Industry News

New Titles and Responsibilities as iHeartMedia Realigns Markets Group

iHeartMedia realigns its Markets Group – part of the company’s Multi Platform Group segment –  that “takes advantage of iHeart’s unique scale and multiple platforms; leadership in audio; and its expertise in consumers, monetization and data.” In 2020, iHeart announced that it would group its markets by common needs and characteristics into three different divisions – Region, Metro and Community – to make sharing of resources and experiences easier and more targeted.  The company now names five new division presidents:  Bernie Weiss and Paul Corvino for the Region Division, and Kristin Foley, Chris Soechtig and DJ Hodge for the Metro Division. Tom McConnell, formerly a Metro Divisionim President, will also become a Region Division president. In addition, Nick Gnau, formerly a Community Division president, will become a Metro Division president, and Shosh Abromovich and Dan Lankford will add Nick’s former Markets to their responsibilities as the Community Division presidents. Amy Leimbach, who served as senior vice president of sales for Austin, Dallas and San Antonio, will become president of those Markets. The company also announces changes that will enable it to increase its focus on a number of high-growth opportunities. Kevin LeGrett, president of the iHeart Sports Network, makes the transition from his role as division president of Los Angeles to now focus exclusively on leading and growing the company’s leading Political and Sports platforms. Additionally, Tony Coles, president of BIN: Black Information Network, now leads all multicultural efforts as the president of multi-cultural business and development.  The new division presidents will report directly to Hartley Adkins, president of the iHeartMedia Markets Group, and Coles and LeGrett, as well as Adkins, will report to Rich Bressler, iHeart’s president, COO and CFO and CEO of the iHeartMedia Multi Platform Group. The company will be making this transition over the next few weeks.

Industry News

Talk Host Jack Harris Vows to Return to Tampa’s Airwaves

After being let go from his two-hour morning drive show on iHeartMedia’s news/talk WFLA, Tampa last week, longtime market talk radio personality Jack Harris says he’ll return to the air in the market. The 81-year-old Harris tells the Tampa Bay Times that there is interest from other broadcasters but the six-month non-compete in his iHeart contract prevents him from working elsewhere right away. Harris says he didn’t get the chance to do a farewell show – something iHeartMedia West Florida president Chris Soechtig denies. Salem Media Group says it’s offered to host a farewell show on its crosstown news/talk WGUL “AM860 The Answer,” but also doesn’t want Harris to get into a legal tussle. Read the whole story here.