12-1-14
Reese was heard on Cleveland radio for over 50 years. He was 83 years old when he passed away last week. Cleveland.com reports Reese grew up in Akron and got his start in radio in the Army, with the Armed Forces Network in Germany in 1948. After working at small stations in the Akron-Canton area, he came to Cleveland in 1952 on WTAM radio and its TV sister, WNBK. Picture courtesy Cleveland.com
10-14-14
2014 Marconi Award Winning station WOWO in Fort Wayne Indiana will soon be celebrating its 90th birthday. The Federated Media owned news-talker is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, market number 113. It's legendary call letters are known by many all around the country. Bob Chase has been with the station since July 1, 1953. Chase says he's retired but that's hard to believe when he explains how active he still is, both at the station and in the community. We spoke to Chase about his long and successful career in radio, the evolution of WOWO which he witnessed up close and his views on how radio has changed since he was first hired. Listen to our interview HERE.
(10/14/2014 7:11:41 AM)
Class guy start to finish!
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8-24-14Add a Comment Send This Story To A Friend
11-16-13
One of radio's giants, Ron Ruth, passed away this past weekend, at the age of 75. A familiar and beloved figure, Ron spent 19 years at the Radio Advertising Bureau as EVP of stations until 2011 when he left to become an outside consultant for the trade group.
His stint at the RAB followed a successful radio career that started on the programming side in San Antonio. Making his way to Boston, Ruth ended up sharing a small apartment with two other aspiring jocks, Jack Burns and George Carlin. "I soon realized I had no talent for being on-air, so I talked the GM into letting me sort of get into sales."
Eventually, the road led to New York and WOR. As Ruth related in a 2005 R&R interview, "Then they moved me to New York to this thing called WOR-FM. It was an amazing rocket ride and going absolutely nuts as the No. 1 FM in the country. I decided to move to Europe. I took my wife at the time and our two young children and packed everything into six boxes and four suitcases and went off to London. We bought a van and struck out."
"Fast-forward 18 months, and I got a call from San Juan Racing. They tracked me down because of my supposed expertise in classical music and wanted me to go to WTMI/Miami, which I agreed to do. I was there about a year, and Storz contacted me to go over to WQAM, which was No. 1 in Miami at the time. I was there about four or five years and then went to Hawaii, where I got into ownership."
Longtime friend George Hyde worked with Ruth at the RAB for many years. "Ron was a great friend to anyone in the Radio industry. He had an easy manner that made everyone around him feel important. There are thousands of broadcasters today who mourn his passing not only with a tear, but with a smile in remembrance of his effervescent personality and how he made them feel."
And in a statement from the Radio Advertising Bureau, "It is with a sad and heavy heart that the RAB announces the passing of our beloved colleague and Radio industry favorite, Ron Ruth. Ron succumbed to cardiac arrest early Saturday morning after battling health issues the last two months. Ron was at the helm of the RAB Membership team for twenty-plus years."
Funeral arrangements are pending.
(11/18/2013 12:06:29 AM)
Wayne Cornils-Ron Ruth. Two great men and great leaders and teachers. The very best of the best. Ron Ruth: Great man and did so much for my growth in my career! Thank you Ron Ruth!
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9-24-13.Larry Wilson, who built and sold Citadel Communications to Wall Street investment firm Forstmann Little & Co. in 2001 for $2.1 billion, is one of those rare individuals who?s on a first-name basis with the industry. As DEFcom.Advisors? Doug Ferber, who in 2009 helped broker Larry?s first post-Citadel acquisition, reflects, ?How many people in our business do we know instantly when we hear their first name? Not many. We had Mel for a while, but he?s out of the business. There was Carl, but unfortunately he passed away prematurely. We still have Larry.?
It?s a status stemming from an incredible winning track record, both for Larry and for his investors. It began in 1984, when the CPA and attorney-turned-radio guy and two partners established Citadel Associates Limited Partnership, with two Tucson radio stations. That partnership was followed in 1990 by another, Citadel Associates Montana Limited Partnership, adding Montana stations to Wilson?s growing empire. By 1992, Citadel Communications was incorporated, and within a decade, it had stations in 26 states. Citadel eventually grew to 205 stations in 42 markets, with Larry Wilson holding the reins as president, chief executive officer, and chairman, until the sale to Forstmann.
