Innholdsfortegnelse for July 23, 2018 i Radio Ink Magazine

There was a commonly held notion among ancient Greek philosophers that power is a major cosmic principle. Some even viewed it as equivalent to God. Perhaps that is when the descriptive phrase “force of nature” was first coined. Today, the word “power” suggests a myriad of interpretations — some not always in a positive light. But power can be a force for good as well as an instrument of change, and those who wield it share the common trait of vision, to see beyond today, to influence, and to chart the course. Sometimes that’s a painful process, but, as with so many inevitable things in life, “someone has to do it.” And that someone usually needs to be an individual with power and influence. This year’s ranking of the 40…

What amazes me is how important the collections process is to people in our industry, and yet we spend very little time discussing better strategies for handling delinquent accounts. Here is a good rule to live by: “It’s not a sale until it’s collected.” Boom! There you go. Write it on the wall where you can see it every day. Because whether you’re paid on billing or collection, ultimately you’re paid on collection — because if you’re paid on billing and then you don’t collect, the station will eventually take back the money they paid you on your billing. Collections is a fundamental part of the selling process, and the better you are at it, the more you’ll personally benefit by knowing how to do it properly. For many of…

Podcasting’s most important event, Podcast Movement, occurs this summer in Philadelphia. Four years ago, I counted six radio people in attendance. This time, among the 2,000 attendees will be hundreds of people from virtually every major commercial radio company. Yet, with all of commercial radio’s new interest in podcasting, radio is, by any measure, responsible for very little of the overall consumption of podcasts. A recent check of the iTunes Podcast chart has only two podcasts produced by broadcast companies in the top 100, and only five in the top 200. Two are time-shifted radio programs: Dave Ramsey and iHeart’s Breakfast Club. The other three are original podcasts developed by iHeart’s podcast production team. Public radio, which includes NPR and other producers, has been at this for years with a…

IN 1996, Radio Ink founder Eric Rhoads unveiled the first “40 Most Powerful People in Radio” issue. Rhoads’ goal with the issue was to create a historical record of an industry he felt was about to change dramatically following the Telecom Act of 1996. Boy, did it ever change. Today, there is more competition than ever for the ear of the consumer, radio is being challenged in the car while smart speakers have given radio new life in the home, advertising revenue is stagnant, and we have a new FCC chairman, evoking whispers of even more deregulation. Now more than ever we need the powerful to provide the industry with strong leadership. The 40 Most Powerful People in Radio list is not a popularity contest, nor is it influenced by…

One year ago we moved Entercom CEO David Field to the number two slot after it was announced that his company would be merging with CBS Radio, ultimately putting Field and his team in charge of CBS’ outstanding brands and catapulting Entercom into position as the second-biggest revenue-generating company in radio, behind only iHeartMedia. One year later, the deal is closed, and, according to Field, the integration of the CBS stations is well underway. “We have made huge strides to capitalize on the many opportunities we see to grow our business meaningfully in the years ahead,” he says. “We are on schedule in virtually every aspect of our plans. Today, Entercom is a leading media and entertainment company, reaching over 112 million listeners monthly through our robust collection of highly…

“Bill’s passion and belief in radio shows in everything he does. He is expert at asking just the right questions to ensure his leaders are using critical thinking in decisionmaking. He believes our success starts with talent, and he makes that a priority for himself and for Cox Media Group.” Donna Hall Market Manager Cox Media Group Atlanta “Bill is one of the good guys in our business. He is passionate about the relentless execution of a plan that delivers for both our listening customers and our advertising customers. He loves the radio business and might be one of the best advocates in the industry.” Keith Lawless Market Manager Cox Media Group Tampa “Bill is passionate, fearless, and can make you crack up laughing! It’s an honor to…

“Our employees live and work in the communities they serve. We are on the air with local news, sports, weather, and emergency information when disaster strikes. Nothing else can match that, and it gives us a valuable role to play.” It was an “amazingly successful” 2017 for the NAB, says Gordon Smith, the organization’s president and CEO since November 2009. Among the accomplishments Smith, a former U.S. senator from Oregon, ticks off is $50 million in funding for radio’s spectrum-auction repack expenses. Radio stations that share a broadcast tower with a TV station that needs to be repacked are faced with the threat of decreased power or a switch to a backup antenna. “We’re thankful that Congress recognized this potential harm,” Smith says, “and allocated funding to ease the burdens…

