RadioInsight

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Cumulus Creates New Programming Support Team With Many New Hires

Posted: 26 Jan 2016 08:27 AM PST
https://radioinsight.com/blog/headli...any-new-hires/


Cumulus Media has created a new 14 person team of managers to focus on
research and strategy for specific formats. The group will report to Senior
VP of Content and Programming Mike McVay. Along with the new team, Cumulus
once again asserts that day-to-day programming decisions will revert to
local market managers and programmers. Joining Cumulus are Dr. Ed Cohen as
VP/Ratings Research, Doug Hamand as VP/Programming Operations, Cat Thomas
as VP/CHR and Hot AC and Ralph Cipolla as VP/Analytics. Cohen was VP of
Measurement Innovation for Nielsen and previously held Research management
positions for Arbitron and Clear Channel. Hamand comes from iHeartMedia
where he was SVP/Programming overseeing the companys Tampa cluster. Cat
Thomas recently exited CBS Radio as VP/Programming for the companys Las
Vegas cluster and PD of Rhythmic CHR 98.5 KLUC. Ralph Cipolla has run his
own analytics consultancy since 2013 after leaving Jacobs Media. Also Ken
Johnson is promoted to VP/Urban. He was most recently Operations Manager of
the companys Birmingham stations and PD for Westwood Ones Touch Urban AC
format. The remainder of the support team will consist of new titles for.
Val Garris as VP/Analytics Greg Frey as VP/Programming Operations. Aaron
Roberts as VP/Programming Communications/Partnerships. Emily Boldon as
VP/AC. Troy Hanson as VP/Rock. Brian Thomas as VP/Classic Hits. Charlie
Cook as VP/Country. Bill Hess as VP/News and Talk Scott Jameson as
VP/Classic Rock. Bruce Gilbert as SVP/Sports for Cumulus and Westwood One.
John Kilgo as VP/Label Relations. Cumulus Media, Inc. announced today
certain strategic additions to the corporate programming team in support of
local market operations. The moves add resources in the key areas of
research, strategy and format-specific expertise that leverage Cumulus’
national scale while giving day to day control to local market managers and
programmers, with enhanced on-demand corporate capabilities that support
their local efforts. Mary Berner, Chief Executive Officer of Cumulus Media
said: “Who knows their markets better than the people who live and work
there? We believe that the injection of more local insight and more
effective corporate support into our programming decisions will drive
improved ratings outcomes for our stations. Consistent with this view,
Cumulus program directors will now report to market managers and will have
control over the day-to-day programming of their stations which has not
been the case in the past. Our corporate programming team, with its
specialized resources and expertise, will be led by Mike McVay and will
support the markets in the execution of this content strategy and in the
creation of programming that surprises and delights—and delivers ratings.�
Mike McVay, Senior Vice President, Content and Programming for Cumulus
Media said: “Our goal is to create a high caliber group of corporate
programming talents and resources that can be deployed efficiently and
expeditiously to the benefit of local markets. We firmly believe that by
rooting programming decisions in the markets, we are taking best advantage
of local knowledge and insights while giving local decision-makers access
to resources they might not otherwise have.� Joining the new Cumulus
corporate programming support team are senior programming professionals Dr.
Ed Cohen, Vice President, Ratings and Research; Doug Hamand, Vice
President, Programming Operations; Cat Thomas, Vice President, CHR and Hot
AC; Ralph Cipolla, Vice President, Analytics; and Ken Johnson, Vice
President, Urban. Dr. Ed Cohen joins Cumulus from Nielsen Audio, where he
led Nielsen’s connected car streaming audio research initiative as Vice
President, Measurement Innovation. Cohen was previously Vice President,
Measurement Innovation for Arbitron, following five years as Vice
President, Research Policy and Communication and eight years as Vice
President, Domestic Radio Research for Arbitron. Prior to that, Cohen was
Vice President, Research for iHeartMedia/Clear Channel, and held research
positions for the National Association of Broadcasters and
Birch/Scarborough Research. He holds a Ph.D. in Mass Media from Michigan
State University and an MBA from the University of South Carolina. Doug
Hamand joins Cumulus from iHeart Media, where he was Senior Vice President,
Programming and served iHeart Media/Clear Channel in various senior
programming posts, including Regional Vice President, Programming,
Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL, for over 21 years. Cat Thomas joins Cumulus
following a 27-year career with CBS Radio, where he was Vice President,
Programming for CBS Las Vegas’ six station group. Thomas served as Program
Director of 98.5 KLUC Las Vegas for 20 years, following seven years on-air
and as Music Director at KLUC. Ralph Cipolla joins Cumulus from Cipolla
Analytics, LLC, a performance analytics consultancy founded by Cipolla in
2013, following a decade as a multi-platform Strategy, Branding, Research
and Talent Consultant at Jacobs Media and jacapps Mobile, where he worked
with stations of all formats and market sizes across the U.S. and Canada.
Prior to that, Cipolla was Operations Manager and Program Director for 15
years, serving stations in Detroit, Jacksonville, FL, and Buffalo, NY. Ken
Johnson joins the Cumulus corporate programming support team from Cumulus
station WUHT in Birmingham, AL, where he serves as Operations Manager. He
was also Program Director for the Touch Urban AC format for Westwood One.
Johnson’s 20-year programming career includes 13 years as a programmer and
consultant to Cumulus Media, and programming posts in Boston, Washington,
D.C., New York, Philadelphia, Dallas, Atlanta and Wilmington, NC. He has
hosted morning shows in Washington, D.C. and Boston. Concurrently, Cumulus
announces the promotion of nine current members of its programming support
team. Val Garris, former Vice President, Programming, is promoted to Vice
President, Analytics. Greg Frey, former Corporate Program Director, is
promoted to Vice President, Programming Operations. Aaron Roberts, former
Vice President, Programming Partnerships, is promoted to Vice President,
Programming Communications/Partnerships. Emily Boldon, former Vice
President, Stratus Music Programming and Corporate Program Director, is
promoted to Vice President, AC. Troy Hanson, former Corporate Program
Director, Rock Formats, is promoted to Vice President, Rock. Brian Thomas,
former Corporate Program Director, Country and Classic Hits, is promoted to
Vice President, Classic Hits. Charlie Cook, former Operations Manager,
Cumulus Nashville, is promoted to Vice President, Country. Bill Hess,
former Corporate Program Director, NewsTalk, is promoted to Vice President,
NewsTalk. Scott Jameson, former Corporate Program Director, Classic Rock,
is promoted to Vice President, Classic Rock. Bruce Gilbert remains Senior
Vice President, Sports for both Cumulus Media and Westwood One. John Kilgo
continues as Vice President, Label Relations.

