Interviews

Chris Kroeger (pictured) hosts PrimeTime with Chris Kroeger weekday afternoons on Entercom’s WFNZ in Charlotte. OrthoCarolina, a physician-owned private company, is one of the nation’s leading independent academic orthopedics practices, serving North Carolina and the Southeast. And it’s one of WFNZ’s best clients. (Our weekly Advertiser Success Stories are sponsored by Sun & Fun Media)

This is an extended version of an article that appeared in the January 8, 2018 issue of Radio Ink Magazine. (By Jon Quick for Radio Ink Magazine) I believe the best place to find future talent is the smaller and medium markets. Unfortunately, voicetracking has taken the place of so much real live talent, but they are still out there. If you look. And listen.

That's what former WGN Chicago (and now Entercom Chicago Market Manager) Jimmy deCastro called Todd Manley when Manley worked for deCastro as WGN's VP of Content & Programming. Now Manley sits in the GM seat, running one of the most recognizable set of call letters in the country. What's his plan now that he has the keys?

Joan Mestres is a senior marketing consultant for Hubbard Interactive in St. Louis. Mestres decided running PSAs for a local charity just wasn’t enough. She got creative, stayed persistent, and created several ideas for the Greater Missouri Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. Not only did her ideas raise funds for the organization, they produced revenue for the station.

Marc Rayfield has been in radio since 1990, more than half his life. His first job as a manager was as the Local Sales Manager for WIP in Philadelphia shortly after it launched as the second sports radio station in America (behind WFAN in New York). His last two positions with CBS Radio were running the New York and Philadelphia markets. A huge responsibility.

Serene and Pearl were born in New Zealand and raised in Australia. They now enjoy the country life in the United States, where they record and produce their podcast and new radio show from a cabin in the woods. Social media followers relate to the sisters because they lay out their day-to-day experi­ences for everyone to see.

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.

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.

As Gordon Smith heads into his eighth year as president and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters, many in our industry are glad that position carries no term limits for the former Senator. Smith is very popular among the NAB radio membership and his calmness, stability, and professionalism serve the radio industry very well (in addition to the great team he has working for him). Smith is among Radio's 40 Most Powerful People and has been ever since he took the NAB leadership job eight years ago. His official ranking on the list will be revealed next week when our Top 40 issue mails.

Ed Atsinger first appeared on Radio Ink's 40 Most Powerful People in Radio list back in 1997, one year after the list was launched. 2017 marks Atsinger's 20th year on our list -- his official ranking will be revealed when our issue comes out on July 24. Here is our extended interview with one of radio's longest-running and most powerful CEOs, Salem Media Group CEO Ed Atsinger.