PA Radio: Seven Mountain Media Adds Jim Loftus As COO

Jim Loftus

Seven Mountains Media/Pennsylvania has announced that veteran radio executive Jim Loftus will join the company as Chief Operating Officer starting November 1.

For the past three years, Loftus has been serving as President/CEO of WBEB, 101.1 MoreFM in Philadelphia.  With the station's closing with Entercom last week, Loftus will now be based in State College and will oversee Seven Mountains’ 28 stations in Dubois, State College, Lewistown, Huntingdon, Selinsgrove, Bloomsburg, Wellsboro/Mansfield and Sayre. He'll report to Owner/CEO Kristin Cantrell.

Cantrell is the daughter of longtime broadcaster/owner Kerby Confer, whose career crossed paths with Loftus in Pennsylvania, when Loftus was market manager for Susquehanna Radio Corp. in Scranton and COO at Times Shamrock.

“We have built a team of people and a group of radio brands and advertising products that have an incredible synergy with our listeners and advertisers,” Cantrell said in a news release. “Jim has the big picture experience and track record to help our company succeed in a fast paced, ever changing marketplace. We’re honored that he chose Seven Mountains Media as his new home.”

Loftus added, “As a 41-year Pennsylvania broadcasting veteran, I’ve watched this company create a big footprint of local radio stations and build a digital media platform serving listeners and advertisers across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. I feel blessed to join such an innovative group. It’s a great time to be in radio.”

Jim Loftus began his career in radio as an on-air personality in Northeastern PA in 1977. He previously spent over 10 years as a Vice-President with CBS Radio in Philadelphia, serving as the General Manager of WOGL, WYSP, and as Director of Sales for their six station cluster and CBS Philly.com. For nine years he was Chief Operating Officer of Times-Shamrock Communications radio division overseeing stations in five states. Earlier, Jim was a Vice-President/Market Manager for Susquehanna Radio’s five stations in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and the Director of Sales at WUSL Power 99 FM Famous 56 WFIL in Philadelphia.

He taught communications at Temple University for 16 years.