Ryan Ready To Write His Own Story
• Jim Ryan, Audacy SVP of Programming and PD of WNEW/New York announced his impending departure, effective in April — his 15th anniversary with the company — to focus full-time on his Jim Ryan Media consultancy.
Ryan says he originally planned to leave in December; however, the implementation of Nielsen’s new three-minute PPM qualifier rule enticed him to stay one more quarter. “I’m so happy I stayed, as we’ve already seen WNEW beat [iHeartMedia AC] WLTW with 25-54 women in prime in January, and when you can beat Lite-FM with their core target, it’s a moment to savor.”
Given his legacy at the company and the industry overall, Ryan was instrumental in designating his successor, whose name will be announced soon. While you start mentally scrolling through your list of likely candidates, Ryan remarked, “I’ve been blessed to work with the most legendary stations in our business since I arrived in New York in 1996 — first with iHeart and WLTW, then with CBS in 2010 to program WNEW and WCBS-FM. I’m happy to pass the baton to a respected and well-known colleague.”
He added, “While there are too many people to thank for my time at Audacy, I have to single out [Audacy COO] Susan Larkin for believing in my vision for 102.7, and [NY Market President] Chris Oliviero for his amazing leadership.”
Going forward with Jim Ryan Media, LLC, Ryan will continue working with nationally syndicated radio personality Delilah as he branches out to other talent, brands and artists. He can be contacted at Jim@JimRyanMedia.com.
