Radio leader Les Heil AM has died in Queensland.

Across five decades he worked across Australia in several Board and CEO roles, including a period as Wesgo Chairman. He drove the conversion of 3KZ (now Gold 104.3) from AM to FM band and facilitated the creation of the Sea FM Network.

In 1985, Les received the Commercial Radio Achievement Award, He was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1988 in recognition of his services to media and to radio broadcasting and was inducted into the Radio Broadcast Industry Hall of Fame in 2002.

Les has assisted in driving new broadcasting services overseas too, in the 1970s working with a team to develop the Solomon Islands Commercial Broadcasting Service and contributing to the set up of Radio Hauraki in NZ.

The image main is Les with the Hall of Fame Raward which he was given on the same day as John Laws. It was taken at community station Sunshine FM 104.9 on the QLD Sunshine Coast where Les retired to, but continued his contribution to radio, acting as their Board Chair.