Broadcaster led in many ways

One of his former employees said it best: Eliot Keller never demanded anyone's respect - he earned it.

Keller worked hard and never forgot the value of public service. By all accounts, he was also just fun to be around.

After his death this week, the 62-year-old broadcaster and community voice will be missed, but his spirit of community service and his dedication to strong local media will live on.

Keller of rural Iowa City died Monday after an 18-month battle with Lou Gehrig's disease.

Most recently, Keller was the president, treasurer and general manager of KZIA - the company which owns and operates Z102.9, 102.9 HD-2, KGYM 1600 ESPN and 102.9 HD-3 in Cedar Rapids.

Keller worked hard to make the community better, too - pushing for years to increase regional cooperation throughout the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids Corridor and bring Amtrak passenger rail service to Iowa City.

His dedication to the community was evident in many ways.

“He was just a very positive individual who believed a lot of things could be accomplished if people worked together,” Bob Downer told a Gazette reporter this week.

He walked the walk, chairing the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce Legislative Council, serving on the Professional Advisory Board of the University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communications, and contributing in other ways to local causes.

Keller fell in love with radio while he still was in high school and earned a degree in radio and TV journalism from the University of Iowa in 1970.

Co-workers describe a committed, funny and inspiring professional who was passionate about local media's role in communities.

He focused on creating a quality product, figuring the profits would naturally follow. That certainly was the case with Keller's first radio station, KRNA, which he built from the ground up with business partner Rob Norton in the 1970s.

Never mind that the two were among the country's youngest radio station owners at the time - they wanted to bring a major market radio station to our area, and they did. When they sold KRNA in a 1998 multimillion-dollar deal, they continued that work with KZIA.

Keller's dedication and leadership were recognized not only by staff and friends but also by his peers across the state. He was given the Iowa Broadcast Association's Broadcaster of the Year award in 2001 for a lifetime of contributions to broadcasting and the community.

He was a natural leader and a model local businessman, always working to better his company and his community.

One of his former employees said it best: Eliot Keller never demanded anyone's respect - he earned it.

Keller worked hard and never forgot the value of public service. By all accounts, he was also just fun to be around.

After his death this week, the 62-year-old broadcaster and community voice will be missed, but his spirit of community service and his dedication to strong local media will live on.

Keller of rural Iowa City died Monday after an 18-month battle with Lou Gehrig's disease.

Most recently, Keller was the president, treasurer and general manager of KZIA - the company which owns and operates Z102.9, 102.9 HD-2, KGYM 1600 ESPN and 102.9 HD-3 in Cedar Rapids.

Keller worked hard to make the community better, too - pushing for years to increase regional cooperation throughout the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids Corridor and bring Amtrak passenger rail service to Iowa City.

His dedication to the community was evident in many ways.

“He was just a very positive individual who believed a lot of things could be accomplished if people worked together,” Bob Downer told a Gazette reporter this week.

He walked the walk, chairing the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce Legislative Council, serving on the Professional Advisory Board of the University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communications, and contributing in other ways to local causes.

Keller fell in love with radio while he still was in high school and earned a degree in radio and TV journalism from the University of Iowa in 1970.

Co-workers describe a committed, funny and inspiring professional who was passionate about local media's role in communities.

He focused on creating a quality product, figuring the profits would naturally follow. That certainly was the case with Keller's first radio station, KRNA, which he built from the ground up with business partner Rob Norton in the 1970s.

Never mind that the two were among the country's youngest radio station owners at the time - they wanted to bring a major market radio station to our area, and they did. When they sold KRNA in a 1998 multimillion-dollar deal, they continued that work with KZIA.

Keller's dedication and leadership were recognized not only by staff and friends but also by his peers across the state. He was given the Iowa Broadcast Association's Broadcaster of the Year award in 2001 for a lifetime of contributions to broadcasting and the community.

He was a natural leader and a model local businessman, always working to better his company and his community.