In the years that followed Wilson?s exit from the industry, a lot happened, to Larry and to the business he had come to love. The economy tanked, operators grappled with new realities and new media, and Larry lost his wife after a long battle with cancer. No longer content to fish, ranch, and ride horses, he decided to get back in the saddle in radio. Along with Portland-based Endeavour Capital, he formed Alpha Broadcasting in 2009, negotiating a sweet six-station deal in Portland with Paul Allen. Since that time a new company, Live and Local, has been established to bring in outside investors. Under the L&L umbrella, Wilson has rolled up about 30 stations across the country, from the Dakotas to West Virginia, Illinois, South Carolina, and Mississippi.
While many 68-year-olds are ready to wind down, Larry Wilson is on a roll, energized by the opportunities he
believes continue to exist in radio. A ?local content? evangelist, Larry has this to say about radio: ?I love it, and I love the results it gets for people.? And his goal is to turn L&L into a cash machine, generating $50 million in cash flow every year. To do that, he?ll need more stations. Which is exactly what he spends the majority of his time looking at, reading about, and analyzing. In case you missed it, here's our cover story interview with Larry Wilson
RI: Take us back to 2001. Why did you decide to sell Citadel?
WILSON: Well, it was a great offer. I would like to say I was a genius and saw everything coming, but I didn?t. I saw that business had slowed down. But it really slowed down, mostly after we made the deal in January of 2001. I just felt it was a good offer. I did think that multiples were awfully high. I didn?t see any way they were going up. The only thing I saw that could happen was they could go down. But I never dreamed that they could go down as much as they did.
RI: For somebody who loves radio the way you do, you see those high multiples, how do you separate the two and say, ?I have to do this business deal?? That had to be difficult.
WILSON: It is. Probably just as important, or maybe more important, I loved the people. I hated to leave the people. My wife was ill, so that was another factor. She was very, very ill, and she got worse. Right after the deal was done, she had a fifth brain surgery, and that was really awful. That?s when I really had to leave. I just told Ted Forstmann that I couldn?t do it anymore. I had to stay home and take care of her. It did hurt a little bit. But when you are a public company ? even if you are a private company, you still usually have shareholders. I am not rich enough to just make my own deal. So you have to think of the shareholders. Ted Forstmann?s offer presented us with a tremendous opportunity.
?Larry Wilson is part of a vanishing breed of radio operators who ?get it.? All of us should welcome him back as he hires and grows radio professionals who are so important for the future of radio.?
Saga CEO Ed Christian
RI: After selling, you watched what happened to the company you built. What did you think?
WILSON: It was appalling. I probably shouldn?t say this, but I saw the money [former Citadel Chairman/CEO] Farid [Suleman] was taking out of there, and it was ridiculous. The shareholders got a horrible deal. It really disturbed me. I talked to a few employees. I knew them all, as far as the Citadel group goes. I felt very sorry for them, because they were miserable. Farid and [former Citadel COO] Judy [Ellis] treated many of them very badly. Both of them went off into the sunset with a lot of money, especially Farid. That?s not right. It shouldn?t have happened.
RI: Did you ever run into Farid or Judy and say anything to them?
WILSON: No. I told Ted I had to go. He said, ?Well, give me a little time.? I said, ?Fine, you?ve got as much as you want.? I retreated to my ranch in Montana to take care of my wife. He called me and asked me to meet him in Vegas. I did. We met at the Bellagio. I met him at the VIP check-in area. He said, ?I want to sit down and tell you what I?m doing.? I said, ?I know what you?re doing.? He said, ?How do you know that?? I said, ?I saw Farid at the regular-people check-in counter.? He just laughed and asked, ?What do you think?? I said, ?Well, it?s your company. I think it?s a bad decision, but it?s your company.?
RI: Did Forstmann ever tell you that you were right?
WILSON: No, he didn?t. That would not be in Ted?s DNA. God rest his soul, I did really like Ted. He had some enemies that I have read about, but to me, he was the consummate businessman.
RI: Is there any way to be prepared for a recession like the one we went through?
WILSON: Well, the only way to be prepared for that was to not have a bunch of debt. And all of us had debt.