The post Cumulus Creates New Programming Support Team With Many New Hires
appeared first on RadioInsight.


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Sid Rosenberg & Bernard McGuirk Fill WABC Vacancy

Posted: 26 Jan 2016 06:23 AM PST
https://radioinsight.com/blog/headli...-wabc-vacancy/


Cumulus Talk 770 WABC New York has filled the 10am-12pm vacancy created by
the exit of Geraldo Rivera last year. The slot will be filled by Sid
Rosenberg and Bernard McGuirk, two people with close connections to WABC
morning host Don Imus. McGuirk is currently Executive Producer of Imus In
The Morning and has been with the show for many years on both WABC and
previously at CBS Sports 660 WFAN. He will be joined by Sid Rosenberg.
Rosenberg most recently was hosting mornings at Sports 640 WMEN West Palm
Beach but was let go in budget cuts in December. He rose to notoriety as
morning sportscaster and midday host at WFAN, but personal issues would
lead to his exit in 2005. He later spent time at 560 WQAM and 790 WAXY in
Miami. The duo have been filling-in on the late morning slot since the
departure of Rivera last November.

The post Sid Rosenberg Bernard McGuirk Fill WABC Vacancy appeared first on
RadioInsight.


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WKHX Atlanta Adds New Middayer For Second Time This Month

Posted: 26 Jan 2016 06:02 AM PST
https://radioinsight.com/blog/headli...me-this-month/


For the second time in a matter of weeks, Cumulus Country Kicks 101.5 WKHX
Atlanta has hired a new midday host. Ali Mac joins the station starting
today as host of the 10am-3pm timeslot. Most recently co-hosting mornings
at Hot AC 93.7 WGYL Vero Beach FL, This is a return to Atlanta for her. She
spent a few years at Hot AC Star 94 WSTR as morning traffic reporter and
then night host working for now WKHX PD Scott Lindy. CJ Lusk, who joined
WKHX earlier this month from mornings at Flinn Broadcasting CHR Q107.5
WHBQ-FM Memphis, gains a quick promotion to afternoons. He will fill the
3-7pm slot starting today that had belonged to Chris Carter. Cumulus Media
announces that Country radio station Kicks 101.5 FM/WKHX-FM in Atlanta
debuts a fresh new weekday lineup today. Kicks 101.5 FM welcomes on-air
personality Ali Mac as host from 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. weekdays. Kicks 101.5
FM personality, CJ moves from Middays to host the 3:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. show.
Ali Mac joins Kicks 101.5 FM from 93.7 WGYL Vero Beach/Treasure Coast, FL,
where she was Co-Host of “Geoff and Ali in the Morning�. Prior to that, Ali
hosted the 7:00 p.m. to 12:00 Midnight show on Star 94 in Atlanta, having
previously served that station as news and traffic anchor and fill-in
personality. She was also morning show co-host on 97.5 WABB in Mobile, AL,
and was on-air at Z97/WMGZ in Milledgeville, GA. Sean Shannon, Vice
President/Market Manager for Cumulus Media Atlanta said: “We are so excited
to add Ali Mac to the Kicks team.Â*Her energy is contagious and her ability
to connect with listeners on every platform just elevates our ability to
create engagement for the brand.� Scott Lindy, Corporate Program Director
for Cumulus Media said: “I’ve worked alongside Ali and watched her grow
into an entertaining personality with razor sharp social media and digital
skills. I’m excited for our listeners to hear and see what Ali will bring
into their lives. I’m especially happy to reunite with a talent like Ali
whose love for radio runs as deep as the rest of the Kicks 101.5 on-air
force.� Ali Mac said: “I’m thrilled to be back in Atlanta with Kicks 101.5
and to reunite with Scott Lindy and his team. I’d like to thank Cumulus
Atlanta Vice President/Market Manager Sean Shannon and Cumulus SVP
Content/Programming Mike McVay for their confidence in me.�

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