Reorganization Within Westwood One/Cumulus
• Cumulus Media and Westwood One announced an executive reorganization, which included the departure of several key programmers, the discontinuation of a heritage show and the company’s plan to hire a new Head of Music Partnerships.’
The news of the joint Cumulus-Westwood One reorganization was delivered in a staff memo from Cumulus Chief Content Officer Brian Philips, obtained by RAMP, which reads, in part, “Our plan is to merge two departmental positions into a single pivotal new role, embracing our friends — artists, labels, management, and touring. Our forthcoming new Head of Music Partnerships will report to me. The person who serves in this new position will oversee the vast landscape of creative and revenue-driving promotional and programming opportunities across our 300+ music stations and Westwood One network music franchises. The new Music Partnership division will draw on collaboration from our expert team of format VPs and vice presidents of programming operations as we further spread our wings in CHR, Rock, Urban, Country and AC. We aim to add this new leader by the end of July.”
Concurrent with this development was the departure of several high-profile executives, including Doug Cohn, SVP, Music & Entertainment, Content & Audience; John Kilgo, 20-year VP of Label Relations; Jack Silver, PD of the NBC Sports Radio Network & Operations Manager for Westwood One’s Culver City Studios; and Dan Pearman, Affiliate Relations Manager for the 24/7 Formats.
Philips said of Cohn, “Doug’s leadership has reinvigorated our confidence and sense of possibility in music, as we expand into touring, on-air music events and programming initiatives. Doug exudes professionalism, kindness and class. We are thankful Doug opened new doors for Cumulus, and helped solidify the foundation for our future.” The Emmy Award-winning Cohn previously served as SVP, Music & Talent for Nickelodeon, where he launched and led Nickelodeon’s music division. He earlier spent more than a decade at Atlantic Records and VH1. He can be reached at 917-841-0819 or doug.cohn1@gmail.com.
Speaking of Kilgo, Philips noted, “John enjoys deep relationships across the label spectrum, and has served as an essential liaison for each format and every artist embraced by Cumulus. John brought natural enthusiasm and smart deal-making to the department. We thank him for his important contributions to our business over the past two decades.” Kilgo can be contacted at 404-414-1134 or killerkilgo@gmail.com.
• Jack Silver joined the company in July 2012, after programming Cumulus News-Talk KABC-AM and Classic Rock KLOS/Los Angeles. Silver previously served as a programming and air talent consultant, but is probably best known for his 11 years with CBS Radio Los Angeles, where he was VP of FM Talk Programming and PD of KLSX until it flipped to Top 40 as KAMP (97.1 AMP) in Feb. 2009. He can be reached at JackSilver36@gmail.com.
• Prior to joining Westwood One in 2010, Dan Pearman spent nine years with Radio Disney as Director of On-Air Development, preceded by a stint as PD of CBS Radio’s KYNG (Young Country) and KSNN (Sunny 95)/Dallas. He can be contacted at danpearman@earthlink.net.
More Westwood One Shrinkage — In another surprising turn of events, Westwood One announced that, after a three-decade-long partnership, the company was ceasing the distribution of Lon Helton‘s award-winning Country Countdown USA after the weekend of July 30 & 31.
RAMP reached out to Lon, our former R&R colleague, who said, “Thirty years is a helluva run for any syndicated radio show and we’ve had a great ride with Westwood One. But the decision to discontinue CCUSA has sent Producer George Achaves and I on a mission to carry on. We’ll have details soon, but will continue to have a different Country star as co-host each week, and we’ll have a fresh show the weekend of Aug. 6/7.” Stay tuned for further developments. Questions? Email Lon@countryaircheck.com.
• Last week we also shared the news of the departures of Westwood One VP of Country Formats Nick Foxand Classic Country afternoon personality Mark Stevens — Fox can be reached at 205-792-9149 or nickfoxradio@gmail.com, and you can connect with Stevens at mstevenslas@yahoo.com.
