Best Manager Profiles

Donna Hall's 29-year career with Cox began as an AE for the Dayton Daily News. Today, she's the VP/Market Manager for Cox Media Group’s Atlanta cluster, which includes the award-winning radio powerhouse WSB as well as four other stations. Hall has been selected as one of Radio Ink's Best Managers of 2016. Here's our extended interview...

On Thursday, September 22 at The Radio Show in Nashville, Radio Ink magazine will be introducing the industry to radio’s most successful Sales Managers, General Managers, Digital Sellers, and Account Executives. Thanks to the Radio Advertising Bureau, we are able to recognize these industry greats every year with awards named in honor of Wayne Cornils, who worked for the RAB for many years and was one of radio’s greatest ambassadors. Keith Lawless is also a great ambassador for radio and here are the reasons why...

CBS Radio DFW is having one of its best years ever, with both ratings and revenue up nicely. At the helm is Market Manager Brian Purdy. According to people who work for him, Brian is more than a numbers manager, he truly cares about his employees. One of the ways he keeps his team motivated is by holding breakfasts or happy hours where the staff celebrates its "Rockstar of the Month."

Michael Dudding is the owner and General Manager of Mikadety Radio Corporation on Denison, Iowa, which he purchased in 1993. It's home to KDSN-AM and FM. Dudding is also on Radio Ink's 2016 Best Managers in Radio list, set to be released on October 24th. Those that nominated Dudding for our list said, "he is the licensee of the most successful small-market broadcast operation in the nation." That is high praise for sure. We set out to find out why he's believed to be one of radio's best and here's what we found out.

Phil Zachary started his radio career on the air at WAAF in Boston. His 40-year journey in radio included positions as Program Director, Sales Manager, National Sales Manager, and GM/Market Manager. He took over the Entercom New England cluster in October 2013. And, according to one employee we spoke to, Zachary has led the group to become one of the most desired clusters to work for in New England. Ratings are up across the brands, and revenue continues to climb. Phil Zachary will appear on Radio Ink's Best Manager's in Radio list set to be released on October 24. Let's find out how and why he's been so successful.

Dan Seeman is the Vice President and Market Manager for Hubbard Radio in Minneapolis-Saint Paul. He oversees KS95, myTalk 107.1, 1500 ESPN, and the 24-station Hubbard Radio Network. Seeman has led radio stations to four NAB Crystal Awards, multiple Marconi awards, a Service To America Award, and six AWRT Gracie Awards for community service. Here's why...

Stephanie Callihan is the Vice President and General Manager for Entercom in Austin. She started her radio career as an assistant to an account executive and worked her way up to NSM, GSM, DOS and then finally market manager. Her colleagues says she is a true radio professional.

In 2014 Sonia Katz Ungerman was the Radio Ink Radio Wayne Sales Manager of the Year. This year she's a finalist again. She's that good. Her boss, Hubbard Radio Regional Manager Dan Seeman says his sales manager leads with "unbridled positive passion and enthusiasm. She is a tireless leader and has some of the strongest relationships with advertisers in the market and is a mentor to many young women in the radio business and the advertising business." Today, this 2016 Radio Wayne finalist shares her secrets to becoming the best in the business.

And that's exactly what Jeff Wilson does. Jeff has been in radio for over 36 years. He's worked on the air, as a controller, a sales manager, a GM, and now Senior RVP. He is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations for Radio One's DC cluster, with additional oversight of Baltimore, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati. Wilson has been voted one of Radio Ink's Best Managers of 2016. Here is our extended interview with Jeff on his management style and what it takes to be a successful leader in the radio industry today

Eric Mastel has taken what we are told was a struggling cluster for Cumulus and turned it into one of the company's top performers. You cannot do that without getting people to follow you into battle.