Here Are The Best Program Directors In America

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Program directors have enormous responsibilities these days. They must produce the best content in all of audio, because the competition for ears has never been greater. They have to find and teach and massage new local talent. And they surely must help produce a product the sales department can successfully sell so that fire-breathing GM can be calm, cool, and collected while sending that nice big piece of the cash-flow action back to corporate. Oh, and by the way, many PDs had the added aggravation this past year of that little bird called Voltair sitting on their shoulders and whispering in their ears, “PPM doesn’t really pick up your product all that well.”

Putting together this list every year starts with a nomination, typically from someone who ranks higher in the company than the nominated PD, maybe even the CEO. We go from there, with a questionnaire and a look at ratings, experience, awards, and several other factors. We reach out to programming experts in the industry for input, in all formats and in all market sizes, and we crunch the numbers. Then we crumple them up and crunch them again.

In addition to listing names next to numbers, we put this list together hoping each and every PD who appears will provide you with something to help your career grow. What helped them get to the top spot? What are they doing now to remain successful? How are they positioning their stations in the community? And we can tell you, without a doubt, this year’s PDs have provided us — and you — with a gold mine of ideas. They were extremely open and willing to teach, to pass it on. This is an issue you’ll be hiding from your boss. In fact, we’ll be using some of what these PDs have provided us in several future issues — there was so much, and it was that good.

 

One of the biggest lessons we learned from the Best Program Directors in America: Do everything in your power to take care of your community. Here are the 2016 Best Program Directors in America.

TO SEE THE BEST PD LIST AS A PDF, WHICH INCLUDES MORE DETAIL,  CLICK HERE

arturo sosa#1) ARTURO SOSA
WSKQ-FM/New York.
Spanish Broadcasting System

 

 

Conley_Chris13 (2)
#2) CHRIS CONLEY
WLTW/New York
iHeartmedia

 

 

John Ivey with Lucas Graham#3) JOHN IVEY
KIIS-FM/Los Angeles.
Also oversees all iHeartMedia Top 40 stations

 

 

Jim Ryan_Dec2014 (2)#4) JIM RYAN
PD, WCBS-FM & WNEW-FM /New York; SVP/Programming
CBS Radio

 

 

Kevin Weatherly Pic (2)#5) KEVIN WEATHERLY
PD, KAMP, KCBS & KROQ/Los Angeles
SVP/Programming
CBS Radio

 

Ron Gleason (2)#6) RON GLEASON
Dir./News & Programming, WBBM (Newsradio)/Chicago
CBS Radio

 

 

Mary Ellen Kachinske and Jason Derulo (2)#7) MARY ELLEN KACHINSKE
WTMX-FM/Chicago
Hubbard Radio

 

 

Ben Mevorach#8) BEN MEVORACH
PD, WINS-AM (1010 WINS)/New York
Dir./News & Programming
CBS Radio

 

Thea Mitchem#9) THEA MITCHEM
WWPR/New York
EVP/Programming, Northeast Division
iHeartMedia

 

Mark Chernoff#10) MARK CHERNOFF
PD, WFAN-AM & FM/New York
VP/Sports Programming
CBS Radio

 

tim scheld (2)#11) TIM SCHELD
WCBS-AM/New York
CBS Radio

 

 

Lee Hammer#12) LEE HAMMER
KGO, KNBR, KSFO & KTCT/San Francisco
Cumulus Media

 

 

Mark Adams#13) MARK ADAMS
KIOI-FM & KYLD/San Francisco
iHeartMedia

 

 

Robin Bertelluci#14) ROBIN BERTOLUCCI
KEIB & KFI/Los Angeles
iHeartMedia

 

 

Jeff Kapugi and Chris hanson#15) JEFF KAPUGI
PD, WUSN-FM/Chicago
VP/Country Programming, CBS Radio

 

 

Michael Martin#16) MICHAEL MARTIN
PD, KLLC & KMVQ/San Francisco
SVP/Programming & Music Initiatives
CBS Radio San Francisco

 

mcmearty (3)#17) MIKE McMEARTY
WTOP/Washington, DC
Hubbard Radio

 

 

Don Parker#18) DON PARKER
KMEL-FM/San Francisco
SVP/Programming, San Francisco Region
iHeartMedia

 

Chuck Knight and Family#19) CHUCK KNIGHT
WBEB-FM/Philadelphia
Jerry Lee Radio, LLC

 

 

