RadioInsight

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Reggie Brown Returns To V100 Milwaukee As Program Director

Posted: 03 Apr 2020 01:05 PM PDT
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/1...gram-director/



After exiting afternoons at iHeartMedia Hip Hop V100.7 WKKV Milwaukee in
Januarys layoffs, Reggie Brown has returned to the station as Program
Director and afternoon host.

Brown previously spent 21 years at the station before his January exit. He
takes the Program Director slot held by Bailey Coleman until her move to
Vice President of Programming for iHeart New Orleans earlier this week.

iHeartMedia announced today that Reggie Brown has been named Program
Director for V100.7, Milwaukee’s Only Hip Hop and RB, effective
immediately. iHeartMedia Milwaukee has a strong cross-platform presence and
includes a number of iconic brands and franchises — both broadcast and
digital — encompassing more than six stations comprised of music, sports,
talk and news formats.

iHeartMedia has the leading consumer reach and influence across multiple
platforms and delivers more live programming than any other media company.
As Program Director, Brown will be responsible for the overall branding of
V100.7 including on-air, online and community events. In addition, he will
continue to broadcast on the station as an afternoon host and will report
to Kerry Wolfe, Senior Vice President of Programming for iHeartMedia
Milwaukee.

“Reggie Brown continues to be the voice of the urban community in Milwaukee
and we couldn’t be happier to have him lead V100.7 to new heights,� said
Wolfe.

“I’m thrilled to lead the V100.7 team,� said Brown. “I’m excited to
continue to bring quality programming and thriving events to our Milwaukee
community while continuing to entertain our audience in the afternoons.�



The post Reggie Brown Returns To V100 Milwaukee As Program Director
appeared first on RadioInsight.


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Learfield IMG College President/CEO Greg Brown Retires; Cole Gahagan To
Succeed

Posted: 03 Apr 2020 11:57 AM PDT
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/1...an-to-succeed/



Learfield IMG College has announced that President/CEO Greg Brown has
retired and will be replaced by Cole Gahagan.

Brown began his career with Learfield in 1984 selling sponsorships for the
Iowa State Cyclone Radio Network and has served as President/CEO since 2009
overseeing the mergers of Learfield and IMG College in December 2018.
Gahagan joined the company in January to oversee the companys media and
content teams and collegiate multimedia rights division. He previously
served as Chief Commercial Officer for Fanatics Inc., Chief Revenue Officer
for Ticketmaster and SVP/Development and Strategy for Live Nation.

Brown stated that he intended to retire later this year, But with college
sports on virtual hold, this lull is an ideal time for the company
leadership to transition now so we will be well positioned to serve our
partners and sponsor brands on the other side of this national crisis. Cole
brings extraordinary experiences to the challenges and opportunities ahead.

Learfield IMG College longtime President and CEO Greg Brown today announced
his retirement and the appointment of Cole Gahagan, the company’s former
president of content, revenue and enterprise solutions, as the new
president and CEO. Following the transition, Brown will serve as
co-chairman of the board of directors and advisor to the company.

“It’s been the privilege of a lifetime to be associated with the great
people of this company and the collegiate sports industry for the past 36
years. Learfield IMG College is in good hands with Cole Gahagan and our
outstanding employees,� said Brown. “When Cole joined us in January, I had
in my mind transitioning to this new role later in 2020. But with college
sports on virtual hold, this lull is an ideal time for the company
leadership to transition now so we will be well positioned to serve our
partners and sponsor brands on the other side of this national crisis. Cole
brings extraordinary experiences to the challenges and opportunities ahead.�

Brown began with Learfield in 1984 selling sponsorships for the Iowa State
Cyclone Radio Network. He grew quickly through the ranks and was named
Learfield’s president and CEO in 2009 following the retirement of Founder
Clyde Lear. Under Brown’s leadership, the company evolved through organic
growth and strategic acquisitions to become one of the leading collegiate
sports marketing firms in the nation. Brown oversaw the merger completion
between Learfield and IMG College in December 2018. Learfield IMG College
now represents more than 1,000 collegiate athletic programs (including
nearly 200 multimedia rights relationships), conferences and arenas across
the nation as well as a wide array of services to collegiate athletic
departments, performing arts centers and event organizers.

Brown has been recognized for his leadership in the college sports
industry. The Sports Business Journal the past three years named him as one
of the “50 Most Influential People in Sports Business.� He received the
Entrepreneur of The Year® 2017 Southwest Technology and Media Services
Award. Brown serves on the board of the National Football Foundation.

