Another Realignment At Clear Channel

OUT:  George Toulas, Dave Crowl and Tom Thon

PROMOTED:  Tom McConnell, Hartley Adkins, Matt Martin

Get the news from John Hogan just as CC employees got it..in a memo:

Good afternoon, all:

Over the last several months we have been reviewing our regional clusters with a view toward how we might better operate these clusters, given the unique aspects of their market size, competitive situations, the continually changing environment and in thinking of them not simply as radio stations but as widely distributed local businesses which face similar challenges.  We are now prepared to begin developing an overall strategy for how those businesses might best be operated to ensure the greatest opportunity for audience growth, revenue growth, and the highest possible profitability and efficiency.

Because this plan will effectively serve to reinvent how these businesses are run, and as it will represent a significant departure from how we’ve run those businesses in the past, we’ll be making some personnel changes surrounding it. George Toulas, Executive Vice President of Operations for Regional Markets, and Dave Crowl and Tom Thon, Senior Vice Presidents of Operations for these regions will be leaving the company.  We thank each of them for the contributions they have made to Clear Channel Radio over the years, and we wish them well.

Market Managers Tom McConnell (Boston#, Hartley Adkins #Washington, DC and Baltimore# and Matt Martin #San Antonio) will each be promoted to the position of Senior Vice President of Operations.  Tom will have responsibility for the Northeast market, Hartley will oversee the Southeast market, and Matt will be responsible for the West.  In addition, they will also work closely with me, regional market leaders and a small group of senior CCR executives to develop and implement our plan for reinventing regional market operations. Each will also play a larger strategic role within the company going forward.

As Clear Channel Radio continues to grow its leadership position within the industry, we believe that it’s critical to be able to elevate our high performers in a way that both indicates our appreciation for their abilities and performance and draws on their strengths to benefit the company as a whole. We value our regional properties, and believe that with the leadership of Tom, Hartley and Matt, these stations can do even more for their communities, for their audiences, for advertisers, and for Clear Channel Radio.

Please join me in congratulating Tom, Hartley and Matt on their new positions.