iHeartMedia Washington DC Vice President of Programming James Howard is transferring to Chicago to serve as Senior VP of Programming and Program Director of CHR “103.5 Kiss-FM” WKSC.
Howard also served as Program Director of Classic Rock “Big 100” 100.3 WBIG-FM and Alternative “DC 101” 101.1 WWDC Washington. He began his career with iHeartMedia in 2001 and has held programming positions at WJRR Orlando, WXTB Tampa, WBZY Atlanta, WQSR Baltimore and WRAK Albany GA during his career.
He fills the position previously held by Tommy Austin. Austin will move to a new role on the company’s National Programming Group, reporting to Executive Vice President of Programming Operations Jon Zellner. Austin had served as SVP/Programming for iHeartMedia Chicago since March 2013 after holding similar roles at the company in St. Louis and Portland.
iHeartMedia announced today that James Howard has been named Senior Vice President of Programming for the Chicago Region and Program Director for 103.5 KISS FM, Chicago’s #1 Hit Music Station, effective January 16. The iHeartMedia Chicago Region has a strong cross-platform presence and includes a number of iconic brands and franchises — both broadcast and digital — encompassing six stations comprised of CHR, AC, Hip-Hop and R&B, New Country and Contemporary Inspirational music formats.
iHeartMedia has the leading consumer reach and influence across multiple platforms and delivers more live programming than any other media company. As Senior Vice President of Programming and Program Director for 103.5 KISS FM, Howard will be responsible for all programming and digital operations that deliver a strong return on investment for clients reaching consumers through iHeartMedia’s unmatched assets, including on-air, online, social media, personalities and live events. He will report to Matt Scarano, President of the Chicago Region for iHeartMedia. In addition, Tommy Austin joins the National Programming Group, reporting to Jon Zellner, Executive Vice President of Programming Operations for iHeartMedia.
Howard joined iHeartMedia more than 16 years ago and has held programming positions in the Orlando, Albany, Atlanta and Tampa regions. Most recently, Howard was Vice President of Programming for iHeartMedia’s Washington, D.C Region.
“Our Chicago brands and dedicated teams that operate them are some of the finest in our industry,” said Howard. “I’m excited to help them continue to make an indelible impact on our Chicago communities.”
“James Howard has a winning track record,” said Scarano. “His breadth of knowledge, leadership and programming creativity will be a tremendous asset to our team.”
