Future of Radio Online

Hilton Head Island, SC at the Colleton River Club
March 14th-16th

George R. Reed, Managing Director, Media Services Group

Reed has been actively involved in the broadcasting industry since 1972. He worked as a successful broadcaster for 15 years (and benefited from Jim Hooker sales training) including a 10 year stint in Atlanta at V-103, taking the station from less than $1 million in net sales to over $12 million. He became a broker in 1987 with Chapman Associates and co-founded Media Services Group in 1989.

Reed purchased WJTT-FM in Chattanooga in 1986 with Jim Brewer. He operated WHJX-FM in Jacksonville in the early 1990’s as a court appointed receiver, turning around the business and selling it at a much higher-than-anticipated price. He recently served as a court appointed receiver for six stations in Boone, NC, which he operated successfully and sold. Reed also developed and runs (along with Eddie Esserman) a cell tower business.

Paul Stone and Mr. Reed purchased six Clear Channel stations in Charlottesville, VA in 2007 and have implemented a successful turnaround. Two new formats were successfully launched, and the cluster now leads the market in the Arbitron ratings.

Reed is a past President of the National Association of Media Brokers, and serves on the Boards of the Georgia and North Carolina broadcasting associations, and the John Bayliss Broadcast Foundation.

M.B.A., Georgia State University; B.B.A., Mercer University

Edward (Eddie) Esserman, Director, Media Services Group

Esserman manages the firm’s St. Simons Island, Georgia office. He began his broadcast career in high school as an announcer with a keen interest in engineering. He holds a General Radio Telephone license, having earned a First-Class Radio Telephone license as a teen.

After earning a B.S. in management from Georgia Tech, he returned to broadcasting in the programming department for the Pacific and Southern group of stations. He then and migrated to the sales side and managed sales departments for two Atlanta stations prior to becoming the Vice President and General Manager for Shamrock Broadcasting’s Atlanta outlet, WFOX.

In the mid 1990’s Esserman managed one of the country’s first large-market duopolies in San Francisco for Shamrock. Esserman pursued ownership after leaving Shamrock in 1995, and owned and operated in Macon and Savannah. He presently owns stations in small, rated and unrated markets and is an owner of a telecomm tower company with towers in the Southeast.

Eddie is a frequent faculty member of the NAB’s Education Foundation Broadcast Leadership Training Program. He has testified as an expert witness in bankruptcy matters and has been a court appointed broker.

Esserman is a commercial pilot and flight instructor and an active amateur radio operator.

Charles Andrew Whatley, VP of Sales & Marketing, Mediaspan Online

Charles Andrew Whatley serves as Vice President of Sales & Marketing for MediaSpan Online, a provider of a comprehensive suite of web design, online content management, audience loyalty, database marketing, and revenue-generating solutions tailored to meet the changing needs of traditional media companies and advertisers.

Whatley’s background combines both traditional and emerging media platform experience in both entrepreneurial, start-up and corporate environments. Specific experience includes management and ownership of radio stations in large and medium markets, online sales and marketing, creative services in online, radio and television platforms and successful advertising sales and management.

Recently, Whatley served as President of American Media Services Interactive where he led sales, marketing and product development initiatives for the company. He also served as Vice President of Strategic Relationships for Kiptronic, a media technology company based in San Francisco where he was responsible for establishing advertising sales strategies as well as launching media publisher relationships. Whatley also served as consultant to Jones MediaAmerica (now Dial-Global) in New York where he helped establish an emerging media sales initiative and trained radio sales reps to better understand digital media initiatives. He also co-founded a broadcasting company with ownership of several radio stations in medium and large markets and a digital media production and creative services company based in San Francisco. With more than 30 years of media experience, Whatley is a seasoned executive and entrepreneur with a proven track record of successfully driving sales and delivering results.

Prior positions included management roles at Douglas Broadcasting with radio stations in Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and San Francisco.

Whatley received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas majoring in Mass Communications/Radio and Television. He resides in Santa Barbara, CA with his spouse Virginia who is an IT executive.

Jim Meltzer, Owner, Meltzer Media Management

Jim Meltzer is the Owner of Meltzer Media Management, a broadcast management, sales, internet and organizational firm founded in June 2008. Mr. Meltzer was previously VP/General Manager at CBS Radio in Pittsburgh. Prior to that, he was a Regional VP at Clear Channel Radio in Cleveland. Other companies include Secret Communications, Rich Products, Saga Communications, Price Communications, and Mid America Media.

