Forecast 2024 Speakers Coming Soon!
Here are the Forecast 2023 presenters
Greg Ashlock is CEO of iHeartMedia Multi-Platform Group, overseeing the iHeartMedia portfolio of national and local assets including programming, sales, marketing, HR, and engineering/IT across 160 markets. The asset base includes broadcast (275M monthly listeners), digital (130M registered users of iHeartRadio), social (140M monthly followers), podcasts (135M monthly downloads), experiential (20K annual events), influencers, and data. Before his current role he spent four years as President of iHeartMedia Markets Group. Ashlock has been with the company and its predecessor company, Clear Channel, for more than 20 years. He is a member of the Boards of BMI and the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission.
Caroline Beasley was appointed CEO of Beasley Broadcast Group on January 1, 2017; she previously served as interim CEO and EVP/CFO, Treasurer, and Secretary, beginning in 1994. Beasley has served as a director of Beasley Broadcast Group, Inc. since she joined the company in 1983. She currently serves as Chair of the BMI Board of Directors and is a member of the FCC Diversity and Inclusion Committee. She was previously the Joint Board Chair of the NAB Board of Directors and is a past Chairman of the NAB Radio Board. In addition, Beasley is a member of the boards of BMI and the Broadcasters Foundation of America. Caroline Beasley received the 2016 Distinguished Service Award from the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters and was the 2012 recipient of the Frances Preston Trailblazer Award from the Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio Group, a national organization dedicated to promoting the advancement of women to senior positions in the radio industry.
Riverfront Broadcasting owner Carolyn Becker is from Yankton, South Dakota. She has a Corporate Communications degree from Buena Vista University, along with minors in music and Spanish; her goal from back in high school was to own radio stations. In 2004, Carolyn and her husband, Doyle, created Riverfront Broadcasting LLC, which currently owns 12 radio stations in South Dakota and two in Minnesota. Over the years they have sold 13 radio stations and an ag network. Her favorite part of the business is getting other broadcasters into ownership. Becker was a graduate of the NABEF Broadcast Leadership Training program in 2005 and is the current chair of the South Dakota Broadcasters Association. She is also the mother of four kids, ages 22, 19, 14, and 11. She enjoys tennis, golf, walking, biking, spending time with family, traveling, and watching her kids in all their activities. She also enjoys being involved in numerous boards and committees.
Gordon Borrell, CEO of Borrell Associates, is a sought-after speaker for conferences and company meetings and is the local media industry’s leading analyst. He is ranked in the top 2% among Gerson Lehrman Group’s 150,000 consultants worldwide and is quoted frequently in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Ad Age, Forbes, and other publications. He has appeared on CNN and other TV and radio programs discussing trends and forecasts for local media. Before starting Borrell Associates, Borrell was vice president for new media for Landmark Communications. He started his career as a reporter and editor for The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Virginia. In 1989 he began pioneering interactive ventures and helped establish the first TV, newspaper, cable, and network TV websites. Borrell conceptualized and helped create InfiNet, an Internet access and hosting company later split up and sold to Earthlink and Gannett Co. He is past chairman of the Local Media Association and past president of the Newspaper Association of America’s New Media Federation.
Dan Day is an equity research analyst covering technology, media, and telecom at B. Riley Securities, including coverage of the three largest U.S. radio broadcasters: iHeartMedia, Audacy, and Cumulus Media. He is a CFA charter holder and earned his BA from La Salle University and MA from American University.
David L. Donovan is President and Executive Director of the New York State Broadcasters Association. He earlier served two terms on the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Spectrum Management Advisory Committee as well as the FCC’s Communications Security, Reliability, and Interoperability Council. From 2001 to 2011, Donovan served as president of the Association for Maximum Service Television, the leading engineering and technical trade association of the TV industry. During his tenure, MSTV guided the industry through the digital transition. From 1990-2000, Donovan served as VP/Legal and Legislative Affairs for the Association of Local Television Stations, where he worked with the NAB and successfully lobbied for a TV station’s right to must-carry and retransmission consent. During his tenure at the FCC, Donovan occupied a number of important legal positions at the agency. He was directly involved in revising content regulations as well as the ownership rules for radio and television.
