Interviews

(By Gary Krantz) Lee Harris is an air talent on one of the country’s biggest stations, but his experience across other segments of the radio business have inspired a company and products that may just reshape the industry’s future. We got a look at his thought process.

(By Rob Dumke) Winning the hearts and minds of fans, and ultimately the market, is the challenge Sports PDs face daily. We have put together a panel of experts who understand the nuances of the format, the subtleties of how to select and motivate talent, and how to create product and content that enhances the bottom line. Here's what they had to say...

(By Rob Dumke) Getting noticed in one of the top five banking markets in the country and the third-largest radio market in the U.S. is a daunting task. Matt Doubleday, CMO for Wintrust Financial Corp. of Chicago, does it every day... with radio.

Not too long ago, Charles Osgood retired from his role as host of CBS TV's Sunday Morning news program. However, he continues to be heard on the radio, the medium that got him into the broadcast business, as part of the Westwood One family. When he retired from his television show in September, Osgood said radio was his window on the world.

Does the radio industry take creative seriously enough to help clients succeed? Why do many advertising agencies lack the desire to spend time on radio creative, caring mostly about a television commercial that takes so much more time to produce and costs so much more than radio? Why do radio stations allow awful-sounding advertisers to record their own commercials? We turned to a very successful creative services company to try to find the answers.

Bruce Demps started his radio career in sales with WIVY Y103 in Jacksonville back in 1983, when it was one of four stations in the market owned by Infinity Broadcasting. He went on to work for Clear Channel and Radio One, among other companies. He told us about his long and winding road through the radio industry and beyond, and we wanted to share his story with you because we know so many of you can relate.

In 2017, not only is Radio Ink celebrating its 25th birthday, our Radio Wayne Awards also turn 25. The Radio Wayne Awards recognize outstanding performance in radio leadership, management, and sales. In 1994, Skip Finley won the Radio Wayne for Broadcaster of the Year and we recently caught up with Finley to discuss the award he won and what he's working on.

Bruce Mittman and Jim Leven are partners in Community Broadcasters. They met in 1986, when Mittman was visiting a station where Leven was working as the manager. Mittman eventually purchased that station in 1986 and the two have been friends ever since. Their radio careers wound around and back together again.

Kay Olin's long and extremely successful radio career started by accident. She had just graduated from Agnes Scott College as a political science major and was working as a receptionist down the hall from RKO TV/Radio Reps in Atlanta. One day she asked what they did because they looked like they were having so much fun. The response was: “Do you want to work here?” She said yes and was hired.

As the EVP for Strategy & Analytics at the Katz Radio Group, Stacey Lynn Schulman gets to work with almost the entire radio industry, so she surely plays a vital role as an advocate and industry builder. Her job is also to make sure the Katz Radio Group sellers have the most current, persuasive, analytical resources at their fingertips to promote the value and efficacy of radio.