Entercom has hired Phil Zachary as its new VP/Market Manager for its Boston stations. Zachary has been President/COO of Curtis Media since 2002. He replaces Jeff Brown, who departed yesterday to take the same position at Cumulus Atlanta.
The pair of press releases follow:
Today Entercom Boston announced that they had hired Phil Zachary as their new Vice President and Market Manager. The Entercom cluster in Boston includes WEEI-FM, ESPN on WEEI-AM, WAAF, WRKO and The Boston Red Sox Radio Network.
This represents a homecoming of sorts for Zachary, whose first paid radio job was as a part-time, on-air announcer at WAAF. Zachary, a 41-year radio veteran, is a Connecticut native and graduate of Holy Cross. He began his radio career in Worcester followed by stints in Providence and Boston. While in Boston, Zachary served as Operations Manager at the old WITS 1510. There his role included direct oversight of both Red Sox and Bruins play-by-play.
Zachary comes to Entercom from Curtis Media Group in Raleigh, N.C. There, he served as President and Chief Operating Officer, overseeing the company’s entire slate of radio stations, networks, digital and interactive divisions and print publications. Prior to joining Curtis Media in 2002, he was VP/Market Manager for CBS Radio in Washington, D.C. Zachary has held similar senior executive positions for HMW Communications and Voyager Communications in Raleigh and Clear Channel Media and Entertainment in New Orleans.
Entercom Station Group President Weezie Kramer said, “Phil is the right person at the right time for Entercom Boston. He is a leader and a listener. He understands the challenges we face but he also sees the tremendous opportunity we have. Phil believes in the strength of our brands, the dynamic nature of our content and the true potential of our team.”
“The only reason to leave a great job in radio is for one of the absolute best jobs in radio,” said new Entercom VP/Market Manager Phil Zachary. “Make no mistake—WAAF, WEEI and WRKO are not only some of the greatest call letters in Boston radio history, but some of the best brands in our industry. This amazing opportunity brings me back to my New England roots and the place I started my radio career. There are great challenges ahead, not to mention best of-class competition, but I look forward to it and can’t wait to get started.”
Zachary will begin at Entercom Boston on October 21st. In the meantime, the company announced they had retained the management consultant services of Joel Hollander to assist in the transition. Hollander is the former CEO of both Westwood One and CBS Radio. He will act as the Boston market manager until Zachary can start work full time.
Zachary is incredibly active in his community, volunteering his time and being part of organizations, including The Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors, Wake Technical Community College Board of Trustees and the North Carolina Children’s Hospital Board of Visitors.
He has also been an advisor to the communication departments at Elon University, Appalachian State, High Point University and North Carolina State University. Zachary currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Radio Advertising Bureau, the radio industry’s national leadership and advocacy organization.
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Cumulus Media, the largest pure-play radio broadcaster in the United States with 520 stations in 110 markets and a fully distributed network serving more than 5,500 affiliates nationwide, announces the appointment of Jeff Brown as Vice President and Market Manager for the Atlanta cluster of stations.
Brown will oversee all sales and operations for six Cumulus stations in the Atlanta market. Brown joins Cumulus after more than 15 years at Entercom Communications, most recently serving as Vice President and General Manager for Entercom’s Boston stations. Prior to his role at Entercom Boston, Brown held the position of Vice President and Market Manager of Entercom’s Portland stations.
“Jeff brings high energy and an unequaled desire to win to our already successful Atlanta cluster,” said Jon Pinch, Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer of Cumulus. “We are confident Jeff will contribute significantly to Atlanta’s continued growth.”
“I am honored to have been selected as Vice President and Market Manager for Cumulus Atlanta. The team in Atlanta is driving growth on these power brands as we speak. I look forward to connecting with them and adding value to their already successful effort,” Brown said. “Cumulus Media is making significant moves that are realigning the industry and I am in lockstep with their vision to widen the audio space. To say I’m fired up to be joining this growing content company would be an understatement.”