“It has been an absolute honor working with and learning from Greg Brown —
not just over the last several months — but during the years I observed his
leadership and accomplishments from other corners of our sports industry,�
said Gahagan. “I’m grateful for his friendship and guidance, and I’m
looking forward to continue our working relationship for many years to
come.�

He added, “Now more than ever, our Learfield IMG College team has a
responsibility to usher the collegiate athletics industry into a new era of
growth; leveraging data mining, digital tools and highly compelling content
to engage more fans. Over the last several years, we have evolved from
serving as an asset creation and sales company to a fully integrated media
and tech leader — and we’re only getting started. I’m humbled to now help
lead this new charge and am beyond bullish for what lies ahead — both for
our people and our partners.�

In his previous role, Gahagan led Learfield IMG College’s media and content
teams as well as its collection of businesses, which include its
comprehensive collegiate multimedia rights division and affiliated and
acquired businesses. Prior to joining the company on Jan. 6, Gahagan was
chief commercial officer for Fanatics, Inc. He also was chief revenue
officer for Ticketmaster and former senior vice president, development and
strategy for Live Nation.

Gahagan has received numerous industry honors including the “Forty Under
40� award by Sports Business Journal, “Top 25 Digital Power Players�
recognition by Billboard Magazine, and the noted “Leaders Under 40 Award�
by Leaders in Sports. A Louisiana native, Gahagan holds an undergraduate
degree from TCU and an MBA from SMU.


The post Learfield IMG College President/CEO Greg Brown Retires; Cole
Gahagan To Succeed appeared first on RadioInsight.


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Checking In On My First Favorite Stations

Posted: 03 Apr 2020 09:00 AM PDT
https://radioinsight.com/ross/185734...rite-stations/


As we all search for distraction, or try to attend to long-delayed tasks
during the COVID-19 crisis, I’ve been trying to combine the two with some
long-intended listening, hearing how my favorite stations, and some of
yours, are responding in this time of need.
Nostalgia is a natural response. I’ve wondered how some of my early
favorite radio stations are responding now. Most are not still the AM music
stations of my childhood, but given the endurance of many heritage brands,
many are still around in some form—often as News/Talk outlets, which makes
them a natural to check out now.
So on Monday morning, March 30, I listened to three of the stations I grew
up with.