“We have a few things in the works that will probably stun people, but we will see.” It was another year of shedding debt for Jeff Smulyan’s company. The St. Louis market was sold off in pieces for $60 million, two stations going to Hubbard and two to Entercom. Smulyan, who’s the only person to make our list every year since it was created in 1996, tells Radio Ink he’s reached an age where he just didn’t want to carry that much debt anymore. We didn’t ask him his age, of course, and we don’t expect Smulyan to retire any time soon — or perhaps ever — knowing how much he loves the business. While Smulyan still plays an important role in the industry with NextRadio and his contributions to…

Since becoming CEO of the RAB in the spring of 2012, Erica Farber has put her highly skilled and focused yet personable approach to work in leading the industry’s biggest sales advocacy and training organization. Those same qualities have not only helped her achieve success over the years, but to gain enormous respect from her peers. Barry O’Brien, who worked with Farber at Radio & Records, has this to say about his former boss. “I was VP of sales when Erica arrived, working out of the Washington, D.C. office. I knew her from her days when we were both working for stations in Boston. Erica made me a better person. Mostly because I knew she’d catch me doing something wrong, even though she was in Los Angeles and I was…

Bob Proffitt makes his second appearance on radio’s power list as he continues to be a very important executive at Larry Wilson’s Alpha Media. Alpha has over 220 stations in nearly 50 markets; it takes a strong second-in-command to steer a company that large in the right direction. Proffitt has been with Wilson for many years, dating back to the Citadel days; he was COO when that broadcaster was the third-largest in the United States. It’s been a quiet couple of years for Alpha after many years of speedy growth as the company focuses on operating, and, according to Proffitt, it’s going well. “From all indications, we performed in the upper quadrant as compared to our peers in radio in our 12 Miller Kaplan markets and also EBITA margin,” he…

“Kosann is a straight shooter, rare in this business. It’s an honor to be represented by Compass.” Todd Schnitt The Schnitt Show “Peter Kosann took my call and heard me out many years ago. I didn’t have the right to self-syndicate yet, but he was still kind enough to advise me on my career. We were going to eventually be able to form a partnership, and through his brilliance and vast experience, we’re really making a go of it. It’s an honor to be on his team!” Joe Pags Syndicated Host “Brilliant. Trustworthy. Committed. Peter Kosann is all of these things and more. We are happy to work with him, and proud to call him our friend.” Big D and Bubba Show This is Peter Kosann’s fifth…

Raúl Alarcón, Jr. Chairman/President/CEO SBS Communications Raul Alarcon Broadcast Center 7007 NW 77th Ave. Miami, Florida 33166 786.394.9000 Edward Atsinger CEO Salem Media Group 4880 Santa Rosa Road Camarillo, CA 93012 805.987.0400 Caroline Beasley CEO Beasley Media Group 3033 Riviera Dr., Ste. 200 Naples, FL 34103 239.263.5000 Mary Berner President/CEO Cumulus Media 2 Penn Plaza, 17th Fl. New York, NY 10121 212.613.3888 Richard Bressler President/COO/CFO iHeartMedia 125 W. 55th St. New York, NY 10019 Darrell Brown President Bonneville International 55 North 300 West, Ste. 200 Salt Lake City, UT 84180 801.575.7500 Ed Christian CEO Saga Communications 73 Kercheval Ave. Grosse Pointe Farms, MI 48236 313.886.7070 Darren Davis President/iHeartRadio and iHeart-Media Networks iHeartMedia 125 W. 55th St. New York, NY 10019 Erica Farber President and CEO RAB 125 West 55th Street…

I’M afraid I have to be critical of the NAB. Facebook and Google are the competition to radio, according to the National Association of Broadcasters, and that is why the NAB is pushing for further deregulation at the FCC. The NAB wants to push ownership limits to eight FM stations and unlimited AM station ownership in the top 75 Nielsen Audio markets, and they want to reward participation in an FCC incubator program with an additional two FM stations, for a total of 10 FMs under one owner in those markets. According to the NAB, this program will help radio compete with the two Internet giants, Facebook and Google. That argument is as silly as saying that more TV stations would overcome YouTube’s power. It’s like saying that adding more…

