People in the News

Congratulations to Neuhoff Media CEO Beth Neuhoff for taking home the 2016 Vincent T. Wasilewski Broadcaster of the Year award from the Illinois Broadcasters Association last night. Neuhoff was on hand to accept the award as members of her team cheered her on. The event, which included a "Training Camp" for radio and digital media sellers was held in Champaign.

United Stations Radio Networks and the Tom Kent Radio Network have signed a new multi-year sales and programming agreement. Without getting specific, the two sides sent out a joint release that said, "Through the end of this decade, and well beyond, USRN will be the exclusive sales representative for TKRN." USRN has represented Kent for the past five years.

Jim Clerkin is the new PD and PM driver for Summitt's new Birmingham radio station WPYA, 97.3 Play. Clerkin spent 16 years in Boston at the legendary Kiss 108.

Beasley Media Group has hired Lance Hale as PD for WRXK/96K-ROCK in Fort Myers. He replaces Jeff Zito who moved to Tampa to program Beasley’s WBRN/98.7 NO RULES ROCK. Hale did a stint as Music Director/Assistant PD for Beasley's WJBX in Ft. Myers, so he's returning to the company.

Entravision has appointed Angela Navarrete (pictured) to Senior VP of Integrated Marketing Solutions in McAllen, Texas, and Rene Morales to SP of Integrated Marketing Solutions in Las Vegas. Both will be responsible for selling Entravision’s media and marketing solutions across the company’s television, radio, and digital properties, in their respective markets.

It’s John Riley, co-host of The Morning Drive with John & Nancy on 93.3 The Drive (WPBG), Peoria, and the award is the Bill Houlihan Professional Award from Children’s Hospital of Illinois.

Jesse Bewley has been named Digital Director for Hubbard Radio Minneapolis St.-Paul. Bewley will oversee the digital strategy for Hubbard’s three radio stations in the Twin Cities: KS95-FM, myTalk 107.1 and 1500 ESPN. He replaces Jeremy Sinon who was recently promoted to corporate position.

WGN has extended the contract of afternoon host Roe Conn into the year 2020. Conn began hosting weekday afternoons at WGN Radio in January 2015.

Both sides put a nice happy spin on the situation but the Hubbard hire of Dan McNeil at WDRV in Chicago was short-lived and contentious along the way.

He's the Senior VP and GM of Greater Media Interactive, a role he's occupied since 2007, and he says he'll be retiring at the end of this month. Before going digital, Tom Bender was Regional GM for Greater Media’s Detroit cluster since 1986, where he was responsible for creating one of the first Classic Rock stations in America, WCSX-FM, and a whole lot more.