Mike Thomas and Bruins player Brad Marchand#20) MIKE THOMAS
PD, WZLX & WBZ-FM/Boston
VP/Programming, CBS Radio Boston
VP/Sports Programming, CBS Radio

 


Pete Spriggs#21) PETE SPRIGGS

WSB/Atlanta
Cox Media Group

 

 

Bill Weston#22) BILL WESTON
WMGK & WMMR/Philadelphia
Greater Media

 

 

Jay Michaels#23) JAY MICHAELS
KJKK-FM & KVIL-FM/Dallas
CBS Radio

 

 

Johnny Chiang#24) JOHNNY CHIANG
KGLK, KHPT, KKBQ & KTHT/Houston
Cox Media Group

 

 

Steve moore#25) STEVE MOORE
KMOX/St. Louis
VP/News & Talk Programming
CBS Radio

 

Ken West#26) KEN WEST
WBOS & WROR/Boston
Greater Media

 

 

Jeff Caitlin#27) JEFF CATLIN
KTCK-FM/Dallas
Cumulus Media

 

 

Mike Brophy and Cole Swindell#28) MIKE BROPHEY
WKLB/Boston
Greater Media

 

 

TimRoberts & StevenTyler#29) TIM ROBERTS
WDZH, WOMC & WYCD/Detroit
CBS Radio

 

 

Reggie Rouse#30) REGGIE ROUSE
PD, WVEE-FM/Atlanta
VP/Urban Programming,
CBS Radio

 

 

Leslie Whittle (2)#31) LESLIE WHITTLE
KRBE/Houston
Cumulus Media

 

 

Gillette#32) RICK GILLETTE
WPLJ/New York
Cumulus Media

 

 

Mike Kaplan#33) MIKE KAPLAN
KYSR/Los Angeles
iHeartRadio

 

 

Adam Delvitt.#34) ADAM DELEVITT
WMVP-AM (ESPN1000)/Chicago
ESPN O&O

 

 

Doc Wynter#35) DOC WYNTER
KRRL/Los Angeles
iHeartMedia

 

 

kevin callahan#36) (TIE) KEVIN CALLAHAN
KBZT, KIFM, KSON & KSOQ/San Diego
Entercom

 

 

Bill-Hess#36) (TIE) BILL HESS
WMAL-AM & FM/Washington, DC
VP/News Talk, Cumulus Media

 

 

Peter Bolger (3)#37) PETER BOLGER
WLS-AM/Chicago
Cumulus Media

 

 

Masteller_Scott15 (2)#38) SCOTT MASTELLER
WBAL/Baltimore
Hearst

 

 

Andrea-Prado#39) ANDREA BECERRA PRADO
Regional Brand Manager
Entravision

 

 

Keith Hastings Headshot#40) KEITH HASTINGS
KISS & KTKX/San Antonio
National Format Leader, Rock & Classic Rock
Cox Media Group

 

 

Maurice DeVoe (2)#41) MAURICE DeVOE
KMJK-FM/Kansas City
Cumulus Media

 

 

Boogie D#42) BOOGIE D
WFUN & WHHL/St. Louis
Radio One

 

 

Drew Anderssen#43) (TIE) DREW ANDERSSEN
WDBO-AM & FM/Orlando
News/Talk Format Coordinator
Cox Media Group

 

 

Charlie Cook and Chris Stapleton#43) (TIE) CHARLIE COOK
WKDF-FM & WSM-FM/Nashville
Cumulus Media

 

 

Geronimo#44) GERONIMO (MICHAEL ARPAIO)
KFCO-FM/Denver
Max Media

 

 

Bill Black#45) BILL BLACK
WENZ, WERE, WJMO &
WZAK/Cleveland
Radio One

 

 

Keith Dakin#46) KEITH DAKIN
WDRC-AM & FM, WEZN-FM, WFOX-FM & WPLR FM
Connecticut

 

 

Dennis Glascow#47) DENNIS GLASGOW
WCLY ,WCMC & WDNC/Raleigh
Capitol Broadcasting

 

 

Fletch Miranda Kaitlin_Large (2)#48) FLETCH BROWN
WXFL-FM/Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL
Big River Broadcasting

 

 

Tucker Young#49) TUCKER YOUNG
KNDE-FM (Candy 95)/College Station-Bryan, TX
Bryan Broadcasting

 

 

Robert Collins (Bell)#50) ROB COLLINS
WCKQ-FM/Campbellsville, KY
Forcht Broadcasting

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