Whether the book is a winner or a loser, whether budgets are made or missed, the buck ultimately stops at one desk: the General Manager. It’s also the seat with the most at stake in keeping a team together and giving each department the best chance to succeed.
The average sales organization turns over roughly 35% of its staff every year, meaning a ten-person sales team can expect to replace three or more people annually. Multiply that pressure across every other department in a cluster, and retention alone becomes a full-time leadership discipline, long before a GM even gets to revenue.
Audacy’s Michael Spacciapolli, Senior VP/Market Manager in Pittsburgh, put it simply: managing a diverse staff well “is the essence of building a great culture.” Cumulus Media’s James Robinson goes further, describing the job in Birmingham as being “the Chief Energy Officer of your market.”
That’s the job description the Radio Wayne Awards’ Market/GM categories exist to recognize.
The 34th Annual Radio Wayne Awards are open for nominations.
The Buck Stops Here
Radio Ink honors GM leadership at every market size with Market/General Manager of the Year, Nielsen Markets 1–20 and Market/General Manager of the Year, Nielsen Markets 21+.
What the Judges Are Looking For
Last year’s finalists made the job sound as hard as it is. WGN Radio’s Mary Sandberg Boyle put the daily reality plainly: managing people well means “clear messaging, patience, and kindness” even when “it is not possible to satisfy every perspective in every situation.” NRG Media’s Keely Byars called it “a constant juggling act” of staff needs, client expectations, and audience demands — and said the payoff is watching that work “make a difference” in the community. And Audacy’s David Yadgaroff summed up what keeps GMs coming back to that desk: “The most rewarding part of my job is seeing the growth and development of our employees.”
PLUS, the Full Category Lineup:
- Streetfighter (Account Executive) of the Year
- Digital-Only Sales Representative of the Year (NEW)
- Digital Sales Manager of the Year (NEW)
- Support Staff — Client Services Manager/Traffic Manager (NEW)
- DOS/Sales Manager, Nielsen Markets 1–20
- DOS/Sales Manager, Nielsen Markets 21+
- Market/General Manager, Nielsen Market Rank 1–20
- Market/General Manager, Nielsen Market Rank 21+
Time Is Running Out
Nominations close tomorrow, August 7 at 8p ET. Winners will be celebrated live at NAB Show New York on October 21 at the Javits Center, and all finalists will be honored in Radio Ink‘s October issue.
If your GM is the reason the buck stops in the right place, this is their moment. Nominate now.
