved into advertising sales, writing and producing commercials. In '75, Craig and his father took over the operation of an AM/FM combination in Las Vegas, where Craig again sold advertising but also held an afternoon drive DJ shift. Bob's successful turn-around management of the Las Vegas stations lead to a profitable sale by the owner.
In 1979, Craig and his father formed International Broadcast Consultants (IBC), which filed FCC applications for first-time broadcast applicants. Between 1979 and 1985, IBC filed
over 200 radio and 70 television licenses. In addition, the company had OEM status with all the major broadcast manufacturers and sold equipment to its start-up clients. IBC was also the licensee of radio stations in Camden, ME, and Gardnerville, NV, and MMDS licenses in San Juan, PR, and Portland, ME.
Jerry and Craig have known each other since 1979; Jerry was IBC's first client, successfully securing the CP for an FM license in Katy, TX. Then, in '95, Jerry hired Craig to manage an FM station he owned in Las Vegas. Today, Craig has now taken the lead as the principal broker in The Broadcast License Store, but Jerry is still very much involved behind the scenes as his knowledge is invaluable.