Let’s face it, in today’s fast-paced world, you are managing a lot of projects. The one that impacts your employment the most is exceeding your revenue expectations. Retaining current clients and growing new revenue each day are the priorities. So what’s the secret to be a great sales manager? Over my 31-year career, I’ve discovered, from the managers that coached me, and from my own experiences, it comes down to these five strategies. 1. Identify talent. The expression “You are only as good as your team” says it all. Your team is the number one focus. This is the most critical step to being a great sales manager. You can have the best ratings in the market, but without a talented team, you will find it challenging to convert your…

Recently I was asked what radio can do to attract the younger workforce. Most companies are still grappling with how to attract and manage millennials, and now we are starting to learn more about the Gen Z generation — those born after 1995. There are a few broadcasters who have done an outstanding job of reaching out to the younger generations. Overall, most of us really need to embrace big changes in how to “attract, hire, and retain” all ages, and not just the younger groups. One of the first steps is to take a long, hard look at your company. Is the mission statement updated and reflective of your culture? Do you follow up on promises? Do people love coming to work and growing their career with you, or…

Peter Smyth ran Greater Media from 2000 until it was sold to Beasley Media Group in 2016. The company was founded in 1956 by Peter Bordes and his Yale classmate Joseph Rosenmiller, with one radio station in Southbridge, Massachusetts. Bordes, who passed away in 1999, had crafted a winning vision for the company that Smyth carried on until his final day in charge. Peter Smyth began his career in broadcasting in 1977 as an account executive with WROR-FM in Boston. He was quickly promoted to general sales manager, a position he held for the next five years. In 1983, RKO General, the parent company of WOR, recruited him to serve as GSM of its New York stations, and he directed sales operations until his departure in 1986 to work for…

“Radio’s reach is greater than TV, Facebook, Google, or Twitter, and we have to do a much better job of getting that fact across to advertisers.” As we went to print a year ago, the speculation was that Cumulus was heading for Chapter 11. That speculation turned out to be accurate; after putting in place a plan to fix morale, increase local decisionmaking power, change the culture, and put an end to rampant turnover, it was time to stop kicking the can down the road and fix Cumulus’ balance sheet. With $2 billion in debt at the company and flat revenue industry-wide, Berner took action. In November of 2017, Cumulus went into bankruptcy protection. No employee wants to hear the “B word” about their company, and, with thousands of employees…

Richard Bressler continues to be the number two man at the number one company in the radio industry. With iHeartMedia in Chapter 11 since March, we’re seeing and hearing a little less from Bressler right now; the company is not reporting quarterly earnings while it works its way through the task of fixing its balance sheet. After much debate and consideration, it was the consensus of our editorial board that Bressler, as CFO, should move down one spot, to number 5, in light of that filing, which left — as such things do — the future of the company in something of a state of limbo. What the scope and size of the total operation will be once iHeart emerges from bankruptcy is a topic around a lot of water…

“Ginny Morris is thoughtful, which is to say she’s very considerate about those around her, and she’s a real thinker as well. She has an unwavering commitment to the broadcasting business and its evolution in these times. She has strong beliefs about what makes stations great both in their commitment to community and as successful businesses, and many of those beliefs revolve around the things that have made radio great throughout the years — marketing, research, respect for those you work with, and passion for the community you serve. For me, she is a great collaborator, leader, and friend. Working for (and she would say with) her is an absolute privilege.” Trip Reeb Market Manager Hubbard Radio Phoenix Ginny Morris continues to be a respected industry voice whose advice…

This is Larry Wilson’s 11th year on our power list. He appeared from 1996 through 2001 during his reign at Citadel, then jumped back on in 2014 as he began to build up the powerhouse that is now Alpha Media. After making a big jump from 18th in 2015 to 10th in 2016, he drops one position to number 11 as the company ended its growth to focus on operations. It’s clear Wilson wants to grow his company even larger, despite revenue being down industrywide and the scuttlebutt that his debt is a tad higher than it should be, putting a drag on Alpha’s ability to operate the way Wilson would like to. Wilson tells Radio Ink that the big event in the coming months and years will be the…

There was big change at Townsquare since this list was last published. Steven Price, who made our list for seven consecutive years, stepped down as CEO, and the job was taken over by Bill Wilson and Dhruv Prasad, who were promoted to co-CEOs. Erik Hellum’s job shifted to COO for local media, while Stu Rosenstein continued in his position as CFO. While Wilson and Prasad were elevated to CEO, Rosenstein and Hellum play a vital role in operating Townsquare. And it takes a big team to run a big company. With over 300 stations in more than 50 small and medium markets all over the country, there’s certainly enough responsibility to go around among the new leadership structure. According to BIA/Kelsey, Townsquare generates about $250 million, making it the eighth-largest…