Christopher Ensley is a Managing Director of technology, media & telecom (TMT) investment banking at Noble Capital Markets, where he focuses on capital raising, mergers and acquisition advisory, and valuation opinions for clients. During his tenure on Wall Street, Ensley has participated in over $16 billion in transactions. Prior to Noble, Ensley was a TMT investment banker at Coady Diemar Partners, a boutique investment bank in NYC. Prior to Coady Diemar, he was a Managing Director in the equity research department at Bear Stearns. While at Bear Stearns, Ensley was a member of the number one-rated broadcast equity research team for six straight years (2002-2007). Ensley was a Vice President of equity research covering the broadcast sector at Lazard. He began his Wall Street career as an equity research analyst at Salomon Brothers, where he covered the tower industry in addition to the broadcasting industry.
As President and CEO of the Radio Advertising Bureau, Erica Farber leads radio’s advocacy efforts by helping to drive business, grow advertising revenue, and communicate radio’s digital transition. Farber joined the organization in January 2012 as Executive Vice President, responsible for membership, services, and professional development, and within months was promoted to president and CEO. Before joining the RAB, she was CEO of the radio consulting and Internet service provider The Farber Connection LLC. During her 15-year tenure at Radio & Records, Farber held positions including COO, President, Publisher, and CEO. She has held nearly every position in radio sales and management, including rising through the ranks at the Interep companies and serving as EVP and radio development director. During the early years of her career, Farber held local sales positions at KRTH-FM, KABC-TV, and KIIS-AM in Los Angeles. She was later appointed GSM and GM of WROR-FM in Boston in the same year; her success led to an appointment as VP/GM of WXLO-FM/New York.
Robert Folliard is Senior Vice President, Government Relations & Distribution for Gray Television, Inc., which owns leading local television stations in 113 television markets. Folliard oversees federal regulatory matters for Gray Television, including its compliance with federal laws and FCC regulations. He also negotiates Gray’s retransmission consent agreements and maintains Gray’s relationships with MVPDs, OTT operators, and other distributors of Gray’s content. Prior to this role Folliard was Vice President & Deputy General Counsel for Gray Television. Before joining Gray in 2014, he was an associate in the Communications Groups at Cooley, LLP and Dow Lohnes, PLLC in Washington, D.C.
Randy D. Gravley is President & CEO of Tri-State Communications, Inc. Tri-State owns and operates radio stations in small markets north of Atlanta. Gravley got his start in radio as a part-time board operator while attending college and went on to purchase his first radio station at the age of 25. He served two terms as Chairman of the NAB Radio Board and as a NABPAC Trustee member. He is very passionate about the radio broadcasting industry and its future, saying, “We have a very good story to tell about radio.” Gravley has been inducted into the Georgia Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
Juliet Huddy is a veteran radio and television broadcaster and host. Her career highlights include working at WABC, where she initially provided news and entertainment updates on Bernie & Sid in the Morning. Soon after she teamed up with Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa to host the midday program Curtis & Juliet. Huddy got her network TV break in 1998 as a national news correspondent for FOX News, based in Miami and later in Los Angeles. After the 9/11 attacks, she was transferred to FOX HQ in New York City, hosting FOX & Friends, DaySide, and other shows. In 2007, she was given her own nationally syndicated talk show, The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet. In 2012, she moved to morning news at FOX 5 in NYC, and then launched her own music website, Blonde & Crossbones, focusing on interviews with rock and metal artists. She started the Juliet: Unexpected podcast in 2018, and later launched a travel segment on the Early News, Jet Set Juliet, which became a half-hour video podcast, Roamin’ & Juliet.
Rick Kaplan is the Chief Legal Officer and Executive Vice President, Legal and Regulatory Affairs for the National Association of Broadcasters. Kaplan joined NAB in 2012 as EVP/Strategic Planning and was named general counsel in 2014. In his current role, Kaplan is responsible for directing NAB’s advocacy at the FCC and other federal agencies, and manages all NAB’s legal affairs, including litigation and regulatory compliance. Before joining NAB, Kaplan served in numerous leadership capacities at the FCC; during his three-plus years there, he was the Chief of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, Chief Counsel to Chairman Julius Genachowski, and Chief of Staff and Media Advisor to Commissioner Mignon Clyburn. He also played a leading role in reviewing nearly every major transaction brought before the agency during Genachowski’s tenure, including Comcast/NBCU and AT&T/T-Mobile. As Chief Counsel, Kaplan managed the commission’s overall policy agenda. Before joining the FCC, he practiced appellate litigation and regulatory law at Sidley Austin LLP and served in the Office of the General Counsel at the U.S. House of Representatives.
