Audacy has appointed Washington DC cluster Director of Operations Chris Kinard as its new Sports Format Vice President. Kinard succeeds Spike Eskin, who recently left the position to return to Philadelphia to co-host the afternoon show on SportsRadio 94WIP.
Having joined 106.7 The Fan (WJFK) in 1998 as an intern, Kinard worked his way up to producer until 2007, later becoming Brand Manager of the station and DC Operations Manager in 2019. In 2020, he expanded his responsibilities to include Brand Manager for Classic Hits 94.7 The Drive (WIAD), The Team 980 (WTEM-AM), and Connecting Vets.
Kinard will continue these duties while overseeing the brand and format strategy for Audacy’s sports stations.
Audacy Executive Vice President and Head of Programming Jeff Sottolano said, “Chris has distinguished himself through his leadership of WFJK-FM and WTEM-AM in DC over many years. I am excited to see Chris take on this new role and partner with our local and central leadership on further strengthening our unrivaled position in sports.”
Kinard shared, “I’m thrilled for the opportunity to lead our best-in-class local sports radio stations. Audacy is home to the most-listened-to brands and the most impactful local voices in sports, and we have an exciting future ahead. I’m thankful to Jeff Sottolano, Dave Richards, and Danny Freisinger for this opportunity.”