Coming in at $83.3 million in revenue over the last year, according to BIA/Kelsey, Duke Wright’s team saw a slight improvement in revenue over the year before ($82.1 million). Wright moves up two notches to number 29, and tells Radio Ink 2017 was a challenging year and he expects 2018 will finish slightly up. Wright is bullish about the future of the industry. “Research project after research project indicates radio is the number one reach media in the United States and that used properly, it works great for advertisers,” he says. “Broadcasters with strong management, a good product (programming, technical facilities, good business principles, strong community ties), and a solid financial base will continue to prosper into the foreseeable future.” Midwest Communications, headquartered in Wausau, Wisconsin, was founded in 1958…

The New EMF CEO With the recent resignation of Mike Novak as CEO of Educational Media Foundation, all eyes will be on whoever is brought in to run this growing company. In 2017, EMF made its first appearance in BIA’s Top 40 revenue-generating radio companies, with approximately $26 million. With 409 signals carrying the K-LOVE and Air-1 formats in over 150 markets, EMF has become a real player across the country. Steve Newberry CEO Commonwealth Broadcasting With John David transitioning out of the role of executive VP of radio at the NAB, Steve Newberry has picked up additional responsibilities at the organization. There has been no official announcement, but Newberry told Radio Ink NAB CEO Gordon Smith asked him to add oversight of the radio department to his broader NAB…

Dear Radio, I’ve loved you all my life. In fact, I have more confidence in you than you have in yourself. But you have a blind spot, and it’s killing you: advertisers in your town are reaching 100 percent of the city and convincing them 10 percent of the way, when they should be reaching 10 percent of the city and convincing them 100 percent of the way. You’re letting advertisers squander their money on reach without frequency. Your spot rate is determined by your reach. The bigger your reach, the bigger your bank account. This is why you dance when you have a good book. You push reach. “We’re number one” means “We offer the most reach.” But your client’s success is determined by his frequency. I am your…

It just might be the most overlooked step in the advertising sales process. Missing it can make the road to future sales extremely difficult. Getting it right can set you up for a beautiful, trusting, lifelong relationship with your clients. It’s a simple question, but it oftentimes scares the daylights out of the untrained, unprepared marketing rep. That question is “How’s the ad campaign working?” or “How is the sales event going?” As a media rep handling the account, you must know if it’s working or not. Finding out after the fact doesn’t cut it and nearly always leads to another business owner saying, “I tried radio once and it didn’t work.” Keep in mind, prior to any ad schedule airing, regardless of whether it is a long-term branding campaign…

I don’t have to state the obvious — that for music-formatted stations, playing more music is important. But listeners have access to their favorite music through so many options today. Why do they need your station? It gets down to how well you really know your audience. You have all the elements: music, local personalities, social connection, and mobility. Is that enough to keep and grow your audience? With so much pressure to reduce spotloads, what can you do to keep and grow your audience, without sacrificing revenue? I’ve said in the past that becoming more important to the listener during their day is not just a good thing, now it’s the only thing. It’s not just news, traffic, weather, and entertainment — which are important, of course — but…

“I would imagine Emmis will in some way exist long after I’m gone. We have a few things in the works that will probably stun people, but we will see.” Emmis CEO Jeff Smulyan has been on Radio Ink’s 40 Most Powerful People in Radio list since it was created, back in 1996. He’s the only executive to have made our list every year. In 1996, the five most powerful people in radio were Mel Karmazin (Infinity), Lowry Mays (Clear Channel), Randy Michaels (Jacor), Bob Callahan (Capital Cities/ABC Radio), and Scott Ginsburg (Evergreen). Smulyan was ranked 17th, just behind Tom Hicks (Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst) and the late Stu Olds (Katz). Our writeup on Smulyan back in 1996 stated that Jeff was “well-wired politically and…

iHeartMedia reaches over a quarter of a billion monthly listeners in the U.S. via 850 AM/FM stations in 150+ markets. Approximately 13,600 employees in the U.S. iHeartMedia reaches 91 percent of Americans each month. iHeartMedia produces over 20,000 local and national events a year, ranging in size and scale. On a national level, iHeart produces seven national franchise marquee events per year, including the iHeartRadio Music Festival, the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Concert Tour, the iHeartRadio Fiesta Latina, iHeartRadio Wango Tango, iHeartRadio ALTer Ego, the iHeartCountry Festival, and the iHeartRadio Music Awards. iHeartRadio has 110 million registered users. iHeartRadio has been downloaded more than 1.7 billion times. iHeartRadio is available on 250 platforms and 2,000 devices, spanning digital auto dashes, tablets, wearables and, smartphones, and on virtual assistants, smart speakers, TVs,…

