The 40-year programming vet unexpectedly passed away in his sleep on July 7th, according to Smith’s family. Audacy COO Susan Larkin, who worked with Smith at Cox Media Group, posted on social media, “I am shocked and saddened at the sudden passing of our friend and colleague Steve Smith. I loved working with Steve and he was a true friend. Steve’s “bootcamps” with talent, ability to convey a vision for what should come out of the “speakers” and a real understanding of our audiences was unmatched. He was a unique personality that will be incredibly missed.”
In April of this year, Smith, Tim Richards and Heidi McIvor-Allen launched a new consulting form called the Smith Richards Collective. Smith spent 11 years as the Vice President of programming at Cox Media Group before launching the new consultancy with Richards and McIvor-Allen.
Prior to Cox, Steve was SVP of Programming for Clear Channel/iHeart Media, SVP of Programming at AM/FM, and VP/Programming at Emmis Broadcasting. He is also a two-time Billboard Consultant of the Year.
