Valentine’s Day Just Got Busier
• In the wake of JD Greene‘s recent departure as VP of Programming with Leighton Media to his new OM gig with Lotus Broadcasting in Las Vegas, Leighton has made some internal moves: 1) Kris Valentine, PD of KZPK (Wild Country 99) & News-Talk KNSI-AM/St. Cloud, MN and MD of Country KYCK/Grand Forks, NDhas been elevated to Director of Country Programming for Leighton’s Country properties; 2) Mark St. John will take on an expanded consulting role with Leighton’s stations in Fergus Falls, Winona, Detroit Lakes, Grand Forks, Alexandria, and St. Cloud.
Leighton CEO Bob Leighton remarked, “Kris Valentine will assume leadership responsibility for our Country stations. Kris will oversee programming, talent development, and brand strategy for these properties. Station managers and music directors at Country-formatted outlets should report directly to Kris on all format-specific initiatives.”
Valentine was named PD of KZPK in August 2016, again in November 2023. His earlier stops include KHAK/Cedar Rapids, KIKV/Alexandria, MN, KYGO/Denver, KWJJ/Portland, and KEEY and KMNB/Minneapolis.
Valentine remarked, “I’m incredibly excited to step into this new role and continue building on the amazing work already happening across our Country brands. We’ve got some of the most passionate teams and listeners in the business, and I’m looking forward to collaborating closely with each station to keep our momentum strong and take our brands to the next level.”
Leighton added, “We appreciate everyone’s flexibility during this transition. Mark and Kris are both deeply committed to elevating our stations, and their expanded roles will strengthen our competitive edge.”
Valentine can be congratulated at kvalentine@leighton.media.
