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
#1) ARTURO SOSA
WSKQ-FM/New York.
Spanish Broadcasting System
#2) CHRIS CONLEY
WLTW/New York
iHeartmedia
#3) JOHN IVEY
KIIS-FM/Los Angeles.
Also oversees all iHeartMedia Top 40 stations
#4) JIM RYAN
PD, WCBS-FM & WNEW-FM /New York; SVP/Programming
CBS Radio
#5) KEVIN WEATHERLY
PD, KAMP, KCBS & KROQ/Los Angeles
SVP/Programming
CBS Radio
#6) RON GLEASON
Dir./News & Programming, WBBM (Newsradio)/Chicago
CBS Radio
#7) MARY ELLEN KACHINSKE
WTMX-FM/Chicago
Hubbard Radio
#8) BEN MEVORACH
PD, WINS-AM (1010 WINS)/New York
Dir./News & Programming
CBS Radio
#9) THEA MITCHEM
WWPR/New York
EVP/Programming, Northeast Division
iHeartMedia
#10) MARK CHERNOFF
PD, WFAN-AM & FM/New York
VP/Sports Programming
CBS Radio
#11) TIM SCHELD
WCBS-AM/New York
CBS Radio
#12) LEE HAMMER
KGO, KNBR, KSFO & KTCT/San Francisco
Cumulus Media
#13) MARK ADAMS
KIOI-FM & KYLD/San Francisco
iHeartMedia
#14) ROBIN BERTOLUCCI
KEIB & KFI/Los Angeles
iHeartMedia
#15) JEFF KAPUGI
PD, WUSN-FM/Chicago
VP/Country Programming, CBS Radio
#16) MICHAEL MARTIN
PD, KLLC & KMVQ/San Francisco
SVP/Programming & Music Initiatives
CBS Radio San Francisco
#17) MIKE McMEARTY
WTOP/Washington, DC
Hubbard Radio
#18) DON PARKER
KMEL-FM/San Francisco
SVP/Programming, San Francisco Region
iHeartMedia
#19) CHUCK KNIGHT
WBEB-FM/Philadelphia
Jerry Lee Radio, LLC
#20) MIKE THOMAS
PD, WZLX & WBZ-FM/Boston
VP/Programming, CBS Radio Boston
VP/Sports Programming, CBS Radio
#21) PETE SPRIGGS
WSB/Atlanta
Cox Media Group
#22) BILL WESTON
WMGK & WMMR/Philadelphia
Greater Media
#23) JAY MICHAELS
KJKK-FM & KVIL-FM/Dallas
CBS Radio
#24) JOHNNY CHIANG
KGLK, KHPT, KKBQ & KTHT/Houston
Cox Media Group
#25) STEVE MOORE
KMOX/St. Louis
VP/News & Talk Programming
CBS Radio
#26) KEN WEST
WBOS & WROR/Boston
Greater Media
#27) JEFF CATLIN
KTCK-FM/Dallas
Cumulus Media
#28) MIKE BROPHEY
WKLB/Boston
Greater Media
#29) TIM ROBERTS
WDZH, WOMC & WYCD/Detroit
CBS Radio
#30) REGGIE ROUSE
PD, WVEE-FM/Atlanta
VP/Urban Programming,
CBS Radio
#31) LESLIE WHITTLE
KRBE/Houston
Cumulus Media
#32) RICK GILLETTE
WPLJ/New York
Cumulus Media
#33) MIKE KAPLAN
KYSR/Los Angeles
iHeartRadio
#34) ADAM DELEVITT
WMVP-AM (ESPN1000)/Chicago
ESPN O&O
#35) DOC WYNTER
KRRL/Los Angeles
iHeartMedia
#36) (TIE) KEVIN CALLAHAN
KBZT, KIFM, KSON & KSOQ/San Diego
Entercom
#36) (TIE) BILL HESS
WMAL-AM & FM/Washington, DC
VP/News Talk, Cumulus Media
#37) PETER BOLGER
WLS-AM/Chicago
Cumulus Media
#38) SCOTT MASTELLER
WBAL/Baltimore
Hearst
#39) ANDREA BECERRA PRADO
Regional Brand Manager
Entravision
#40) KEITH HASTINGS
KISS & KTKX/San Antonio
National Format Leader, Rock & Classic Rock
Cox Media Group
#41) MAURICE DeVOE
KMJK-FM/Kansas City
Cumulus Media
#42) BOOGIE D
WFUN & WHHL/St. Louis
Radio One
#43) (TIE) DREW ANDERSSEN
WDBO-AM & FM/Orlando
News/Talk Format Coordinator
Cox Media Group
#43) (TIE) CHARLIE COOK
WKDF-FM & WSM-FM/Nashville
Cumulus Media
#44) GERONIMO (MICHAEL ARPAIO)
KFCO-FM/Denver
Max Media
#45) BILL BLACK
WENZ, WERE, WJMO &
WZAK/Cleveland
Radio One
#46) KEITH DAKIN
WDRC-AM & FM, WEZN-FM, WFOX-FM & WPLR FM
Connecticut
#47) DENNIS GLASGOW
WCLY ,WCMC & WDNC/Raleigh
Capitol Broadcasting
#48) FLETCH BROWN
WXFL-FM/Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL
Big River Broadcasting
#49) TUCKER YOUNG
KNDE-FM (Candy 95)/College Station-Bryan, TX
Bryan Broadcasting
#50) ROB COLLINS
WCKQ-FM/Campbellsville, KY
Forcht Broadcasting