That was what was feeding everybody, the debt. Myself included at Citadel. My last deal I did was $290 million for Dick Broadcasting. It was a great deal, as long as multiples stayed up. But you had to borrow the money to do deals of that size. That?s what everybody did. The Clear Channel deal is history. That?s what happened there. They borrowed so much money to do that deal. Of course, Cumulus has just borrowed and borrowed and borrowed. The only way you could?ve been prepared to weather it, and a good reason why [Saga CEO Ed] Christian is still around, is he has been very judicious on his debt. He didn?t do a lot of acquisitions. And he?s still out there operating.
RI: You talk about the deals. How do you spot a good one?
WILSON: Oh, boy. It?s 40 years of experience, I guess. These days, I look at tons of deals. A big portion of my time I spend looking at deals. I would say 70 percent I can eliminate in a half hour. It?s not the right cluster, they are bad signals, there are a lot of reasons it just doesn?t click for me. In the old days, we had the luxury of being the consolidators, and you could hand-pick your stations, as I did in Albuquerque, Modesto, Providence, Knoxville. If you didn?t run into Lowry Mays, you were golden.
Mays was an expert at this. He was the best there ever was. Anything Clear Channel owns, for the most part, is pretty darn good. Today, you can?t do that. Clear Channel has so many stations. Cumulus has a lot of stations. A lot of them were Citadel stations, and those were really good clusters. I am really selectively looking for properties that I think are underutilized, that I think our teams could bring expertise to and make them grow.
RI: What made Lowry Mays an expert?
WILSON: He started out the hard way. He did it himself. I learned a lot from watching Lowry Mays. He knew about Class C. He knew about clear channel AMs. He picked great facilities. And he did it himself. He built relationships. That?s the way I did it, or I?m trying to do it today. I?m trying to get to know these owners and let them know that we treat our people really well. Most owners care about their people and who they are going to when they sell out. I felt good about it, when I sold out to Ted Forstmann, because I loved the guy. I think he was a true gentleman and a man of his word, a quick study. But then when I saw what happened, I got very disappointed.
?Larry and I have been close friends for over 20 years. He is loyal and a straight shooter. His handshake is a deal. Double-cross him, and you?ll be sorry. He?s a tough guy, but has a big heart and is very fair.?
Bob Fuller (pictured here with Wilson)
RI: In a couple of years, it will be 20 years since consolidation. Good or bad for radio?
RI: Should there be more consolidation, or are we at the right place?
WILSON: I think we are probably at the right place. What do you want to do, let one company own all the stations? That doesn?t make any sense. What you?ve locked in to here, for the most part, with the legislation that was enacted, is three major competitors in each market. That?s what it is in most places. If you compete really well, you could have one person doing 50 percent of the business, but not much more than that. I don?t see how you consolidate any more.
RI: At some point, you decided you were getting back in. Why was it the right time?
WILSON: Well, it wasn?t the right time. 2009 was not the right time to get back in. 2013 is probably the right time. I hope it?s the right time, because I?m doubling down right now. But I did a lot of studying. I did a lot of soul-searching, and just regular searching, of, ?Do I want to get back in this? Is it still a viable business?? And I concluded back in 2009 that I thought it was still very viable. My old partners at Endeavour Capital joined me and encouraged me to do it. We were a little early, but I don?t regret getting back in.
We acquired some wonderful stations in Portland, Oregon [for $50 million]. We have six stations. But we had to do a lot of fix-up on them ? a lot more than we had anticipated. We had to change formats. We had to switch the News/Talk from AM to FM. We did about every gyration you could do in Portland. That was really Bob Proffitt and his team that did it. Yes, I was in the strategy sessions, but they did it. They did a phenomenal job. What we have there now is a wonderful machine. It?s fantastic. It?s doing well. It is live and local at its best. We?ve got a place in that community, and revenues are starting to show it. We?re doing very, very well.
RI: After Alpha in Portland, you kind of went quiet.
WILSON: We totally put our head down and focused on fixing Portland. It was kind of the petri dish to see if this was really still a vibrant business. It?s not quite as vibrant as it was, but it is still an excellent business. The whole proof in the pudding is that it still gets phenomenal results for advertisers. As long as that keeps happening, they will keep buying advertising.
The other thing is, as long as you supply super-good content, people will come to you. There is no substitute for great content. I see a lot of local talent being terminated, and that?s not a good sign. These people in local markets are stars. Come to Portland and go out to lunch with one of our stars, you will find out what big stars they are, because people recognize them and want to talk to them. That?s a big deal. It?s going to continue to be a big deal with L&L and Alpha.