Wayne Kimmel is the Managing Partner of SeventySix Capital, a venture capital company he founded in 1999 that invests in startup sports betting, esports, and sports tech companies. Among the top public companies that have acquired his portfolio companies are Aramark, DraftKings, fuboTV, Intel, IBM, Walgreens, and Yahoo. Kimmel also founded SeventySix Capital Sports Advisory, a sports consulting company, and the SeventySix Capital Athlete Venture Group, which allows athletes to invest, learn, and work directly with top sports tech startups and entrepreneurs. He is the host of the SeventySix Capital Sports Leadership Show, where he interviews the sports industry’s top entrepreneurs, athletes, and thought leaders. Kimmel is the author of Six Degrees of Wayne Kimmel in which he shares the practical secrets to his success while providing intimate glimpses behind the scenes of nail-biting, high-stakes business deals.
Leo Kivijarv, Ph.D., is Vice President, Research of PQ Media. He joined PQ Media in 2003 with three decades of experience in media management, research, consulting, and academia. He has been the co-author and editor of more than 100 reports on the media ecosystem covering advertising and marketing; consumer and business usage; consumer spending on media and technology; and business, government, and educational spending on media and technology. Since 2004 Dr. Kivijarv has led the PQ Media team in the first ever analysis of total political media buying across all media platforms. Hs is often quoted on political media spending trends and has written analysis of the political environment during federal elections and its impact on the radio industry for the RAB, most recently on the RAB blog.
Steven J. Lanzano joined TVB, the national trade association representing America’s local broadcast television industry, as President & CEO in January 2010. Lanzano is a 30-plus-year veteran of media agencies, rising to CEO, North America of MEC (now Wavemaker) as well as COO of Havas Media. His accomplishments include operational and advertising honors including a Cannes Gold Lion for AT&T/Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and seven Adweek/MediaWeek Media Plan of the Year Awards, as well as being named an Adweek/MediaWeek Media All-Star in 1986. Lanzano is currently in his 11th year leading TVB. Under his leadership, membership has grown 20% to over 800+ member stations, accomplished through the creation of national and local new business development teams, renewed research offerings, and a concerted effort to ramp up advocacy efforts within both industry press and general press. Additionally, TVB’s annual conference has grown tenfold. In addition, Lanzano serves on the boards of the Broadcast Foundation of America, The Ad Council, and the Emma Bowen Foundation.
Curtis LeGeyt is CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters, involved in all aspects of NAB’s work on behalf of free, local television and radio broadcasters. He previously served as NAB’s executive vice president of government relations and COO before being named to his current position. During his time at NAB, LeGeyt has led several highly successful efforts to advocate for laws that strengthen broadcasters’ ability to innovate and serve their communities. This includes permanent reauthorization of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act Reauthorization (STELAR), inclusion of $1 billion in RAY BAUM’s Act to reimburse stations impacted by the spectrum auction repack, and successful passage of the Music Modernization Act. Before joining NAB, LeGeyt served as the senior counsel to then-Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, advising Leahy and the committee on intellectual property, antitrust, and First Amendment issues.
A leading expert in media economy and the global advertising market for over two decades, Vincent Létang joined MAGNA in 2011, where he is EVP/Managing Partner of Global Market Intelligence. MAGNA is the market research and investment unit of IPG Mediabrands, one the leading media agency organizations.Based in New York City, Létang oversees the organization’s market research, forecasting, strategy, and advisory services. Among the regular publications of his team are the Global Advertising Forecasts (a bi-annual report on advertising spending in 70+ countries, with five-year forecasts), the quarterly US Advertising Forecasts, and the new Programmatic Report. MAGNA has been the reference for monitoring and forecasting U.S. ad market trends for more than 60 years. Before MAGNA Létang led the media/advertising practices in boutique market research and consultancy firms IHS Screen Digest in London and BIPE in Paris. Létang has been invited to speak on industry trends in more than 20 international conferences on media and advertising and is a regular panelist at the UBS Global Media Conference in New York.
