Audacy Vertically Realigns Content Structure
• Audacy announced a vertical realignment of its programming and content structure, reorganized by format instead of location. CEO Kelli Turner (pictured) laid out the plan in a staff memo, which reads, in part, “For decades, radio has been organized by market geography. This legacy model doesn’t best serve our business in today’s digital, multi-market landscape, or leverage the extraordinary talent and scale we have within our formats.
Starting this week, we will organize all our programming teams and content by verticals — News, Sports, Country, Alternative, etc. — instead of by location. This unlocks greater scale, resources and expertise for our Brand Managers and frees our market leaders to focus intensely on revenue-generating activities.”
Here is the new structure: “Chris Oliviero, our Chief Business Officer and New York Market President, will lead the Content Organization, including Programming, Podcast and Product, and continue to report to me. Reporting to Chris, Leah Reis-Dennis continues to lead our Podcast strategy; John Pacino oversees Product; and Jeff Sottolano continues to oversee Programming, working with our accomplished central team and Format VPs. Brand Managers will now report directly to their Format VP.
As part of this structure change, Bob Philips (Chief Revenue Officer) and Liz Mozian (EVP, Revenue Operations) will report directly to me to ensure our sales strategies are as modern as our content.”
With Brian Purdy transitioning from Regional President to Senior Advisor, his markets have now been reassigned to the other Regional Presidents. That list is below.
In closing, Turner said, “Both of these changes — being content-first and creating larger regional groups — continue to support our goals of creating an agile, dynamic, future-facing Audacy. Local radio remains a lifeblood, and this helps make us even stronger and better as the business evolves.”
**Bolded markets are reassigned
• West: Jeff Federman — Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Portland, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Seattle.
• East and Central: Mark Hannon — Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, Hartford, Houston, Kansas City, Madison, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Norfolk, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Providence, Richmond, Rochester, Springfield, St. Louis, Washington, DC, Wichita, Wilkes-Barre.
• Southeast: Claudia Menegus — Chattanooga, Gainesville, Greensboro, Greenville, Memphis, Miami, New Orleans, Orlando. [Kelli Turner Photo: Anthony Romano]