RI: So with Alpha, you had your head down. When did it come back up?
WILSON: Prices kept going down and down and down. In 2012, I finally decided I would start looking again. I knew I would have to put together a new team, because Endeavour Capital?s investment in us was through a fund that is fully invested. I aligned myself with some of my old friends in the radio business, Bob Fuller and Steve Cody, and Kit Snyder at Little Rock. A group of us put up the money and we started L&L.
WILSON: RI: You got a great deal on Triad. Take us through that one.
It was a busted deal. They put it on the market. They had great expectations of multiples. I declined it. Six months later, nothing had happened. I decided to go back and dust it off and take another look. It was obvious they were going nowhere. [Former Triad CEO] David Benjamin obviously did not want to sell. It was a very contentious deal. Fortunately, we persevered. It tried our patience, big time. But we persevered and we got the deal. It was well worth it, especially after we sold Fargo. Our net cost on that was, I don?t even want to talk about it, it was so low. It was a great deal.
They?ve got some superb stations in Peoria and Bloomfield, and even in Fargo. Jim Ingstad knew what he was doing when he bought them. They?ve got great operations down in Gulfport and Biloxi. Savannah and Hilton Head was all messed up, but we think we?ve got that figured out. We are on a course to move forward with that. We are really happy with it. I am not sure exactly how we got the deal. I think we got the deal because we could get the money and nobody else could.
?Larry possesses old-school attributes. He is an astute businessman who is fair in his dealings and whose word is his bond. He is one of those people with whom you feel comfortable to conduct business on a handshake. He is a man of character who knows how to operate radio stations!?
Beasley Broadcast Group Chairman/CEO George G. Beasley
RI: Where do you want to take all this?
WILSON: I thought you were going to tell me. We are little guys, and we are just picking our way. We?re being very selective in what we buy. I don?t have a goal of a few hundred stations, or 500 stations. All I know is I?ve got a team together that knows how to do this. I feel extremely confident in them, and I want to give them resources to let them do their thing.
RI: It?s safe to say you?re looking at deals.
WILSON: No doubt about it. I would like to get this to $50 million to $75 million in cash flow. That?s the only real goal I have. That?s what drives me, the bottom line, and really providing a great operation in a local community, serving that community yet still making a nice profit for the shareholders. We?re going to keep going as long as I can continue to attract equity, attract debt, and borrow more money. We are not going to borrow crazily. We kind of all drank the Kool-Aid, and it was pretty cool at the time. It was a great run, but looking back in hindsight, it was bound to slow down. You can?t do double-digit growth in any business forever. But I think now, the growth is decent.
RI: Do you have an eye on any particular markets?
WILSON: It doesn?t matter where. We are not focused on the little tiny markets. I think that?s a good business. It?s just not one that we want to be in. But if we find a small situation where you?ve got a dominant cluster, we will look at that. Bloomfield is a great example. Bloomfield, West Virginia. We love it there. The guy that runs it is fantastic. He?s been there a long time. It just keeps on cranking. I don?t set out to say, ?I?ve got to be in New York,? or something like that. My wife said, ?What book are you reading right now?? I said, ?The BIA database.? I?ve got three or four books on my desk that I haven?t started. I am totally immersed in this right now. My office is nothing but notebooks. It?s notebooks of potential targets, not that have come up, but things that I would like to own. There are a lot of notebooks.
RI: What is the real multiple in radio right now?
WILSON: I think no matter what they say, the top end for the biggest markets would be 6 1/2-times. You can look at the deal that was just done for Seattle and Phoenix, and those were ?beachfront property,? and I think the multiple was in that area. Then it gets lower as the markets get smaller, in my opinion. I think probably, overall, you would say it is a 6-multiple deal. Some owners are realistic, and some are not.
Some are hoping for higher multiples, and once I get all these bought, I hope they?re right. I?m not sure that if you?re looking to get it on the multiple side, it?s going up much. I don?t think it is. It might go up a little over time. But to me the key is to be a really good operator and produce margins of 30 percent-plus. If you do that and you keep your debt manageable at a 3- to 4-times cash-flow level, I don?t see you getting hurt, and I think you would make a really good return on your investment down the road.
RI: Could you see yourself buying a company somewhere near the top 15 to 20?