November 2017: “The debt overhang left by previous years of underperformance remains a significant financial challenge that we must overcome for our operational turnaround to proceed.” June 2018: “We emerge today as a stronger and more competitive company, with the financial foundation that we need to move forward decisively with the initiatives that will produce the greatest benefits for the company. With this financial restructuring now behind us, we are excited about what we will be able to accomplish with all of our resources and energy fully focused on our operating business.”…

In October of 2017, after founding the company seven years earlier, Steven Price stepped down as CEO of Townsquare Media. The Townsquare board then promoted both Wilson and Prasad to the CEO chair. Wilson, who has been with Townsquare since 2010, moved up from chief content and digital officer, while Prasad, who co-founded the company with Price in 2010, was promoted from executive vice president of live events. Once Wilson and Prasad were comfortable in their new roles, they took charge of the business, which included 317 radio stations in 67 markets, 325 local websites, a digital marketing company called Townsquare Interactive, live events, and North American Midway Entertainment — an amusement company that produced fairs and other events around the country. They also immediately undertook a review of their…

Ed Atsinger has been at the helm of Salem Media since the day he launched the company with Stu Epperson in 1972. He has also been on our list nearly every year, missing only 1996, our first “Top 40.” As Atsinger and his team have grown the company, his power in the industry has grown as well. Back in 1997, when Salem had 44 stations, Atsinger was ranked 37th. He took the company public in 1999 and continued to add stations along the way. Today, with 117 stations in 40 markets, including 73 in the top 25 markets and 33 in the top 10 markets, Atsinger continues his climb up the power chart, now to number 12. Revenue for Salem in 2017 was relatively flat compared to 2016, between $157…

Although his business card reads EVP of content and programming, many will tell you that Mike McVay’s influence at Cumulus Media/ Westwood One runs beyond the customary role for someone holding that title. With no COO or other apparent top Cumulus/Westwood One executive, McVay has enjoyed the ear, and respect, of CEO Mary Berner since she took over the reins in October 2015. His is a a reputation others have been drawn to over the years. Charlie Cook, VP of Country formats for Cumulus, offers this about McVay: “I met Mike when we were both disc jockeys in Wheeling, West Virginia. His creativity at that point led me to say, ‘This is a guy I need to know.’ Mike is the most analytical, exacting person in the industry. There are…

Bonneville was one of the beneficiaries of the Entercom/CBS Radio merger, picking up four stations in San Francisco and four in Sacramento that had to be divested as part of the mega-merger. The stations Bonneville is now operating under LMAs (the purchase was not final as of press time) are KOIT-FM, KMVQ-FM, KBLX-FM & KUFX-FM in San Francisco and KYMX-FM, KZZO-FM, KHTK-AM & KNCI-FM in Sacramento. Those two top markets were added to the company’s other very strong clusters in Seattle (KIRO-FM, KTTH & 710 ESPN), Phoenix (KTAR-FM, KMVP-FM & ESPN 620), Denver (KOSI-FM, KYGO-FM, KKFN-FM & KEPN-AM), and Salt Lake City (KSL TV-NBC, KSL NewsRadio-AM/FM, KSFI-FM & KRSP-FM). Without the eight stations in Sacramento and San Francisco, BIA/Kelsey pegs Bonneville’s annual revenue just north of $100 million. That’s not…

Andre Fernandez President/CEO CBS Radio (No. 5 in 2017) The former CBS Radio CEO took over the reins from Dan Mason (Mason was on our list for 15 years, including the number one slot in 2008). Fernandez lasted three years on the list (2015-2017) before the merger with Entercom. He made it as high as number two in 2016, mostly due to the revenue power the CBS Radio stations brought to the table. Fernandez was at the helm of some of radio’s most iconic brands as CBS corporate wavered between spinning the company off with an IPO or moving the stations. In the end, the deal was done with Entercom. Before coming to CBS Radio, Fernandez was president and COO of Journal Broadcast Group, before Journal was sold to Scripps.…