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He's never held any other position on our list of Most Powerful People in Radio. For the third consecutive year, Clear Channel CEO Bob Pittman has been named the Most Powerful Person in Radio. Not only is Bob Pittman leading America?s largest radio company, he is radio?s self appointed evangelist. Radio Ink Publisher Eric Rhoads says, "Bob Pittman is transforming Clear Channel and as a result, impacting all of radio. His influence ripples throughout the industry with every new innovation and decision." Pittman knows how to build enthusiasm and followers for his compelling message about radio. His pitch and his commanding personality have made him the master of communicating radio?s ?Gospel according to Pittman.? The most anticipated issue of Radio Ink Magazine, identifying the 40 Most Powerful People in Radio, is now making its way across the country to subscribers. Here is some of our interview with the person who wields much of that power.
Glassnote Records CEO Daniel Glass says of his friend Bob Pittman, ?I think he?s a leader. I think he sets the tone. He?s exciting, progressive. If you look at what he does with his events and the excitement of them, I think he is a lightning rod for attention, because he loves it. I think he really loves radio, deep down. He loves local radio and he loves national radio. I think what he set out to do a few years ago, when he came back to Clear Channel, was to make it friendly, to make it cool, make it progressive, give it a zip, build those bridges again ? as evidenced by, twice a year, we are invited into an open forum as an independent label to play our music in front of everyone, and they bring programmers in from all over the country. He was a broadcaster; he was a radio guy. I think he really respects DJs. When he walks in to work, people in the radio business know he?s one of them. He gives his people a lot of freedom, a lot of leeway. I am also very impressed with the team he has assembled. There is no doubt that he?s the guy.?
Pittman's advice to everyone in the industry, would be to recognize how important radio is. "We take our success for granted. TV is America?s hobby, and people treat those programs like they do their hobby. But radio is America?s companion. I think that it is a much more powerful medium. It may not be something that people consciously think of, like they do the new Game of Thrones episode, or who was slaughtered this week on Game of Thrones, but if you stop and figure out what you did today, and what you interacted with, radio is at the absolute epicenter of what we do and who we are. If we would, for one second, just pause and realize how important we are to the consumer, and therefore how important we are to advertisers, that would probably cause us, first, to feel better about programming radio. We would be a lot more excited about what we are doing every day. And second, it would also probably cause us to be confident in selling it to advertisers, because we would be certain that we are offering them a valuable service that they don?t have if they are not using radio,
or not using enough radio.
Though anyone leading Clear Channel will be subject to criticism, Pittman has been changing the dynamic for the debt-saddled company, and for all of radio, by personally opening doors and meeting with CEOs from America?s top brands. Others may not get their calls returned, but when Pittman calls, meetings happen. and he knows he can?t grow Clear Channel without growing the radio industry as a whole. So radio has become his topic, from that bully pulpit atop radio?s biggest player. Some even see him as the industry?s savior.
To order a copy of the 2013 40 Most Powerful People in Radio issue of Radio Ink ($10.00) call 561-655-8778.
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