Jim specializes in turnarounds, digital convergence, integrating acquisitions and managing industry change. In addition to retainer and hourly consulting, Mr. Meltzer is a Partner in American Eagle Media, LLC. American Eagle was founded to acquire media companies and create new platform opportunities in the media sector. The Company’s strategy is to provide compelling and relevant content over multiple platforms, create innovative sales and marketing solutions and deliver an unbreakable connection with our users and communities by embracing both traditional and digital technologies.

John Gehron, Owner, Broadcast Wisdom

John Gehron began his broadcast career in Philadelphia as Program Director of CBS’s WCAU-FM (now WOGL) in 1970, which was the first major market radio station to try the oldies format. That success led to being transferred to WCBS-FM in New York to start their oldies format in 1972.

Gehron’s Chicago background stretches back to 1974 where he was Program Director and later General Manager at WLS-AM. In 1987, he returned to CBS to be General Manager of WODS in Boston, which he converted to the successful oldies format. In 1989, he joined Pyramid Broadcasting as Vice President and General Manager of WNUA-FM. There he created a national standard for the “smooth jazz” format and became a major factor in the nation’s third largest radio market. Following Chicago, Gehron moved on to senior officer and COO positions at American Radio and Infinity Broadcasting. including Senior Vice President of Programming for all of Infinity/CBS.

In 2001 John was Regional Vice President and Market Manager for Clear Channel Chicago’s seven stations (WGCI-AM, WGCI-FM, WKSC-FM, WLIT-FM, WNUA-FM, WVAZ-FM and WRLL-AM) as well as handling the surrounding region including Madison, Milwaukee and Eau Claire, Wisconsin. In 2006 he became General Manager of the newly formed Harpo Radio to build an XM satellite channel named Oprah and Friends.

In 2009 he formed Broadcast Wisdom to consult media companies.

Jim Brewer II, President/General Manager

Jim started his radio career in high school in programming then advanced to sales and at 28 took over as manager of WJTT. In 2003 WJTT was a top five station in the country in ratings to revenue conversion for Urban Radio in the United States with a radio of 137% at a time when the industry average was 73%. Jim has served on the board of the Tennessee Association of Broadcasters and was a speaker at the National Association of Broadcasters conference on Multi-Platform operations for BIA.

Sandra Brewer, Vice President, Traffic Network

Sandra has been manager of the Chattanooga Traffic Network since November 2006 and oversees the company’s interactive products. The Traffic Network provides 1,780 reports each week over 18 radio and 3 television stations in the Chattanooga MSA and www.ChattanoogaHasCars.com averages over 12,000 car shoppers each month. Sandra has a history of effective management of non-profit organizations in Tennessee and Florida. She also serves on the board of directors of the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce.

Gary Royznek

Gary Royznek is a broadcaster with 29 years’ experience in major, medium and small markets. His career includes management and leadership roles with Emmis Communications (10 years), American Radio Systems (5 years) and Connoisseur Communications (5 years).

He developed an expertise in acquisition analysis, integration formulations and execution, and all aspects of operations. He has been involved in over 50 radio transactions since 1996.

As a Partner and VP of Operations for Connoisseur Communications in 1996, he was responsible for bottom line and all activities in a company that owned and operated 38 stations in 10 markets. His efforts culminated in a sale to Cumulus Media for an 18x multiple of ’99 BCF, or $252,000,000.

Allen Shaw

Allen Shaw attended Northwestern, majoring in Radio/TV/Film, and graduated with a BS degree in Communications in 1965. He worked as a DJ, program producer and program director of WNUR. After graduation he was an on-air personality at WPTR radio in Albany, NY. In 1966 he entered radio program management as Assistant Program Director at WCFL radio in Chicago.

In 1968 Shaw envisioned a bright future for FM radio and convinced ABC Radio in New York to hire him to pioneer a new “album rock” music format on the seven FM stations that ABC owned in New York (WABC-FM_, Pittsburgh (KQV-FM), Detroit (WXYZ-FM), Chicago (WLS-FM), Houston (KXYZ-FM), San Francisco (KGO-FM) and Los Angeles (KABC-FM). In 1970, ABC separated the owned FM stations from the AM stations and Shaw was named Vice President of the ABC Owned FM Stations. He created a tight AOR music format for all the stations. Thanks to a great team, the group became the most listened-to and most profitable FM group in the US. Shaw was named President of the ABC Owned FM Radio Stations in 1976.

In 1981 he moved to Winston-Salem, NC , taking a position as Executive Vice President of the Radio Division of Summit Communications, owner of WSJS and WTQR in Winston-Salem and AM/FM combos in Memphis, Pensacola, and Oklahoma City. In 1985, he became Executive VP and Chief Operating Officer of the Beasley Broadcast Group’s 15 radio station chain.

