Famed former radio executive Scott Ginsburg has passed away at his Dallas home at the age of 71. Ginsburg served as the CEO of Chancellor Media Corporation, which he built into the largest and highest-billing radio operator in the US, before its purchase by Clear Channel.
Ginsburg bought WCFL-AM in Chicago for $8 million in 1983, expanding his portfolio to include major stations across the US. He formed H&G Communications in 1987 after a merger with Heftel Broadcasting. This later led to the creation of Evergreen Media, which merged with Chancellor Broadcasting Company, forming Chancellor Media in 1997 with Tom Hicks of Hicks, Muse, Tate and Furst.
Chancellor Media grew to become the nation’s largest radio broadcasting company, owning 463 stations in 105 markets by 1999. When the company was acquired by Clear Channel that same year, the deal was valued at more than $17 billion.
Beyond broadcasting, Scott Ginsburg was passionate about luxury automobiles, leading him to establish a Porsche dealership in Plano, TX, after leaving the radio industry. He also served as Chairman/CEO of digital media distribution services provider DG Systems, which merged with FastChannel Network Inc. in 2005.
Ginsburg’s legacy is marked by his contributions to both the legal and broadcasting fields, and his generous support of Georgetown Law. His philanthropy benefitted The Dallas Symphony, Dallas International Film Festival, and many other organizations addressing homelessness and hunger, health, education, and environmental concerns.
Former Evergreen President/COO Jim de Castro told Radio Ink‘s sister publication RBR+TVBR that Ginsburg was, “A visionary. He was brilliant. And he was in charge of one of the companies that would become a part of iHeartMedia.”
Thank you Mr. Ginsburg for how you dominated the industry with DG Systems for 22years! May you rest easy after a long productive career.