August 2008
Clear Channel Radio announced that it has signed several senior executives in its management team to long-term contracts, including Evan Harrison, Susan Karis, Mark Kopelman, Gene Romano, Tom Schurr, and George Toulas. Separately, the company promoted Harrison, Kopelman, Romano, and Toulas to newly created positions that will give each of these executives expanded roles with the company. The announcements come on the heels of the company signing president and CEO John Hogan to a five-year deal.
“The talent and commitment of our senior management team continues to drive Clear Channel Radio’s industry leadership and success,” said Hogan. “These individuals are key members of our executive management team, and have helped build our audiences while turning competing technologies into collaborators. They will continue to push our outstanding content deeper into our current digital platforms as well as new ones.”
“These individuals, along with our full management team, are helping to change the face of radio,” Hogan added. “These promotions and contract extensions reflect the hard work, dedication, and enthusiasm that make the Clear Channel Radio team the strongest and most innovative group in radio.”
EVPs leading major and mid-major market operations
On the operations side, Mark Kopelman and George Toulas are promoted to EVPO of mid-major markets. In a previous position as Regional SVP, Kopelman is credited with creating an avail-sharing program to help managers work together to help drive share of business. Kopelman also led the Houston stations through revenue growth of more than 15 percent. As President and Market Manager of Clear Channel’s Miami station cluster, Toulas helped grow top-line revenue in Miami by some 10 percent in 2007 and increased broadcast cash flow by some 18 percent.
They join Tom Schurr and Susan Karis, who now lead major markets in the eastern and western regions, respectively. Schurr is a 26 year veteran of the radio industry and has managed stations in Sacramento, Louisville, Nashville, Houston, and Dallas. He was first named Regional VP in 2000, promoted to SVP of the southeast region in 2005, and a year later became EVP of the east region. Karis has helped build extremely capable teams with senior leaders in different markets including Houston, Minneapolis and Phoenix. She has helped her markets focus on the key metrics for success, and worked with the market leadership to drive continued growth.
Expanded Content and Programming Leadership
On the development side, the company announced the promotion of Evan Harrison to president of Clear Channel’s Online Music & Radio unit, capping a three-and-a-half-year run of unprecedented achievements. He remains an EVP of Clear Channel Radio. Clear Channel Radio’s online offerings rank #1 in streaming cume in the crucial workday day part. Harrison led the creation of the industry’s first local radio station social network, which boasts 500,000 members, and audience gains have translated into proven sales successes across a host of categories including automotive, telecom, travel, financial services, and many others.
Expanding the development leadership team is Gene Romano, who is upped to Executive VP of Programming from his previous role as Senior VP of Programming. In his new role, Romano will work with Susan Karis in the west major markets. Previously, Romano worked to develop various tools and resources to help teach and mentor local program directors, launched new format approaches such as FM News Talk WPGB/Pittsburgh and Alternative WRFF/Philadelphia, and recruited high performing programming and on-air talent.
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