Citadel Launches National Personalities

National On-Air Hosts

CITADEL MEDIA has added several marquee personalities to anchor specific dayparts on its 24-hour music formats. Initial talent includes KSCS/DALLAS afternoons/nights host JEREMY ROBINSON; WPLJ/NEW YORK personality RACE TAYLOR; and WKHX/Atlanta morning host CADILLAC JACK.

Categorized formatically, JEREMY ROBINSON and CADILLAC JACK will offer dayparts for Country, RACE TAYLOR will serve Hot AC stations. "We believe utilizing the talents of these personalities will be a significant enhancement for our affiliates, CITADEL MEDIA Pres. JOHN ROSSO said. "By offering these shows as part of our 24-hour formats on a modular, customized basis, we enable our partners to make choices with greater flexibility that works best for their individual needs."

The industry has changed to the point where you're looking for a lot more flexibility than ever before. We're responding to that by providing the kind of marquee talent they don't have the opportunity to go out and get

The network also announced a deeper consulting partnership with MIKE MCVAY, who will play an integral role in AC programming for CITADEL MEDIA. MCVAY will lend his consulting expertise to the network’s AC format to jointly develop new programming targeting key advertiser demographics while refining current AC offerings.

Customize For Profitability

In an exclusive interview with ALL ACCESS, SVP/Programming and Distribution CARL ANDERSON and VP/Programming and Distribution MAUREEN LESOURD offered more details into the national pesonality push.

"The beauty of whole plan is to customize what stations want," ANDERSON said. "This renewed strategy enables us be modular and customize these dayparts. For instance Hot AC stations taking our 24-7 format will get RACE TAYLOR in afternoon drive, but for others, we can adjust and send his daypart out in a modular fashion. In Country, CADILLAC JACK has morning duty in ATLANTA, but he'll do afternoons for Today's Best Country. JEREMY is offering a night show."

Regarding its impact on localism, ANDERSON noted, "There are certain markets that want to highlight local aspects. We can fulfill those needs on a case-by-case basis. It depends on what the affiliates want. Some stations just want to be very music-intensive. Others that want more personality, we'll be able build it to fit their needs."

"The industry has changed to the point where you're looking for a lot more flexibility than ever before," added LESOURD. "We're responding to that by providing the kind of marquee talent they don't have the opportunity to go out and get."

The three national personalities will soon be joined by other marquee names."There will be more coming," SVP/Programming and Distribution CARL ANDERSON said. "We're real excited about presenting more marquee talent to local markets."

He was refreshingly candid when asked whether the success of airing national personalities will be judged by higher ratings or by cutting expenses that would lead to greater profitability. "It's all about profitability," ANDERSON said. "Certainly ratings is one of the metrics used to measure success, but it has to foster a successful business plan for the affiliates. MAUREEN mentioned partnerships; our goal is to partner with our stations to solve their local needs."

« see more Net News