WILSON: I would definitely look at that, if that became an opportunity. It really comes down to our confidence in our ability and my confidence in my team. I really want to give them things to work. If there were a bigger one that comes available at the right price, you could buy just about any of them if they had a big multiple, but I am not going to do that. But if I found one that I thought was reasonably priced for what they have, I definitely would take a hard run at that. I have access to a lot of capital.
That would be very interesting. If we did get that opportunity, I could get the money. But I can only get the money if the deal is right. I couldn?t get the money to pay 8-times. No investor in their right mind is going to pay 8-times.
"Every now and then you see someone who has deep experience in an industry, a knack for timing, and an eye for a good deal buck "conventional wisdom" and make a move that goes against the trend. Larry's reentry into the business demonstrates his belief that there is a lot of life (and money to be made ) in the radio business if you buy right and know how to operate. And he's got skin in the game which sends a strong message to his people and fellow investors. I wouldn't bet against him."
..........Dick Ferguson
RI: So L&L stands for ?Live and Local,? not ?Larry and Larry.?
WILSON: Some people think it?s ?Larry and Lynn.? My new wife, her name is Lynn. But it?s not.
RI: You?re basically making a statement with that. Talk about why you picked that name.
WILSON: It?s just the heart and soul of what we believe is important now. Not to say that national programming isn?t good in some instances. It is good. Rush Limbaugh has done really well. Hannity has done well. There are lot of examples of national programming, syndicated programming, that does well. But when I?m talking about live and local, it?s not just on the air. It?s about our people getting involved in the community: being on the board of the Pioneer Square in Portland.
Pioneer Square influences a lot of great things that happen in that community. We?re very much involved with the Rose Festival and the Jazz Festival. That?s what I mean by live and local.
We believe in having live morning shows where it fits, and live all kinds of shows during the day. That really works because if you are syndicated, the difficulty with that is you don?t have somebody who can go out on remotes, or go out in the community and be MCs at concerts. I think all of that is really the heart and soul of radio. You?ve got to be out in the community and be visible and really make life better in these places. That?s what I mean by ?Live and Local.?
RI: Let?s talk about the industry. What happens, in your opinion, to Clear Channel in the five years?
WILSON: The speculation is that they will end up with just the big markets at some point, and sell off the others. I honestly don?t know. We compete against them, but that doesn?t really give me any insight. You can either keep operating the way it is and hope to pay down debt, or you can sell off some stuff and pay off some debt. Or you can sell to a bigger company. I think the latter is probably unlikely in that they are so big, it would be hard to swallow.
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RI: What about Cumulus?
WILSON: I think their focus appears to be trying to fix the big markets. They?ve got a pretty ugly situation in the old ABC markets. That?s just what I read. I don?t know much about them. I think they are just trying to fix what they?ve got.
RI: Does digital play a role at L&L?
WILSON: It?s very important. In Portland, where we?ve really had some time to let it percolate, we are doing very well on that front. In the other markets, one of the things that we tell the people we will bring to them is some ideas on digital. Frankly, none of them that we?ve bought have been very far advanced in digital. We hope, over time, to change that. I think it?s really important. I think some people write that it?s all over because of digital. I don?t buy that. I think that?s not the correct thinking. What I still see is a lot of texting with young people ? an unbelievable amount of texting. I have a lot of grandkids. They are still fighting over which radio station we are going to listen to when we drive in the car. That, to me, is a very good sign that young people are still listening. Listenership is still very, very good in radio.
RI: How are old are you? How is your health? Do you think you are going to be doing this until you take your last breath?
WILSON: I don?t know. I think that?s a long time from now. I hope it?s a long time from now. I?m 68 years old. I?m in good health. I work out as often as I can. When I?m on the road, I try to make it a practice to walk for an hour every day in the early morning. I plan to do this as long as Bob, [CFO] Donna Heffner, and [Director of Programming Scott [Mahalick] will put up with me. I guess in many ways, I am awfully demanding. I am very impatient. But I try to be good to the people I?m with. I do push pretty hard.
As long as I?m able to keep pushing and driving the ship, that?s what I want to do. I?m very fortunate to have the people I have with me. I wouldn?t want to be doing this quite like I did at Citadel. I?m not saying I?m not involved in operations now, because I am, but I have trust in Bob and Scott and all the others to hit it the right way. I can operate from 30,000 feet and be part of the big decisions, and I am perfectly content. I let them drive the rest of it. I think I am going to do it for quite a while.
