Radio active
CBS Radio's visionary president brings his road show to Chicago
Imagine having the resources of a giant radio company at your fingertips to help you create your very own format.
With just a few clicks and drags of your mouse, you could custom-design the radio station of your dreams -- and share it online with all of your friends.
That's just one of many bold and exciting options that's being built into the new CBS Radio Digital Network, to be rolled out in the coming months at play.it.
In a combined effort with AOL, the initiative will integrate every one of the company's 140 over-the-air stations with all of its Internet-only stations into one simple online player.
With the zeal of a man on a mission, CBS Radio president Dan Mason has been traveling the country to share his vision of revitalizing the medium.
Hundreds of advertisers and media buyers gathered Tuesday at the Chicago Theater to hear Mason exhort them to "rethink radio" and peek into a future of virtually unlimited choices -- all available at no cost to listeners.
To those who predict radio's demise, Mason pointed to the continued reach and impact of his stations, including those in Chicago that posted substantial gains in the ratings this week.
Under Mason's leadership, the whole culture of CBS Radio has been rejuvenated since the bleak days of his inept predecessor, Joel Hollander, whose mistakes were too numerous to count.
"We have no problem taking the lead in banging the drum for what remains the most engaging medium reaching more than 93 percent of the population . . . every week," Mason said. "Using great local content and the best technology available, [CBS] is poised to be the undisputed champion in radio broadcasting."
DIALING:• • Two familiar Chicago voices are teaming up to host mornings at north suburban WXLC-FM (102.3), the NextMedia Group hot adult-contemporary station.
Jimmy Novak and Jennifer Stephens will debut Monday -- airing from 5 to 9 a.m. weekdays.
Novak is a graduate of Waukegan East High School who has been a well-traveled rock jock in the market. Stephens has been around as a morning co-host and news anchor.
They replace Rebecca Ortiz, whose last show was Thursday. Ortiz recently took on weekend duties at CBS Radio rhythmic Top 40 WBBM-FM (96.3).
• • Jay Field is out after seven years as a reporter at Chicago Public Radio WBEZ-FM (91.5).
Field, who most recently was on the education beat, was forced to resign over allegations that he had fabricated a story, sources said. The story never made it on the air.
• • How can you not love a DJ who calls himself Spank Buda?
The former mixer at Clear Channel Radio's urban adult-contemporary WVAZ-FM (102.7) -- whose real name is Dion Jackson -- is returning to host Saturday middays and Sunday nights at urban sister station WGCI-FM (107.5).
He most recently was at WPHH-FM in Hartford, Conn.
• • John Gallagher, who bailed out as president and general manager of Citadel Broadcasting news/talk WLS-AM (890), is moving back to Detroit, where he will become market manager for Greater Media.
• • Terry Hardin, who resigned after six months as vice president and general manager of Spanish Broadcasting System regional Mexican WLEY-FM (107.9), has been hired by Emmis Communications as senior vice president of sales.
He'll be based in Chicago at the offices of Emmis' classic rock WLUP-FM (97.9) and alternative rock WKQX-FM (101.1) and oversee sales in seven markets.
• • WBEZ ranked 17th in the Arbitron winter survey with a 2.3 percent share and cumulative weekly audience of 501,900.
• • Kudos to WLTL-FM (88.1), the student radio station of Lyons Township High School in west suburban La Grange, which took top honors Saturday at the John Drury High School Radio Awards, presented by North Central College.
In addition to tying with WBFH-FM in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., for best high school radio station, WLTL won 10 other awards. It was the third time WLTL won the top prize.