In 1992 Shaw was able to start his own radio company with venture capital and purchased 8 FM stations in San Francisco, Albuquerque and Las Vegas. The company was sold in 1996 and he formed Centennial Broadcasting, which acquired 7 radio stations in New Orleans, Las Vegas and Vero Beach FL. That company was sold to the Beasley Broadcast Group in early 2001, and he joined Beasley as Vice Chairman and COO. In 2005, Shaw formed Centennial Broadcasting II and purchased 10 stations in Roanoke/Lynchburg, Fredericksburg, and Winchester Virginia, which he operates today.

Dick Taylor

Dick Taylor was named one of the forty-one best managers in radio in 2009 by Radio Ink. He has been a board member and officer of the New Jersey Broadcasters Association for over a decade, and is currently an assistant professor at Western Kentucky University’s School of Journalism and Broadcasting. Prior to teaching at WKU, Dick was Market Manager for Clear Channel, Nassau, Connoisseur, Delmarva, South Jersey Radio, and H&D Broadcast Group. As a recognized expert in radio and media regulation, he has been a successful lobbyist on the state and national level, and is regarded as an educator in media and communications.

Tom Birch, Lakes Media, LLC

Tom Birch is Owner/President of Lakes Media LLC, a group of broadcast properties (5 FM, 2 AM, 1 TV) in Danville, South Boston, Clarksville and South Hill, VA and Oxford-Henderson, NC.

Tom’s 38 years in the radio and media research industry have included the positions of Partner/CFO of Simmons Market Research Bureau and Chairman/CEO of Opus Media Group (6 FM, 2 AM), operator of facilities in Jackson MS, Savannah GA, Monroe LA and Fort Walton Beach FL.

Tom is best known as the Founder/Chairman/CEO of Birch/Scarborough Research Corp., a company that grew internally and through acquisitions to become the nation’s largest provider of syndicated newspaper audience ratings and second-largest provider of syndicated radio ratings during the 1980s.

Tom is a 1974 graduate of Cornell University, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial and Labor Relations.

Steven Ludwig, Verge Network

Steven is a long-time Radio broadcaster, entrepreneur, and business consultant across a host of media, entertainment, and health care related enterprises. He is a perennial advocate for the evolution of the Radio Industry, and a strong voice for the integration of Radio and the Internet as the most powerful bridge between old and new media paradigms.

In true renaissance fashion he seeks to always be learning, and take unique insights from across many industries to share best practices for the benefit of all. And through participation in groups like The Future of Radio, imagine the advancement of industries in order to apply that thinking to today’s business strategies for the creation of tomorrow’s advantages today.

J Chapman, Maverick Media

For the last 20 years Chapman has led various operations at Emmis Communications and Maverick Media. As the Market Manager for Maverick in Rockford, Chapman is leading the effort to grow digital revenues by offering customers traditional and new media solutions.

Specializing in turnarounds, each organization’s financial performance has improved by assembling great talent and changing the organizational culture. Expertise in: building out customer focused organizations, developing management teams that achieve outstanding results through accountability, and creating organizations that are mission driven.

Chapman lives with his family in Rockford, Illinois and is an active leader in the community serving on various boards.

David Oxenford, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

David Oxenford is a partner in the national law firm of Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, working out of its Washington DC office. He represents broadcasting and digital media companies on regulatory, transactional and intellectual property issues. He has represented broadcasters before the Federal Communications Commission, the courts and other government agencies for over 30 years, regularly counseling clients on all aspects of broadcast law including the rules dealing with political broadcasting, multiple ownership, noncommercial broadcasting, technical operations and various aspects of content regulation. He also regularly negotiates purchase and sale agreements and other types of broadcast transactions. In addition to his representation of broadcasters, he works with many others involved in the industry, including state and national broadcast associations, brokers, bankers, private equity funds, programming consultants, and technology companies.

David also represents digital media companies, including Internet radio companies and other companies which license and perform music digitally. He represents these companies before the Copyright Office, the Copyright Royalty Board, and other government agencies, and he advises them on music royalty issues as well as other general business and regulatory matters. He was lead counsel in negotiating the Small Webcasters Settlement Act of 2002, and the Pureplay Webcasters Agreement of 2009.

David is the editor of DWT’s BroadcastLawBlog.com, which regularly addresses legal and business issues of importance to the broadcast and music industries. His updates and advisories on broadcast, music licensing and digital media topics are regularly published by various associations and trade publications. He is a regular speaker at state and national broadcasting, webcasting, digital media and music conferences and conventions.

