James A. Lorenzen

1946 - 2022

By Mark Zaborney
Blade Staff Writer

James A. Lorenzen, who in a long broadcasting career oversaw sales staffs and owned radio stations across northwest Ohio, died March 19 in Otterbein Sunset House in Toledo. He was 75.

Mr. Lorenzen, formerly of Perrysburg Township, had dementia, congestive heart failure, and diabetes, his daughter Sarah Riedeman said.

He retired in 2016 as president of Fremont-based BAS Broadcasting, which he and Tom Klein cofounded in 2002. The company during Mr. Lorenzen's tenure acquired several radio stations across northwest Ohio.

Mr. Lorenzen typically closed business letters not with "Yours truly," but with, "Always selling radio," recalled Joel Speiser, retired from broadcast sales and management, who worked with Mr. Lorenzen in the 1970s on the sales staff of the former WLQR-FM.

"He took good care of his customers, and that's what he did his entire life, and not just in sales," said Mr. Speiser, who attributed Mr. Lorenzen's success to "perseverance, knowledge, and personality."

Mr. Lorenzen was general manager of 94.5-FM in 1990 as the station formerly based in Port Clinton got new call letters - WXKR - a new classic rock format, and a tilt toward the Toledo market.

"We didn't choose the classic rock format by accident," Mr. Lorenzen told The Blade in 1990, citing a comprehensive study. "The response since we made the switch has been unbelievable."

He became an owner and president and general manager three years later of 97.3-FM, WJZE, which melded contemporary and classic jazz. He again based the format shift on market research.

"I'm a businessman first, a music lover second," Mr. Lorenzen said. "This is kind of a dream come true to have a station I can be totally responsible for."

After selling that station, he was general sales manager for several years of of 105.5-FM, then WWWM, where he met his future business partner, Mr. Klein.

He examined ratings books line by line, and even in downturns he found positives. His view of the business was "This is local Hollywood, and let's find a way to make it fun," recalled his son, Brian Lorenzen, who has been president and general manager since April, 2015 of WTOL-TV, Channel 11.

"His career is the reason I do what I do," his son said. "I grew up in media, around media.... I am honored and thankful and owe him all of it. I feel very lucky to be here and that close to him most of my adult life."

The younger Mr. Lorenzen made the elder Mr. Lorenzen the television station's unofficial "director of enterprise revenue."

"He would light up when he would talk about prospecting advertisers," his son said.

Mr. Lorenzen's daughter said it wasn't unusual for him to take the children along for a remote broadcast or a radio-station sponsored event.

"Each one of us had our own special time with him," said his daughter, whose interest in media also was fostered by her father's career. She is technical support supervisor at Buckeye Broadband, where she has worked for 24 years. Buckeye Broadband, like The Blade, is owned by Block Communications Inc.

After Army service in Vietnam, Mr. Lorenzen joined WLQR. He later became general sales manager of an AM-FM station in Virginia Beach, Va.

Mr. Lorenzen was born Dec. 27, 1946, in Bowling Green to Virginia and Thomas Lorenzen, and graduated Perrysburg High School in 1965.

A drummer from his youth, he played in the high school band and had a chance to play for several presidents, including John Kennedy's inaugural parade, and the next day on the White House lawn.

He had been a coach of youth sports and took part in activities at All Saints Church in Rossford.

In the 1970s and into the 1980s, Mr. Lorenzen served on Rossford City Council. Starting in the 1990s, he became a real estate agent, selling houses in the Perrysburg/Rossford area.

"He developed a lot of relationships through radio, city council, coaching, the church," his daughter said. "People liked him and trusted and that made him a good real estate agent."

He and the former Carol Herman married July 19, 1969. She died July 23, 2021.

Surviving are his son, Brian Lorenzen; daughters, Ann Batch and Sarah Riedeman; sister, Virginia Rose, and six grandchildren.

Friends will be received from 9 a.m. until noon Thursday at Sujkowski Walker Funeral Home, Rossford. A funeral Mass will begin at 12:30 p.m. Thursday at All Saints Church, Rossford. A celebration of life event for Mr. Lorenzen and his wife will be from 5-8 p.m. Friday at Maumee River Yacht Club in Toledo.

The family suggests tributes to the Alzheimer's Association.