Cumulus Adds 'Programming Resources' As It Realigns Executive Programming Lineup

New Execs

CUMULUS MEDIA has made "strategic additions to the corporate programming team," in support of local market operations. The moves add resources in the key areas of research, strategy and format-specific expertise that leverage CUMULUS’ national scale while giving day to day control to local market managers and programmers, with enhanced on-demand corporate capabilities that support their local efforts.

CEO MARY BERNER said, “Who knows their markets better than the people who live and work there? We believe that the injection of more local insight and more effective corporate support into our programming decisions will drive improved ratings outcomes for our stations. Consistent with this view, CUMULUS PDs will now report to Market Managers and will have control over the day-to-day programming of their stations which has not been the case in the past. Our corporate programming team, with its specialized resources and expertise, will be led by MIKE MCVAY and will support the markets in the execution of this content strategy and in the creation of programming that surprises and delights -- and delivers ratings.

SVP/Content and Programming MIKE MCVAY said, “Our goal is to create a high-caliber group of corporate programming talents and resources that can be deployed efficiently and expeditiously to the benefit of local markets. We firmly believe that by rooting programming decisions in the markets, we are taking best advantage of local knowledge and insights while giving local decision-makers access to resources they might not otherwise have.”

Joining the new CUMULUS corporate programming support team are senior programming professionals, DR. ED COHEN as VP/Ratings and Research; DOUG HAMAND as VP/Programming Operations; CAT THOMAS as VP/Top 40 and Hot AC; RALPH CIPOLLA as VP/Analytics; and KEN JOHNSON as VP/Urban.

• DR. ED COHEN joins CUMULUS from NIELSEN AUDIO, where he led NIELSEN’s connected car streaming audio research initiative as VP/Measurement Innovation. COHEN was previously VP/Measurement Innovation for ARBITRON, following five years as VP/Research Policy and Communication and eight years as VP/Domestic Radio Research for ARBITRON. Prior to that, COHEN was VP/Research for iHEARTMEDIA/CLEAR CHANNEL, and held research positions for the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS and BIRCH/SCARBOROUGH RESEARCH. 
• DOUG HAMAND joins CUMULUS from iHEARTMEDIA, where he was SVP/Programming and served iHEARTMEDIA/CLEAR CHANNEL in various senior programming posts, including RVP/Programming, TAMPA/ST. PETERSBURG, FL, for over 21 years.
• CAT THOMAS joins CUMULUS following a 27-year career with CBS RADIO, where he was VP/Programming for CBS LAS VEGAS’ six-station group. THOMAS served as PD of KLUC/LAS VEGAS for 20 years, following seven years on-air and as MD at KLUC. 
• RALPH CIPOLLA joins CUMULUS from CIPOLLA ANALYTICS, LLC, a performance analytics consultancy founded by CIPOLLA in 2013, following a decade as a multi-platform Strategy, Branding, Research and Talent Consultant at JACOBS MEDIA and JACAPPS MOBILE, where he worked with stations of all formats and market sizes across the U.S. and CANADA. Prior to that, CIPOLLA was OM/PD for 15 years, serving stations in DETROIT, JACKSONVILLE and BUFFALO.
• KEN JOHNSON joins the CUMULUS corporate programming support team from CUMULUS WUHT/BIRMINGHAM, where he serves as OM. He was also PD for THE TOUCH Urban AC format for WESTWOOD ONE. JOHNSON’s 20-year programming career includes 13 years as a programmer and consultant to CUMULUS MEDIA, and programming posts in BOSTON, WASHINGTON, D.C., NEW YORK, PHILADELPHIA, DALLAS, ATLANTA and WILMINGTON, NC. He has hosted morning shows in WASHINGTON, D.C. and BOSTON.

Concurrently, CUMULUS announces the promotion of nine current members of its programming support team.

• VAL GARRIS, former VP/Programming, is promoted to VP/Analytics.
• GREG FREY, former Corporate PD, is promoted to VP/Programming Operations.
• AARON ROBERTS, former VP/Programming Partnerships, is promoted to VP/Programming Communications/Partnerships.
• EMILY BOLDON, former VP/Stratus Music Programming and Corporate PD, is promoted to VP/AC.
• TROY HANSON, former Corporate PD/Rock Formats, is promoted to VP/Rock.
• BRIAN THOMAS, former Corporate PD/Country and Classic Hits, is promoted to VP/Classic Hits.
• CHARLIE COOK, former OM/CUMULUS NASHVILLE, is promoted to VP/Country.
• BILL HESS, former Corporate PD/NewsTalk, is promoted to VP/NewsTalk.
• SCOTT JAMESON, former Corporate PD/Classic Rock, is promoted to VP/Classic Rock.
• BRUCE GILBERT remains SVP/Sports for both CUMULUS MEDIA and WESTWOOD ONE.
• JOHN KILGO continues as VP/Label Relations. 

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