Former Premiere Radio Networks President Charlie Rahilly is now President of “Clear Channel Radio National Advertiser Platforms Group,” overseeing all national ad sales for CC Radio, Katz Media Group, Premiere Radio Networks, CC Radio Digital National Sales, CC Radio Creative Services Group and CC Radio Advertiser Development.
Katz will continue to be run by Stu Olds, but he now reports to Rahilly. Premiere management will now be shared between EVP/Affiliate Marketing Julie Talbott and EVP/Sales Carol Terakawa.
Talbott is now President of Content and Affiliate Relations and reports to CC Radio CEO John Hogan. Terakawa continues with her title, still reporting to Charlie Rahilly.
A recent memo from Hogan explains it all:
Good afternoon,
Over the past five years, we’ve made extraordinary gains in creating the best integrated platforms for advertisers in the entire media and entertainment sector. Today, our online and mobile platforms are unequalled and our progress in creating integrated marketing campaigns for national brands that span AM/FM broadcast, online, mobile, live events and more has been stunning. National advertisers like McDonald’s, Ford and Six Flags are working with us to create custom integrated marketing campaigns that drive real business success.
Now, it’s time to make buying those custom, integrated marketing campaigns more efficient and impactful. To create more and better opportunities for national advertisers.
So today, we’re announcing the Clear Channel Radio National Advertiser Platforms Group. And I’m delighted to let you know that Charlie Rahilly has agreed to lead this important effort in the newly created position of President, National Advertiser Platforms.
Throughout his 20 years in sales and management positions within Clear Channel Radio — including achieving huge success as the head of our Los Angeles stations and most recently leading Premiere — Charlie has distinguished himself as a creative, aggressive sales executive and a gifted marketer. His intimate knowledge of the company’s strengths, paired with his deep understanding of the changing needs of national advertisers, make him the natural choice to lead this important effort. Charlie will report directly to me.
The National Advertiser Platforms Group will marry research insights with outstanding creative to develop national business across all CCR business units. It will allow advertisers easy access to any or all of the CCR national platforms and allow them to use the CCR platforms, personalities, and creativity more fully. As such, Charlie will oversee all national advertising sales channels for Clear Channel Radio, including Katz Media Group, Premiere Radio Network Ad Sales, CCR Digital National Sales, CCR Creative Services Group and CCR Advertiser Development. Katz Media Group will continue reporting to Stu Olds.
I’m also delighted to let you know that Julie Talbott, currently Premiere’s EVP of Affiliate Marketing will become President of Content and Affiliate Relations and will report to me. Effective immediately, Julie will oversee all aspects of Premiere, with the exception of ad sales, which will continue to be ably led by EVP of Sales Carol Terakawa. Carol will report to Charlie Rahilly.
Putting all CCR national advertiser platforms under singular, dedicated and focused supervision will accelerate the development of programs and platforms that will use our brands, personalities and systems to our customer advantage. Benefits to advertisers will immediately include fewer points of contact, expanded choice, better insights, improved documentation of CCR performance, and exceptional service.
It’s time for a more consistent, strategic and effective relationship with national advertisers. I know you’ll give Charlie and his team your full support as we move forward into a period of increased communication, collaboration and support among our national sales channels.
Please join me in congratulating Charlie and Julie on their new leadership roles.
Sincerely,
John Hogan
RBR-TVBR observation: This has been a long time coming. Premiere bills about $380 million yearly, but it is a very expensive operation. The spots that run on the CC Radio stations through Premiere are fixed spots. The stations have no flexibility there, which is good for the advertisers – they are strong, stable networks. But it’s not $380 million that falls to the bottom line, it’s $380 million minus agency commissions, sales commissions, and the whole operation, which costs a fortune. And they get these discounted rates that are locked in for the year, so there is no flexibility. They want those dollars to go to the station.
Also, we have noted that CCRS has been playing in the network pool via spot avails because they have greater flexibility, the cost is much cheaper, and all of that money falls to the bottom line, rather than to the PRN infrastructure.
What might happen? Charlie now knows spot and network, and PRN is going to change radically. It will probably just end up being a talk-sports-programming component and “morph” out of the radio network business. PRN is less flexible and more expensive, and again, they want those dollars to flow to the bottom line. It’s all about cash flow. So they can put together their unwired networks and pitch network radio business. It would not have to be at $9-$10K CPP. Depending on the time of year and their avails (it gives them greater flexibility on their avails), they can compete at $5K CPP, sell it a 50% discount and still maintain greater flexibility will the stations. So all of that money falls to the bottom line, rather than laying in schedules for the entire year. This is likely the shape of things to come.
