For nearly 60 years, Kalil & Co., Inc. has quietly built a powerhouse presence in the media brokerage world. Frank Kalil, the firm founder, started out as a radio disc jockey. He went on to become a radio station owner. Those roles provided a unique broadcast experience and perspective, laying the groundwork for Frank to then become a successful media broker. Over the years, he has handled significant and notable transactions involving the Disney family, President Gerald Ford, and the University of Notre Dame.
“Over time, we’ve expanded our offering. Our four main verticals are radio, television, towers and out of home,” said Jason Anderson, Vice President of Kalil & Co. “We’ve routinely been ranked at the top and we’ve maintained that pedigree through substantial hard work.”
A ‘Think Tank’ of Confidentiality & Culture
Despite its national reach, Kalil & Co. has never strayed far from its roots in Tucson, Arizona. “We’re all in one office. All of our support staff is here. Frank has been very adamant about us being in a ‘Think Tank’ environment,” Anderson said. That collaborative atmosphere, where nine brokers work under the same roof, remains one of the firm’s greatest strengths. “There’s continuous synergy and problem solving.”
That setup has enabled deep cross-pollination between verticals. “We have professionals from different backgrounds who contribute to the same deal,” Anderson explained. “It gives us a broader perspective and strategy.”
Anderson was quick to emphasize the company’s unwavering commitment to confidentiality and client relationships. “Our relationships are our most valuable asset,” he said. “That protectiveness has led to our boutique nature. We’re sneaky big, even though we stay optically small.”
This relationship-first mindset is a throughline of the company’s culture, deeply rooted in the firm’s family-owned DNA. “A lot of the companies that we cut our teeth with were family-owned businesses. Broadcast used to be very family centric. We learned from that.”
Even as Kalil & Co. brokers tower deals and substantial infrastructure transactions, the company holds fast to traditional values. “We don’t charge reimbursement fees, we don’t charge retainers. We are all success-based here,” Anderson explained. “We look at each engagement as a partnership.”
That long-term view often comes full circle. “We’ve had people return back five, ten years later to sell their assets, and because we treated them with respect and transparency the first time, the relationship stayed intact,” Anderson said.
A Broad Lens Market Perspective
Kalil & Co.’s diverse scope is a buffer in uncertain economic climates. “Being in all four verticals has really allowed us to constantly stay busy and ride the waves,” Anderson said. While tower deals tend to bring in the largest valuations, Kalil also maintains high transaction volume in radio, TV, and out-of-home advertising.
“Every broker here is extremely busy right now,” he said, pointing to recent activity in both the infrastructure and media sides of the business. He cited a nine-figure tower deal involving Communications Tower Group (CTG) and Everest as an example of the company’s continued ability to keep momentum, even when broadcast was slowing down due to regulatory constraints.
That cross-vertical balance helps keep the team nimble and resilient, according to Anderson. “There are moments when TV and radio are a little slow, but towers or out-of-home might be booming. And vice versa,” he said. “That’s the benefit of being truly diversified and long term oriented.”
The team also keeps pace through careful hiring and selective innovation. “We’ve hired new brokers, analysts and support staff. Every year, our company has grown,” Anderson said. And while they’ve embraced back-end tech and analytics, he stressed they’ve balanced that with “some of that old school” personal touch. “There’s no software that can replicate how we maintain some of our personal relationships.”
That approach is internal as well as client-facing. “The ability to have one-on-one, candid conversations with clients — that’s where deals get done. Not in data rooms or spreadsheets, but in conversations that build trust,” he said.
The Road Ahead
As for what’s next, Anderson predicted a storm of activity across all verticals. “We’re anticipating a pretty crazy rest of the year. Once some of this discussion around [FCC] deregulation really becomes more formal, I believe things will take off.”
Anderson noted that both public and private tower companies are showing signs of loosening up. “We’re seeing a tremendous amount of interest in any type of tower asset, whether it’s broadcast or cellular,” he said.
That momentum is something the firm is well-positioned to handle, thanks to its lean but experienced team. “We’re in a good spot,” he added. “We’ve got the depth, the bench, the tools, and most importantly, we’ve got the trust.”
At the heart of it all remains the firm’s founder, Frank Kalil, still showing up every day at age 88 in a suit and tie. “If the phones aren’t lit up, he’s on your door asking, ‘What are you doing?'” Anderson said. “It’s a great space to be in. We love the asset classes and are blessed to show up and have fun doing it.”
That blend of legacy and momentum, boutique focus with national scale, continues to define Kalil & Co. as it heads into its seventh decade. “Someday, maybe 20 years from now, you are going to sell. In the meantime, you will either add or delete assets to make you better now or in the future. I want us to be the company you use,” Anderson said. “I want to devote a huge part of my life to helping you.”
To learn more about Kalil & Co., visit https://kalilco.com/.
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