Ken Bove | DCW Advertising

In Memoriam
Ken Bove, Sr.

DCW Advertising’s position as one of the nation’s premier media buying agencies owes much to the pioneering vision of Ken Bove, Sr., who acquired an agency called Dougherty, Clifford and Wadsworth in 1973 and immediately transformed it into an innovative industry leader.

Forced by circumstances to begin working at age 16, Mr. Bove worked as a proofreader for a law firm, an accountant for a construction firm and a butcher’s apprentice before going into business for himself at age 22. He opened several stores, which he sold within three years to launch a career on Wall Street. At age 33, he established Kenneth Bove and Company, which soon became the country’s largest over-the-counter securities firm, with 300 salesmen, two home offices on Broadway and branches in four states.

Six years later, after selling Kenneth Bove and Company, Mr. Bove embarked on a new endeavor, becoming an advertising representative for NBC Radio. After observing barter principles in action, where advertising is traded for products and/or services instead of money, he decided to acquire Dougherty, Clifford and Wadsworth/DCW in 1973.

As head of Dougherty, Clifford and Wadsworth, Mr. Bove drew on his investment and trade-related experiences to pioneer highly original barter/trade arrangements, as well as the practice of media banking. Among the clients to benefit from his innovations were Mobil Oil, Magnavox, RCA, Zenith, Emerson, IBM, GE, Firestone, American Motors Corporation and Eastern Airlines, to name a few.

After turning the day-to-day management of Dougherty, Clifford and Wadsworth over to his son, Ken, in 1997, Mr. Bove remained a vital force at the agency, serving as Chairman of the Board.

A native of Brooklyn, Mr. Bove was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree by St. John’s University in 1985, as well as the university’s highest honor, The University Gold Medal, conferred in 1987.

Mr. Bove passed away on April 29, 2010 at the age of 77. He is held in the highest regard and deeply missed by all who knew him.

Executive Staff

Ken Bove
President and CEO
Ken Bove has negotiated and bought hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of traditional offline and online media over the course of more than 25 years in the media business. He became President of DCW Advertising in 1997, after previously overseeing the agency’s sales department. Ken has overall responsibility for all aspects of agency operations and serves as the agency’s chief media negotiator and buyer. He has negotiated and bought media for a wide range of clients, including Continental Airlines, Hilton Hotels, National Car Rental, US Airways, PartyPoker, Varian Medical Systems, Time-Life and P.C. Richard & Son. Since assuming leadership of DCW, Ken has steadily expanded both the agency’s client base and revenues while saving clients millions on their media investments. Ken earned a B.A. in Communications and Business from St. John’s University.

In MemoriamKen Bove, Sr.

Executive Staff

In Memoriam
Ken Bove, Sr.