Fort Named GM, Cromwell Nashville
• Cromwell Media Nashville Director of Sales Shawn Fort has been promoted to General Manager, effective June 15. He will succeed current VP/Market Manager Dennis Gwiazdon, who will transition into an advisory role after nearly four years of leadership. In his newly enhanced position, Fort (left) will oversee Cromwell’s five Music City radio stations: Classic Hits 93.3 WQZQ, Active Rock WBUZ (102.9 The Buzz), Sports-Talk duo 94.9 The Fan (WBUZ-HD3) & WPRT (102.5/106.3 The Game), and Urban AC 102.1 The Ville (WPRT-HD2), along with a full slate of digital assets. The transition is underway for the mid-June start.
“When Shawn was hired it was with the idea that he would one day become our next GM. I’m delighted that we can promote from within the company,” said Bud Walters, Cromwell Media President. “We knew that when Dennis joined us there was going to be a three-to-four-year limit to our working together. I’ll appreciate his counsel moving forward and thank him for his friendship and commitment during a turbulent time. Our business and stations are better for him being here.”
Fort began his radio career nearly 20 years ago with Entercom (Audacy) in his hometown of Memphis. After a slight three-year detour out of the business, Fort joined the Cromwell Nashville team in December 2020. “This is the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Fort. “I jumped into the radio industry as an aspiring musician just to be around show business, and it turned into a career. It will be an honor to lead our incredibly talented Nashville team. Thank you, Bud and Dennis, and to all my other mentors over the years.”
Gwiazdon remarked, “Bud and I have been Nashville friends for almost 20 years. He is a leader in our industry, and it’s been a privilege to work with him and the Nashville team. Cromwell Media Nashville is in very good hands with Shawn. I’m confident that he’ll have the full support of his teammates as they continue to grow and make a difference within the community.” [Photo from LinkedIn]