CBS Radio has announced that Classic Hits 101.1 WCBS-FM and AC “Fresh 102.7” WWFS New York Program Director Jim Ryan has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Programming for the company.
The new position will see Ryan “serve as a source of programming expertise and develop key initiatives and strategies” for CBS Radio’s music stations. He will retain his duties overseeing WCBS-FM and WWFS, as well as VP/Adult Contemporary programming while adding oversight of all Classic Hits stations in the company.
Jim Ryan has been named Senior Vice President, Programming, CBS RADIO, it was announced today by Chris Oliviero, Executive Vice President, Programming, CBS RADIO. The appointment is effective immediately.
In this new position, Ryan will serve as a source of programming expertise and develop key initiatives and strategies for all of CBS RADIO’s music stations across the country. He retains his title as Program Director for New York stations WCBS-FM and WWFS-FM as part of his contract extension with CBS RADIO.
“Jim is universally recognized as one of the premiere music programming minds in the industry and he surely has the ratings’ resume to back it up,” said Oliviero. “This well-deserved expanded role will allow our stations and programmers to benefit from his world class experience and knowledge. I am thrilled that Jim will be helping us craft the future of our industry leading brands and shaping the sound of our stations for years to come.”
Ryan joined CBS RADIO in April 2010 as Program Director of WWFS-FM and Vice President, Adult Contemporary Programming. He will also continue in the latter role, and add oversight of the division’s Classic Hits stations to his responsibilities as well. In June 2012, Ryan was named Program Director of WCBS-FM, the most listened to station this year in New York whose audience has increased by more than 30% since the beginning of 2014.
Before joining CBS RADIO, Ryan was head of his own consulting company, Jim Ryan Media, where he advised many top radio stations, including market leaders in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Houston, and syndicated national personalities, in addition to providing Arbitron PPM analysis to influential clients in the talk radio industry.
From September 1996 to April 2008, Ryan worked for iHeartMedia’s WLTW, 106.7 Lite-FM. During his time at the station, Ryan programmed and served as Director of Adult Contemporary Programming, went on to become Vice President of AC Programming and was later elevated to Senior Vice President of AC Programming. Furthermore, he consulted Premiere syndication directed at the adult female audience, including notable talent such as Delilah and Casey Kasem. Over the years, Ryan was responsible for helping WLTW become one of the most listened to and top billing radio stations in America.
Prior to working in New York, Ryan played an instrumental role in establishing WBEB in Philadelphia as a market leader. Additionally, he programmed and then became an equity partner in a Portland, Oregon radio property (KXYQ) forming an acquisition company with the band Van Halen. Ryan is a native of Long Island where he began his broadcasting career, and later went on to work in Denver, Pittsburgh, Miami and Detroit, before his first group programming job in 1981 overseeing stations in Michigan, Wisconsin and Florida.