Jake Russell

Beginning his radio career as an Account Executive at WNHC-FM in New Haven, Ct., Jake quickly climbed the Sales, Sales Manager, GSM, and Station Manager ladder for General Communicorp. In 1981, he bought WMDK/WRPT in New Hampshire. Selling his interests in 1984, Jake joined Transtar Radio Network in Colorado Springs. He got back into radio management in 1986 and worked for stations in Albany and Westchester, NY winding up as COO for Pamal Broadcasting. Jake Joined The Dr. Laura Program as COO from 2004 to 2010. He currently resides in Highland Beach, Florida.

Tom Davis, Davis Media, LLC

Tom Davis is the President of Davis Media, LLC in Williamsburg, Virginia. Mr. Davis has owned and managed radio stations in various markets since 1990, and has a long record of profitable radio properties relying exclusively on local and hyperlocal content and revenue.

Davis Media owns two FM stations in the Williamsburg Market, and launched the digital newspaper Williamsburg Yorktown Daily in June of 2008, combining the best assets of both radio and the newspaper industry under one platform. Their proprietary model for a radio/digital platform is called the Hometown Driver. Davis’ digital strategies deliver between 21% – 24% of the company’s total revenue; with an overall revenue growth of 34% in 2010. The company is forecasting between 18% and 24% growth in 2011.

Prior to acquiring WTYD and WBQK in Williamsburg, Virginia, Mr. Davis owned WRNX and WPNI in Amherst, Massachusetts, part of the Springfield metro, where he developed save30radio.com, an e‐commerce site driven by the radio stations, delivering 20% of the company’s radio revenue.

Davis’ proprietary Inner Circle sales system is the key to both short and long term local revenue growth for radio stations and their digital components. Davis Media is currently developing their plans to expand the model in additional small and medium markets.

Rick Ducey, BIA/Kelsey

Rick is the Chief Strategy Officer for BIA/Kelsey. Rick is expert in digital media innovations, competitive strategies, new product development and new business models, including digital ecosystem collaboration strategies.

Rick is the program director for BIA/Kelsey’s advisory service Digital Strategies for Broadcasting. This program provides coverage and analysis of how new technologies, competition, shifting consumer demographics and media usage trends are driving changes in the media ecosystem and what broadcasters must do to be successful in the new environment. Rick assists clients with their business planning and revenue models, strategic research, market assessment, designing and implementing digital strategies. He co-founded SpectraRep, one of BIA’s companies, which sells a patent-pending IP-based alerting system which he co-invented. Prior to joining BIA in 2000, Rick was senior vice president of NAB’s Research and Information Group. In this position, he was in charge of the association’s new technology assessment, audience and policy research, strategic planning, information systems, including all Internet operations and he also developed publications and seminars.

Before joining NAB in 1983, Rick was a faculty member in the Department of Telecommunication at Michigan State University where he taught and did research in the areas of emerging telecommunication technologies and strategic market research. He also served on the graduate management faculties of George Mason University and George Washington University in telecommunications management and the University of Maryland, where he taught strategic market management and research methodologies. Rick was selected as the Spring 2011 Shapiro Fellow at George Washington University where he teaches entrepreneurship in new media. He published a number of research articles and papers in these areas and serves on editorial boards of leading scholarly journals in the communications field. He worked at radio stations WSOQ-AM/WEZG-FM and Upstate Cablevision in North Syracuse, NY.

Rick received his Ph.D. from Michigan State University; M.S. from Syracuse University and B.A. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

James L. Brewer Sr, Board Chairman

Mr. Brewer has spent his entire life in the broadcasting industry. First, working with the company his father founded in 1948 and growing that company with acquisitions in Florida and Indiana and then establishing what evolved into a group of media properties in the Chattanooga, TN market area. Mr. Brewer Sr. still serves as President of Brewer Broadcasting Corporation, which currently operates two radio stations in the Richmond, IN market area.

Mr. Brewer has served as a member of a number of local boards in his hometown of Tell City, IN and served in various capacities as a member of the board of the Indiana Broadcasters Association and on committees of the National Association of Broadcasters.

Mr. Brewer managed acquisitions for his companies in the broadcasting industry in 1965, 1970, 1976, 1981, 1987, 1996, 1998 and 2000. His other involvements in the past included a construction company, commercial real estate development, advertising agency, fast food restaurants and a radio station brokerage company.

Sean Ross

Sean Ross leads at least three lives. As Executive Editor/Music & Programming of leading radio industry site Radio-Info.com, he’s author of the influential twice-weekly Ross On Radio newsletter. As VP of Music and Programming for Edison Research, he works with radio and music industry clients on their listener/consumer research projects and has been a key part of the advent of the Oldies/Greatest Hits formats on FM in Canada. And he works with radio stations, record labels and other clients directly on programming/non-research related projects. This year, he’s also developing a seminar for radio stations called “Programming for Sales Staffs.”