RI: Are you saying that in your Citadel days you would call the studio to ream out the morning man?
WILSON: No. I never did that. I might after the show. I was probably on the phone with Bob Profitt more then than I am now. I make the same decisions he makes and he makes the same decisions I would make, when we don?t even talk to each other. I see it over and over and over again. I have developed a trait that I can stand back a little farther. I think that really helps an organization if someone is looking from 30,000 feet. I might see something that nobody else sees, because down in those trees, you don?t see everything.
RI: Is the radio industry in a good place right now?
WILSON: I think it is. I wouldn?t be here if I didn?t think it was. I just hope that this centralization doesn?t run too far. People are what makes this business work. If you don?t treat your people right, or you don?t have enough people, people will wear out. You can only have somebody voicetracking on five stations for so long, and then they are going to get tired and go sell cars or go do something else. That is probably the biggest concern I have ? if things are cut back so far to save costs that the people are getting worn down. We just used LinkedIn to find a manager in Savannah. She reached out to me, I read her profile and told her to call me. We started talking and found a spot for her. People are unhappy in this business, and we?re going to try to capitalize on that.
Reach out to Larry Wilson at larry@wilran.com
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3-25-2013Add a Comment Send This Story To A Friend
12-14-2012
Briem was on KABC in LA from 1967 to 1994 where he did the midnight-to-5 a.m. shift. He started out at KGIL-AM in 1953. In 1960 Briem was a DJ at KLAC-FM and was hired by KABC six years later where he stayed for nearly three decades. He leaned conservative. According to his family Briem died of cancer. More here at the L.A. Times
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KSTP A Legend. WTOP Takes Two. Bummer for Boortz
The 2012 NAB Marconi Radio Awards were announced Thursday night in Dallas. KSTP-FM in St. Paul won the Legendary Station of the Year while WTOP took home two Marconi's. And while we would like to congratulate Syndicated Personality of the Year Marconi winner Dan Patrick, we are a little bummed Neal Boortz didn't take home the trophy. Boortz has been nominated many times for a Marconi in the syndicated personality category but has never won the award. Boortz is retiring from radio in January.
Here is a list of all the 2012 Marconi Award winners.
Legendary Station
KSTP-FM St. Paul, MN
AC Station of the Year
WBEB-FM Philadelphia, PA
Network/Syndicated Personality of the Year
Dan Patrick, Direct TV/Premiere Networks
CHR Station of the Year
KIIS-FM Los Angeles, CA
Major Market Station of the Year
WTOP-FM Washington, D.C.
Country Station of the Year
WYCD-FM Detroit, MI
Large Market Station of the Year
KSON-FM San Diego, CA
News/Talk Station of the Year
WTOP-FM Washington, D.C.
Medium Market Station of the Year
WHO-AM Des Moines, IA
Oldies Station of the Year
WOGL-FM Philadelphia, PA
Small Market Station of the Year
WVAQ-FM Morgantown, WV
Religious Station of the Year
KLTY-FM Dallas, TX
Major Market Personality of the Year
Mike Francesa, WFAN-AM New York, NY
Rock Station of the Year
KINK-FM Portland, OR
Large Market Personality of the Year
Moon and Staci, KSTP-FM St. Paul, MN
Spanish Station of the Year
KMVK-FM Dallas, TX
Medium Market Personality of the Year
Jan Mickelson, WHO-AM Des Moines, IA
Sports Station of the Year
WEEI-FM Boston, MA
Small Market Personality of the Year
Scotty and Carissa in the Morning, KCLR-FM Columbia, MO
Urban Station of the Year
WBLS-FM New York, NY
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8-19-2012
The Denver Post reports the sad news that Charley Martin has passed away at the age of 67. Martin teamed with Hal Moore on KHOW in Denver for the Hal and Charley show. The two met each other in Des Moines while Martin was still in high school, and they were on the air together for nearly three decades. After retiring Martin taught radio and television college courses. Read the entire Denver Post story.
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5-24-2012
On the heels of the recent report about the advancement of women in radio (see next story), Radio Ink announces that former head of Broadcast Programming Edie Hilliard has been named the 2012 MIW Legend. Hilliard was interviewed for the upcoming Most Influential Women in Radio issue, featuring RAB CEO Erica Farber on the cover -- the annual issue, now in its 13th year, highlights the accomplishments of many women in our industry. Hilliard, in many cases throughout her career, was the first woman to succeed at jobs in broadcasting that had been dominated by men, so we asked her if women are on equal footing with men today. She replied, "How many women are in the '40 Most Powerful'? And how has that changed? Seriously, I expected more progress for women." And she believes there's more work to be done.