Brian Lilly is CEO of Lilly Broadcasting and SJL Broadcasting. His companies operate television affiliates in Elmira/Corning/Horseheads, New York, and Erie, Pennsylvania. The privately held company also owns radio stations in Erie and Warren, Pennsylvania. Lilly’s portfolio includes One Caribbean Television, a channel dedicated to Caribbean lifestyle and information programming. Additional affiliates include CBS-Puerto Rico, CBS-Guam, and CBS/ABC in the U.S. Virgin Islands. WZMQ, a MeTV affiliate in Marquette, Michigan, was added in 2017. Lilly is part of a family steeped in broadcasting tradition. His brother, Kevin, is president of the company, and his father, George, founded the business in 1983. Lilly was educated at Boston University and was inducted into the Pennsylvania Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame in 2018. He has been a member of the WideOrbit Board of Directors for 21 years. He also is a member of the board of the Cable and Wireless Caribbean Foundation.
Bob Liodice is CEO of the Association of National Advertisers. He previously served as executive vice president, responsible for member relations and business development with a primary focus on strengthening relationships with ANA member companies and broadening the membership base. Liodice joined the ANA as senior vice president in 1995.Prior to the ANA, he was vice president of global marketing and sales for Grupo Televisa, a major worldwide broadcaster. His experience also includes more than 15 years in marketing and financial management at Kraft General Foods and tenure as category marketing manager for the Jell-O and Bakers brands. Liodice is a member of the boards of directors of the Advertising Council, Advertising Research Foundation, Advertising Self-Regulatory Council, Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, Advertising Educational Foundation, Digital Advertising Alliance, Trustworthy Accountability Group, and World Federation of Advertisers.
Dan Mason is currently a Venture Partner at Seventy Six Capital and a Strategic Advisor at Seventy Six Capital Sports Advisory. Mason spent most of his broadcasting career as President and CEO of CBS Radio, overseeing all aspects of the division. After his retirement, he joined VSIN in 2017 and two years later became that company’s chairman. He remained in that position until the company was acquired by Draft Kings in 2021. In April of this year, Dan Mason was inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame in New York.
DuJuan McCoy is the owner of Circle City Broadcasting, which operates WISH and WNDY in Indianapolis. He previously owned and operated television stations in Indiana, Louisiana, and Texas as the founder and owner of Bayou City Broadcasting. In addition to having been an owner since 2007, McCoy has over 30 years in broadcasting and broadcasting management. He’s worked in different regions of the country for ownership groups such as Capitol Broadcasting, River City Broadcasting, Sinclair Broadcast Group, and Fox Television Stations. McCoy currently serves on the Boards of NAB, NABLF, the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB), and the Broadcasters Foundation of America, is on the FCC Advisory Committee for Diversity, and is a member of the Board of Trustees at Butler University. He has recently announced a partnership with Cox Media Group to launch the Multicultural News Network (MNN), a 24-hour news network that focuses on America’s diverse communities.
Deb McDermott is CEO of Standard Media Group, and at the conclusion of the TEGNA acquisition by Standard General, she will assume the duties of CEO. She has a 20-plus-year career leading broadcast groups, including COO of Media General and CEO/President of Young Broadcasting. McDermott currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors and Chair of the Compensation Committee of MediaCo Holding Inc. (a public company) and has also served on the Board of Directors and previously was Chairman of the Compensation Committee of Truxton Trust, a private bank and wealth management firm located in Nashville. McDermott was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame in 2013 and has served as Chair of the National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) and the ABC Affiliate Board of Governors and has been a member of the boards of the National Association of Broadcasters, Television Bureau of Advertising, and the international CEO women’s organization C200. Currently, she serves on the boards of CMA and the Ensworth School.
Randy Michaels of Radioactive, LLC describes himself as a “mediocre broadcast technician who has dabbled in programming, management, and station ownership. He has been attributable in more U.S. broadcast licenses than anyone else and therefore has extensive experience in guessing what stations might be worth.” As CEO of Jacor Communications, Michaels led one of the nation’s most successful radio groups, selling the company to Clear Channel in 1999, where he remained as CEO until 2002. Early in 2005, Michaels began working with Oak Hill Capital partners on acquisition opportunities, culminating in the creation of Local TV LLC, a company that acquired nine local network-affiliated television stations formerly owned by The New York Times Company. Following his appointment as the company’s CEO in 2007, it was announced that eight large-market stations would be purchased from Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. Michaels later served as EVP of the Chicago-based Tribune Company and CEO of Interactive and Broadcasting operations as part of the management restructuring following the consummation of the Tribune Company privatization transaction.Michaels is the sole proprietor of Radioactive, LLC, a holding company for radio broadcast licenses.