WOL Washington, D.C.
As an R&B powerhouse of the ‘60s and ‘70s, WOL was the first radio station
I remember, my first favorite station, and my introduction to current
music. It was also my father’s home-base as public affairs director of the
Sonderling group of R&B stations. I kept listening to “the Big ‘OL� through
high-school, even after they were upstaged by WKYS, WHUR, and other FM
competitors. In 1980, new owner Cathy Hughes made WOL the flagship of the
eventual Radio One group as well as a pioneer in African-American-targeted
News/Talk radio.
On Monday, morning host Madelyne Woods was interviewing Kizzmekia Corbett,
the viral immunologistÂ* leading the National Institute of Health’s search
for a corona virus vaccine—one of 30 different vaccines in the global
pipeline, Corbett noted. That vaccine is about a year away from deployment
under the best circumstances, although Corbett pointed out that it was also
a major expediting of what would normally be a five-year process.
Woods took Corbett through a series of true/false questions aimed at
thwarting misinformation about COVID-19 from some of the most-established
FAQs to some of the most outlandish misperceptions. She’s on the side of
Tylenol, not Advil, if you’re still hearing conflicting info about that
one, but inhaling your blow-dryer will not protect you. “Enjoy your summer
when you do get out,� Woods told Corbett, after they established that
summer was the earliest possible time when we might expect a respite.
CKLW Windsor, Canada
In the ‘70s and early ‘80s, CKLW was effectively a Detroit station, as well
as one of the most influential and admired Top 40s anywhere. As for a lot
of broadcasters of a certain age, CKLW is one of the reasons I’m in radio.
Now, AM800 is now the Windsor station that Canada’s broadcast regulator
always wanted it to be, and very successful as the market’s News/Talk
powerhouse. In the fall, it had ‘70s style numbers in Windsor—a 17.6 share
12-plus, nearly twice what the local CBC gets. (CKLW’s musical legacy lives
on sister AM CKWW.)
When I tuned in, morning hosts Mike & Lisa were also talking to a public
health official, Windsor-Essex County medical officer of health, Dr. Wajit
Ahmed, who was mostly recounting statistics about new cases over the
weekend in both Canada and Michigan. The other local headlines were about
changes at Canada’s airlines and cutbacks in rail service; the manufacturer
of sporting goods that had switched from hockey jerseys to making masks;
the upswing in popularity for both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and
Ontario premier Doug Ford.
There was, in between all of this, some morning team banter. Mike & Lisa
were also talking about Sunday night’s iHeart Living Room concert for
America, and playing clips from “I Want It That Way.� (CKLW owner Bell
Media is iHeart Radio’s Canadian partner.) Mike asked if the guys at the
station should start a boy band. There were the results of Friday’s
listener poll—80% of respondents said they were still going to the grocery
store. Then there was Monday’s poll: have you or a family member lost your
job?
WPST Trenton, N.J.
While many of the stations of my childhood were now News/Talk AMs, WPST
became one of the first music FMs I listened to on a regular basis during
high school, when its program director was industry journalist Tom Taylor,
during his equally distinguished radio programming career. Long before
crosstown (and now co-owned) WKXW (New Jersey 101.5) popularized the
slogan, WPST was interesting to me because it did its own thing
musically—it was “not New York, not Philadelphia.�
Knowing what radios job is now is easier, if not easy, for News/Talk
stations. But on Monday morning, I heard Chris Rollins and the crew
negotiating, successfully, I thought, what a CHR morning show should be at
this moment. (It probably helps that this was already a show dealing
heavily with social mores in the smartphone age.)
There was still a “best of� phone prank—by listener demand, it was
noted—but there were also team and listener shout-outs to medical and other
front-line workers. That included the local police who brought up
restaurant gift cards for local hospitals; producer/co-host Tiffany had
been in a local sandwich shop when the officers came in. The Crew’s medical
expert was Dr. Oz—who had been on recently and was scheduled to return
during the week.
The “Daily Scoop� began with the news that Tom Hanks and Rhea Wilson had
recovered from COVID-19 and were back home. It included how Costco was
selling Easter dinner, and the prospect of doing Easter dinner with family
via Zoom. That led to a bit about how Walmart was reporting a spike in the
sales of shirts, but not pants, and the possibility that your co-workers
were teleconferencing in their boxers.
And Now, A Word From …
There were a few recurring advertisers over the half-hour stretch of CKLW I
heard that were worth mentioning. One was from the alumni association of
local St. Clair College, thanking critical workers who remain on the job.
Another was from Tim Hortons—talking about the steps they’ve taken to
safely keep their drive-thru open. A few weeks ago, as crisis took hold,
there was still a lot of holdover medical advertising from hospitals that
would now probably discourage discretionary visits. WPST still had a
traffic sponsorship from RWJBarnabas Health, but now the message was “stay
home.�
Overall, as radio’s advertisers struggle, and broadcasters with them, it’s
clear which advertisers are able to stay on the air, and they’re the ones
who were most unavoidable under happier circumstances. I heard a live-read
spot on a News/Talk station for Kars4Kids, which is still happy to “send
somebody to pick up your car [or boat], contact free.� 5-Hour Energy
tackles the issue of being “energy on the go, [even if] if you’re not going
anywhere� by offering to keep you going through working remotely or
tackling those long-postponed home projects. “It’s energy for hunkering
down� now. And at this moment when radio again has the nation’s attention,
but is still battered by layoffs and furloughs, the mission depends on
advertiser willing to stay in front of people.
Throughout the crisis, I’ve steered clear of anything that sounds like a
critique of individual broadcasters making their best efforts under
extraordinary circumstances, and during what was already a difficult time
for the medium. Over the last ten days, I’ve noticed the consumer press
writing about radio for the first time in a decade—in each of several
cases, it’s been about community and non-comm radio. But all broadcasters
deserve respect at this moment.


In general, I’ve heard broadcasters doing a very good job in finding a
tonal balance between emergency and stability. The harder part for music
stations has been segueing to a full-service mode, partially because its
been so long since music radio had news resources of its own. Radio has
certainly gotten the important messages out—wash your hands, keep your
distance, don’t go out. That’s not wrong, and clearly some people still
need to hear it. But radio is still needed as a resource in the local
community that can help you find a testing center, direct listener help to
those in need, or know which stores are stocked today. What we need now is
as simple as more PSAsand thats in our skill set.


The post Checking In On My First Favorite Stations appeared first on
RadioInsight.


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Station Sales Week Of 4/3

Posted: 03 Apr 2020 04:42 AM PDT
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/1...s-week-of-4-3/



Y Bridge Broadcasting sells Classic Hits Y107.3 WYBZ Crooksville OH to AVC
Communications for $1.4 million. While WYBZ marks the companys entry into
the Zanesville market, AVC owns a seven station cluster in nearby Cambridge
with Country Nash Icon 107.9/98.5 1270 WILE Cambridge being heard on 98.5
W253CF Zanesville.

Educational Media Foundation acquires 90.3 KSGU St. George UT from Nevada
Public Radio for $382,000. EMF currently airs its K-Love network on 88.5
K203EY St. George while Air 1 is not available in the area.

Davis Media sells 1490 WXTG/101.9 W270DA Hampton VA to Terry Suggs TL
Broadcasting for $150,000. WXTG currently simulcasts Davis Medias All News
102 102.1 WXTG-FM Virginia Beach.

Michael Sbuttonis MSbuttoni LLC sells Silent 1230 WEZO Augusta GA to
Covenant Community Ministries for $350,000. While a Time Brokerage
Agreement went into effect on March 1, the station went silent last week
after a stolen car drove through the stations site and knocked down its
tower.


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