Hilliard said, "I'm sure there are some companies where men and women compete on an equal footing, but there simply aren't enough women competing, because they don't see potential. Even the great ones hit a glass ceiling -- or brick wall. I don't think it's because of overt discrimination against women in radio companies, but there is obviously a glass ceiling, and it's not getting thinner. I'm not aware of any serious efforts to address that. And until there are, it won't get better. I was so lucky to get my start with a company and bosses who saw I had potential and encouraged me, and remained friends and mentors throughout my career. It made all the difference."
There's much more from Edie Hilliard in our upcoming MIW issue. And she pulls no punches.
To subscribe to Radio Ink in time to receive the 2012 MIW issue, GO HERE
Reach out to Edie HERE
(5/25/2012 8:07:10 PM)
To even say so may open me up to charges of sexism. But, my bones are hard and I'm willing to take the grief.
Perhaps it is the case that the more women who can attain higher management positions, the better are the chances that we (music radio) might have a shot at redemption.
It has also been said by others and often that women have a better, intuitive sense of communications in general and language in particular. Perhaps it is they - as a group - or as strong and imaginative individual women who will be grasping the folly of radio's approaches over the years and will be more open to alternatives - as they are presented.
Gawd knows the guys have been pooching it for, like - forever?
5-24-2012
On the heels of the recent report about the advancement of women in radio (see next story), Radio Ink announces that former head of Broadcast Programming Edie Hilliard has been named the 2012 MIW Legend. Hilliard was interviewed for the upcoming Most Influential Women in Radio issue, featuring RAB CEO Erica Farber on the cover -- the annual issue, now in its 13th year, highlights the accomplishments of many women in our industry. Hilliard, in many cases throughout her career, was the first woman to succeed at jobs in broadcasting that had been dominated by men, so we asked her if women are on equal footing with men today. She replied, "How many women are in the '40 Most Powerful'? And how has that changed? Seriously, I expected more progress for women." And she believes there's more work to be done.
Hilliard said, "I'm sure there are some companies where men and women compete on an equal footing, but there simply aren't enough women competing, because they don't see potential. Even the great ones hit a glass ceiling -- or brick wall. I don't think it's because of overt discrimination against women in radio companies, but there is obviously a glass ceiling, and it's not getting thinner. I'm not aware of any serious efforts to address that. And until there are, it won't get better. I was so lucky to get my start with a company and bosses who saw I had potential and encouraged me, and remained friends and mentors throughout my career. It made all the difference."
There's much more from Edie Hilliard in our upcoming MIW issue. And she pulls no punches.
To subscribe to Radio Ink in time to receive the 2012 MIW issue, GO HERE
Reach out to Edie HERE
(5/25/2012 8:07:10 PM)
To even say so may open me up to charges of sexism. But, my bones are hard and I'm willing to take the grief.
Perhaps it is the case that the more women who can attain higher management positions, the better are the chances that we (music radio) might have a shot at redemption.
It has also been said by others and often that women have a better, intuitive sense of communications in general and language in particular. Perhaps it is they - as a group - or as strong and imaginative individual women who will be grasping the folly of radio's approaches over the years and will be more open to alternatives - as they are presented.
Gawd knows the guys have been pooching it for, like - forever?
1-16-2012
Bailey was known as the Duke of Louisville. He died Saturday morning at a nursing home where he had been living since he had a stroke in 2003. He was 81. Bailey was a regular on Kentucky's airways in the 60s and 70s. He did mornings on WKLO and WAKY and went on to Chicago to work for a year before returning to Louisville. Bailey worked at WAKY and WCII until 1987, when he moved to Baltimore. Bill Bailey?s real name was William Boahn. A visitation for Bailey will be held tomorrow. His funeral will follow immediately.
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He was a director and producer of original radio plays for CBS during the golden age of radio in the 1930s and '40s when he was revered as the "poet of the airwaves." Norman Corwin has died at the age of 101. Corwin's programs, which CBS aired without sponsors, are considered classics of the era when radio was the primary news and entertainment venue for Americans. Corwin's most celebrated programs were two specials that aired at the beginning and near the end of World War II.