Francisco “Frank” Montero is a Partner with the law firm of Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth, specializing in telecommunications, broadcasting, media, and technology. Montero’s practice includes FCC regulatory counseling, corporate finance, asset and securities acquisitions, intellectual property, and real estate and commercial transactions. Montero was an appointed member of the Federal Advisory Committee on Diversity for Communications in the Digital Age, and served as Director of the FCC’s Office of Communications Business Opportunities during the Clinton administration. While at the FCC, he worked extensively with industry, trade associations, financial institutions, and governmental agencies to create business opportunities for entrepreneurs and technology and telecommunications startups. Montero is well known as an early advocate for Hispanic and Spanish-language media in the U.S. and Latin America. He is on the Board of Directors of the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC). He also helped form and served on the boards of the American Hispanic Owned Radio Association (AHORA), the Spanish Broadcasters Association, and the National Association of Minority Media Executives.
Chris Ornelas serves as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Beasley Media Group. He joined the company on February 1, 2020. Before joining Beasley, the highly respected media executive most recently spent nearly a decade serving as Chief Operating and Strategy Officer of the National Association of Broadcasters, where he was responsible for overseeing the operations of and providing strategic guidance to NAB’s advocacy teams in addressing the diverse legal and regulatory issues facing broadcasters today.
Nicole Ovadia serves as BIA Advisory’s Vice President Forecasting & Analysis, overseeing the forecasting process across all local media segments. Additionally, she helps with strategic and financial consulting projects by providing insights and analysis on broadcasting and digital trends. Born and raised on Long Island, Nicole has always loved media. According to her parents, she said “Big Bird” before she said “Mom” or “Dad.” (They’re still miffed.) Ovadia began her career as the editor of Inside Radio before a five-year stint in finance working for BNP. She then spent 14 years at Emmis Communications in the Strategy Group, focusing on sales and acquisitions. as well as at the local level in New York, where she served as VP/Customer Success. From there, Ovadia worked with the New York State Broadcasters Association advocating for New York City radio.
Scott Painter, founder and CEO of Autonomy, loves cars, direct-to-consumer businesses, and technology — and his passion lies where those three converge. He is drawn to big, game-changing ideas that solve big problems or make an experience better. Painter is a serial entrepreneur in the automotive space and has launched several innovative business models that have disrupted and transformed the industry. In 2020, he founded Autonomy, a completely digital all-in-one electric vehicle subscription app that makes access to electric vehicles easier and more affordable than traditional ownership options. In 2016, Painter founded Fair, a used-vehicle subscription company, pioneering the car-as-a-service category. In 2005 he founded TrueCar (NASDAQ: TRUE), changing how consumers purchase vehicles by providing transparent access to vehicle transaction data. He served as the CEO of TrueCar, taking it public in 2014. Painter also founded CarsDirect.com (now Internet Brands), which introduced the first generation of online car sites. He regularly attends TED, has been a member of the World Economic Forum Automotive Roundtable and was a founding member of Richard Branson’s Carbon War Room.
Larry Patrick is a broadcaster and media broker. His firm has sold over $8.5 billion worth of television and radio stations over the past 20 years. In all, the firm has completed over 700 transactions. He and his wife, Susan, also own 25 small radio stations in the Rocky Mountains and have an interest in several major market television stations. Larry is a former Senior Vice President of the NAB, Chairman of Ion Media, and COO of Gilmore Broadcasting and has owned or operated over 100 radio and 85 television stations. Patrick holds a Ph.D. in communications and management as well as a law degree from Georgetown University. He currently serves on the NAB Radio Board, is a director of Yellowstone Forever and the Capital Campaign Committee for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and is involved in numerous charitable activities including building a medical and dental clinic in Eswatini, a pre-school through high school in Kenya, and several schools for Native Americans in the U.S.
Miller Kaplan Partner Andrew Rosen, CPA, with more than 20 years of experience, leads Miller Kaplan’s Media group, which specializes in the operational and financial structures of broadcast and media clients. Beyond working with clients to provide revenue measurement, Rosen offers audit services within the media and broadcast industries. His knowledge and impact in the media and accounting fields have led to his committee membership in the Media Financial Management Association, in addition to other industry roles.
