He’s held the dual roles of Senior VP/Market Manager and Director of Sales for Audacy Inc.‘s Cleveland radio stations since November 2017 and for nearly 23 years prior to that held those duties for previous owner CBS Radio.
Now, he’s ready to conclude his career in radio management.
With his honor on June 27 as a 2024 recipient of the Cleveland Association of Broadcasters Excellence in Leadership Award, Tom Herschel is officially announcing his retirement, shared in-house earlier this year.
In comments shared by an Audacy spokesperson, Herschel shared, “While it’s bittersweet to say goodbye to such an incredible group of individuals and the remarkable brands we have the privilege to represent here in Cleveland, this decision fills me with joy. By making this move, we’ll finally have the opportunity to be fully present in our family’s daily lives and participate in the precious moments as our grandsons, Charlie and Emerson, grow and flourish.”
On a personal note, Herschel added that the transition “opens the door for me to explore passions and interests that have been not-so-patiently waiting on the sidelines for way too long. I’m looking forward to the luxury of my first summer without a job since I was thirteen. Not to mention, I’m very ready to chase ‘the dream’ of achieving a single-digit golf handicap (hey, like I said, a guy can dream).”
Herschel’s career in media began in 1986 as an Account Executive and later as a Local Sales Manager for Nationwide Communications’ WGAR-AM & FM in Cleveland. After a stint at WDOK in Cleveland, Herschel moved to television in 1990, serving as an Account Executive and National Sales Manager at The E.W. Scripps Co.’s WEWS-5 in Cleveland. He later served as a Sales Manager for KGMB-5 in Honolulu under Emmis Communications ownership (2000-2002), before returning to Cleveland for the CBS Radio role.
“Tom’s contributions to the industry have not gone unnoticed, as he has been nominated for three national Radio Wayne Awards for sales management and as a Market Manager,” Audacy said in a statement released Monday.
