(By Charese Frugé) Pam Hewitt is a Senior Account Executive for iHeartMedia Las Vegas. In her words, she “Introduces brands to the power of audio.” She’s been in Las Vegas for 20 years, 18 of which she has worked in broadcast radio.
Her radio career began in college. “I had my own show in college at WUVT (Virginia Tech) and was hooked on the community that music created. I grew up in VA, just outside of DC and I used to go see as many bands as I could. I graduated and got a job at AOL, doing music and venue reviews. I got paid to go see the Deftones at the 9:30 Club and it blew my mind.,” says Hewitt.
“I moved to Vegas with a friend to start an ‘upscale’ food truck before it was cool,” she explains. “We tried hard but had to shut it down. I went to a temp agency, and they said they had a job at a construction company or as a receptionist at Infinity Broadcasting. I took the radio gig and as they say, ‘The rest is history!’”
“I started at Infinity/CBS Radio in 2005 and was there until 2008 as a sales assistant. I chose to leave for an AE position that was offered to me at Clear Channel. During that time, Clear Channel became iHeart. I was there until 2014 and took some personal time off, jumping back into the game at CBS Radio, where I was until COVID hit in 2020. When things got back to ‘normal’ here in Vegas, I was fortunate enough to be able to rejoin the iHeart community and have been here ever since.”
“Vegas is certainly a unique market,” says Hewitt. “We are so driven by entertainment buys, and now professional sports, something that we thought would never come to Vegas. It’s a very cyclical market. But at the same time, Vegas is truly a small town. Locals are loyal and want to support local businesses.”
Having been in the Vegas market for so long, Hewitt’s success is built on the basics. “Relationships and transparency are the foundation of sales. It should not always be about your own bottom line or budget,” she says. “It should be about how you are actually helping your client grow. The rest will follow.”
“One of the most exciting things about working in radio sales is the live music scene in Vegas,” adds Hewitt. “I love live shows, so it’s always pretty cool to see my musical heroes walk by my desk in the sales pit on the way to play an intimate performance for our listeners. The sales team always sneaks in the back to watch.”
“The business does have its challenges though,” adds Hewitt. “The biggest: Budgets because our industry can be so fickle. COVID was a huge challenge. There were no shows or events going on and people’s schedules and listening habits were completely turned around. For the Vegas DMA, that affected so many people across the board.”
While many are skeptical about the use of AI in the radio business and how it will impact the industry, I find that a lot of sales reps use it to their advantage, including Hewitt. “Yes, I’ve used AI for script generation and have been happy with the results,” she says. “It is definitely a great platform to get a meeting, but I still believe our industry will be based on human connection.”
I too believe that human connection is necessary. I used AI to paraphrase this column for kicks and giggles, and it came out sounding nothing like me at all and used a style and big words that I would never use when writing a column on any topic, especially one like this which is based on the authenticity of amazing Women in the industry. But I digress…
Hewitt has great advice for Women who want to be successful in radio sales. “Learn everything you can about Podcasts and social media. Never censor ideas when you have them. Spend time with every department in the building and understand what you can both do to help one another.”
Being a successful broadcast rep in a city like Las Vegas requires no fear, perseverance, people skills, and principles. Very few are as successful as Hewitt has become over the last 20 years, and very few last as long. It’s a big commitment that requires a 24/7 attitude. Hewitt says she finds balance with her family, friends, live music, and dogs. Moving forward for the rest of the year she plans on pursuing content-driven campaigns, staying on top of new trends, and taking advantage of the amazing training platforms that iHeart has to offer.
Charese Fruge’ is an award-winning Content, Broadcast, and Marketing executive with over 20 years of experience in markets like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, San Diego, and Las Vegas. As the owner of MC Media, she works with radio brands and individual talents, especially young women, helping them grow their brands and negotiate on their own behalf. Find her at @MCMediaOnline. See more Women to Watch here.