Ryan Seacrest is an Emmy-winning television host, radio personality, mega producer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Seacrest co-hosts and co-executive produces ABC’s award-winning LIVE with Kelly and Ryan, for which he earned an Emmy for Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host. Seacrest is also host and producer of the #1 Los Angeles morning drivetime show for iHeartMedia’s 102.7 KIIS-FM; the nationally syndicated On Air with Ryan Seacrest; and American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest. For 20 seasons, Seacrest has hosted ABC’s American Idol; the show will return for its 21st season in early 2023. Additionally, Seacrest has hosted the annual live broadcast of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest since 2005. Ryan Seacrest Productions launched in 2006 and has been behind countless hit series including E!’s Keeping Up With The Kardashians and its spinoffs. Currently, Ryan Seacrest Productions has several scripted projects in development. Seacrest’s philanthropic efforts include serving as chairman of the Ryan Seacrest Foundation (RSF), which has successfully installed 10 broadcast media centers in pediatric hospitals nationwide, with two more to open in 2023.
Jeffrey H. Smulyan is founder, CEO, and Chairman of the Board of Emmis Corp. He is a former chairman and current director of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership and a former chairman of the RAB. He is also a former director of the NAB and a member of numerous other industry and civic boards and committees. As principal shareholder, he led a group that purchased the Seattle Mariners baseball team in 1989. Smulyan has been recognized as a Giant of Broadcasting by the Library of American Broadcasting, received the NAB National Radio Award, and was inducted in the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame and the Indiana Business Hall of Fame. The Broadcasters Foundation has honored him with its Golden Mike Award, and in 2017, he received the Lowry Mays Excellence in Broadcasting Award from the Broadcasters Foundation of America. Smulyan’s first book, How to Ride a Roller Coaster Upside Down, will be released in November 2022.
Gayle Troberman is Chief Marketing Officer for iHeartMedia, leveraging the company’s extensive range of content, experiences, and technologies to bring brands together in new ways with consumers across all of the company’s businesses, iHeartMedia’s 859 radio stations, and iHeartRadio. Troberman is a marketing innovator and visionary. Prior to iHeartMedia, she served as Chief Marketing and Ideas Officer for IPG Mediabrands, and before that, she spent 16 years at Microsoft, first launching Internet startups and building the first branded entertainment team online, and then as Chief Creative Officer, overseeing their portfolio of brands and global advertising campaigns across consumer and business-to-business products, including Windows, Office, Bing, and XBOX.
Jordan Wertlieb is president of Hearst Television, overseeing Hearst’s TV stations, digital properties, and two radio stations across 26 U.S. markets. He is also a Hearst Senior VP and a member of the Hearst board. Wertlieb is immediate past chairman of the NAB Joint Board and previously chaired its Television Board. He is also a member of the A+E Networks board and serves as a vice chair of the board for the Broadcasters Foundation of America. Wertlieb began his TV career in 1986 as a research analyst at Katz Communications in New York. He became a television AE at Katz in 1989, representing Hearst Broadcasting (Hearst Television’s predecessor) as well as other leading station groups. In 1993, he joined Hearst’s WCVB-TV/Boston as national sales manager; he rose to LSM in 1998 and in 1999 became GSM of WBAL-TV, Hearst’s NBC affiliate in Baltimore. In 2005, he became the station’s President/GM. In 2015, Wertlieb was inducted into the Maryland D.C. Delaware Broadcasting Hall of Fame and in 2018 to the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame.
“Angela Yee is a powerhouse! She’s a businesswoman, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and a highly entertaining, smart and witty talent who will go down as one of the greats of her generation,” says iHeartMedia EVP/Programming Thea Mitchem. And the award-winning media personality will soon host a new broadcast radio show, Way Up with Angela Yee. The program, which will air middays, will launch across more than 30 iHeartMedia stations and be available for syndication through Premiere Networks. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Yee is a media veteran and has been on air for nearly two decades interviewing top entertainers including Dave Chapelle, Issa Rae, Cardi B, President Barack Obama, Jay Z, Eminem, Nas, and more. Over the past 12 years, she has been a co-host of Power 105’s popular, nationally syndicated The Breakfast Club with DJ Envy and Charlamagne Tha God. The two-time Gracie winner has also built a successful business empire; her businesses include a coffee shop called Coffee Uplifts People, which she co-owns with Tony Forte and LaRon Batchelor; a juice shop, Drink Fresh Juice, which she co-owns with Tony Forte; and a hair-care company, Private Label.