Benztown Podcast: Candid Talk With Chris Forgy, Otto Padron

Benztown has released two new episodes of Chachi Loves Everybody, an original podcast hosted by Benztown President and audio brand builder Dave “Chachi” Denes. 

The episodes feature Chachi’s special guests, media titans Chris Forgy, President and CEO of Saga Communications, and Otto Padron, former President and CEO of Meruelo Media.

To listen to the new Chachi Loves Everybody podcast episodes: Click HERE.

On the first new episode Chachi talks to Chris Forgy, President and CEO of Saga Communications, about his successful radio career and gets his take on the future of audio. Forgy, who also serves on the boards of the NAB, the RAB, and the Broadcasters Foundation of America, shares his radio journey and the many lessons he learned along the way to becoming a Broadcasters Foundation of America Leadership Award honoree.

Forgy talks with Chachi and his listeners about:

• Growing up in Dayton, OH, and visiting the radio stations where his dad worked
• How mentorship plays a crucial role in personal and professional growth and the importance of support systems
• Why he tries to be unlike other CEOs and the value of authenticity in leadership- Getting started in sales and learning to handle rejection while shattering sales records
• Why protecting the brand is crucial in radio
• Becoming a GM and preaching deliberate and purposeful actions- Getting surprised with an offer to lead Saga and leading the company responsibly, while avoiding debt- Radio’s role in the digital landscape and his advice for the future

On the second new episode,  Chachi sits down with Otto Padron, former President and CEO of Meruelo Media, the fastest growing minority-owned media company in California. A visionary leader who has shaped the media industry across television, radio, and digital platforms. Padron is also an Army Ambassador and has programmed Telemundo and Univision.  

• Padron shares about Growing up in Cuba where his Dad was a chief engineer for Cuba's television network CMQ
• The heroic sacrifices his parents made to escape Cuba and bring family to Miami via Spain-
• His Uncle Omar’s influence on him and U.S. Hispanic media in the U.S.- Serving as an Airborne Ranger and then a Green Beret during Desert Storm
• What his military experience taught him about leadership
• How programming Telemundo taught him to be bold and take risks
• Leaving his head of programming role at Univision to be deployed in Iraq
• Saving KDAY and how he fell in love with radio