Interviews

The radio industry's top leaders do not just fall into their positions of leadership. They work harder, they work smarter, and they find ways to put themselves into positions to advance their careers. We turned to four of radio's top leaders and asked them exactly how they do it. Why are they the ones leading people? What did they do to educate themselves? Here's what they had to say.

With hours left to nominate the 2025 Top 20 Leaders in Radio, Radio Ink finishes our series of catching up with some of last year’s honorees. Today, we talk to ABC Audio Vice President Liz Alesse about the role of news radio and the road to leadership.

(By Kelly Orchard) Congratulations, you’ve been named a market manager! Now what? You have a choice to make, right now. Do you want to be recognized and remembered by your team as the best manager they ever worked for — or the worst?

Last week, Alpha Media named Ernie Martinez National Director of Digital Content. Martinez has come a long way from his first gig in radio when he was 19 and a producer for Radio Disney. As the head of Alpha's Digital Division, Martinez is now responsible for the digital strategy for hundreds of Alpha's radio stations, and that includes finding ways to bring in digital revenue.

As BEA returns to Las Vegas for its 2025 Conference, Radio Ink spoke with Executive Director Heather Birks about the evolving student talent pipeline, new industry partnerships, and how the LABF collaboration strengthens ties between broadcasting’s history and its future.

In our continuing search around the industry for millennials who love working in radio, it came as no surprise when we found one on the digital side of the business. Erin Nutter, 27, is the director of digital strategy for Max Media of Hampton Roads in Virginia Beach. Here's our interview with Erin.

Global Motorsports General Manager Larry Thorne tells Radio Ink that he has found his “niche” with the Cromwell Radio Group's Nashville cluster of stations — especially with Sports Talk. Here's our interview with Larry...

The Free Beer & Hot Wings Show is hosted by Gregg “Free Beer” Daniels, Chris “Hot Wings” Michels, Joe, Steve, and Justin. It started out as an afternoon show at noncommercial KIWR in Omaha back in 1997, when Daniels and Michaels were roommates at Central Michigan University.  In 2017, The Free Beer & Hot Wings Show turns 20. Here’s our interview with the players who make up that syndicated team.

This is not a negative story about Nielsen. Nielsen is the ratings system, the currency radio uses and advertising agencies and local businesses rely on to make purchases and funnel millions and millions of dollars into the radio industry. Many would argue that since Nielsen purchased Arbitron, the bigger company is making more of an effort to improve its product for the industry. But those discussions are for another day.

With days left to nominate the 2025 Top 20 Leaders in Radio, Radio Ink checks in with some of last year’s honorees. Today we talk to Allen Power, Salem Media Group's President of Broadcast Media, for his wisdom on opportunities and challenges.