Sinclair Telecable and Waterloo Media owner Robert Lindsay ‘Bob’ Sinclair passed away on Sunday, April 20 at the age of 79 at his home in Bastrop TX.
Born in Charleston WV on May 31, 1945, Sinclair studied history at Harvard before joining his father’s company in the late 60s. He pivoted the company to radio in 1976 with the purchase of 1350 AM in Norfolk VA as it became Country “Honey Radio” WHNE and then Talk WNIS in 1979.
At its peak, Sinclair Telecable would own stations in Norfolk, Richmond, Austin, Honolulu and Santa Rosa CA. The Richmond cluster was sold to Radio One in 2001 and Santa Rosa to BC Radio in 2021. The company would enter Austin in 1997 by acquiring a 50.1% stake in LBJ Broadcasting. In 2003, Emmis Communications would by out the family of former President Lyndon Johnson and part of Sinclair’s stake giving it control of the cluster until 2019 when Sinclair would buy out Emmis and rename the Austin holdings as Waterloo Media.
In his obituary, his family comments, “Bob was bold in his business decisions—often pursuing unconventional paths—and never shied away from risk when he believed in the opportunity. Despite having radio stations in several states, his influence remained strong in the company’s direction and continued success. Those who knew Bob understood how deeply invested he was in the day-to-day operations of the business—never more than a phone call away from weighing in on song choices, formats, or programming decisions. Bob loved the radio industry and was always grateful for the efforts and dedication of all the people in the organization, whether they worked in Austin or Norfolk. Much of the staff in both markets began their careers at the stations and have worked for the company for decades, a reflection of the loyalty and family-like culture Bob helped foster.”
Sinclair is survived by his wife Lisa Heath; his children, Samantha and son-in-law Kevin Trainum; Sherry Kistler; Stacey Sinclair and son-in-law Gerald Monk; Bob Sinclair, Jr. and daughter-in-law Kristi Sinclair; stepdaughter Bailey Heath, as well as eight grandchildren, Katie, John, Anna, Will, Anna, Ben, Kennedy and Bobby. Bob Sinclair Jr. serves as General Manager of the company’s five stations in Norfolk.