"We Hold These Truths," a government-sponsored drama he was asked to write in 1941 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Bill of Rights, examined the origin of the first 10 amendments to the Constitution and how they affected Americans down through history. The drama featured a star-studded cast led by James Stewart, Orson Welles, Lionel Barrymore, Walter Brennan, Edward G. Robinson, Walter Huston, Marjorie Main and Rudy Vallee. Broadcast live from the CBS studio in Hollywood and featuring music composed and conducted by CBS' Bernard Herrmann, the program ended with a live, eight-minute speech by President Franklin Roosevelt at the White House, then switched to New York, where the NBC Symphony Orchestra played the national anthem under the direction of Leopold Stokowski.
The program was scheduled to air simultaneously on all four national networks on Dec. 15, 1941. And when it did air, only eight days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, 60 million Americans tuned in.
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The voice of a longtime Twin Ports radio legend is now silent. Mark Fleischer, the operations manager for Midwest Communications, said Latto died while he was getting ready to drive into town for work at WDSM-AM where he hosted the morning show. The WDSM website says Latto began his radio career while still in high school in the 1950's and was the promoter and host of the Winter Dance Party at the National Guard Armory, one of the final performances of Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Richie Valens in 1959. Over the years. Latto successfully entered into station ownership and has hosted talk shows on several Twin Ports radio outlets.
Latto was inducted into the Minnesota Broadcasting Hall Of Fame in 2003. For the last several years, 710 WDSM was home to "Lew Latto Live" on weekday mornings. Today and tomorrow WDSM and KDAL will be running a special tribute show to celebrate the life and career of Lew Latto. Phone lines will be open to share stories and memories of a true Twin Ports radio legend. The tribute will run on both days from 7:06 to 9 a-m.
The Duluth News Tribune is reporting that Latto appeared to be in good health recently after recovering from heart valve surgery a few years ago.
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Steve Kostan (Weekdays 7pm-Mid - 94.7 WCSX) has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum has just unveiled a complete museum redesign telling the story of rock and roll in a more linear fashion. The entire museum?s technology has been updated, including the interactive kiosks On the Air: Rock and Roll and Radio. It?s a dynamic, multi-layered interactive kiosk that explores numerous disc jockeys who introduced millions of listeners to rock and roll, rhythm and blues, hip hop, funk, folk and many other sounds.
Curatorial Director at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Howard Kramer told WCSX morning man Ken Calvert ?There are a number of people we identified who we felt were really great exemplars of people who helped promote Rock and Roll, and Steve certainly falls in that category. I grew up in Southfield and radio was my first love. Hearing voices like Steve?s and Ken?s (Calvert) and Karen?s (Savelly) and Arthur Penhallow helped occupy my formative years. Steve was the guy who stood behind local music, and I thought that was an extremely brave thing to do. And Steve stuck with it, and I felt he deserved it.?
Kostan said, ?I was lucky enough to come along at a great and exciting time to be on Detroit rock radio. There was a fantastic Detroit music scene and I was able to stay in town the whole time and keep at it.? Kostan is extremely grateful to Fred Jacobs and Ken Calvert for hiring him into radio. Steve celebrates 34 years in Detroit rock radio this Labor Day weekend! To hear more of the interview, log onto www.wcsx.com and click on Ken Calvert?s homepage.
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June 24, 2011
Munse was on the air for more than 30 years and Munse's morning show partner on KORA-FM Roger Garrett told a local TV station "Roy Gene's contributions to Brazos Valley radio have been priceless. Roy had a lot to do with KORA going from just an automated station which is what it was when he first got here into being a full-blown local information personality radio station, which for the longest time was just him, he filled up the radio himself. Munse was only 55 years old when he lost his battle with cancer. KORA-FM is located in Bryan, Texas.
Wednesday afternoon, Munse's friend and co-worker, Chris Austin read listeners a note written by Roy Gene's brother, Robert Munse that served to comfort those who loved the radio legend, "A man does not stay 30 plus years if he does not love the place and the people. Thank you to a lot of individuals, Bryan/College Station and the great State of Texas for making this house a home."A "Celebration of Life" ceremony will be held for Roy Gene Munse at the Kyle House at 3pm on Saturday. The Kyle House is located in Bryan.