Change is inevitable if you work in the radio business. For Ryan Maguire, it’s something he’s comfortable with and seems to thrive on.
After programming sports stations in Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Ann Arbor and most recently Miami, where he led WQAM, Maguire is changing coasts and formats. The veteran sports radio executive is heading to Seattle to oversee one of the nation’s top News Talk stations, KIRO-FM. The station is owned and operated by Bonneville International.
Maguire joined WQAM in April 2015 after managing 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh. During his time in South Florida, he was part of the decision making process to switch the station’s M-F daytime lineup from four shows to three. Among the moves made during his tenure included turning afternoons into a two-man affair with Marc Hochman and Channing Crowder, expanding Orlando Alzugaray’s midday show, and moving Zach Krantz to mornings with Joe Rose.
KIRO has been atop the ratings in Seattle but minus a PD since December after talented programmer Pete Gammell exited the the station. Maguire’s first day in his new home will be March 12th.
As far as WQAM is concerned, there’s been no official word yet on their plans for programming the station. But with Entercom recently purchasing CBS and retaining control of the market’s top two sports brands, WQAM and 790 The Ticket, internal options are available.
Jason Barrett is the Founder and CEO of Barrett Media. The company launched in September 2015 and has provided consulting services to America’s top audio and video brands, while simultaneously covering the media industry at BarrettMedia.com, becoming a daily destination for media professionals. Prior to Barrett Media, Jason built and programmed 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He was also the first sports programmer for SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, which later became 97.5 The Fanatic. Barrett also led 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY, and worked on-air and behind the scenes at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years at ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT producing ‘The Dan Patrick Show’ and ‘GameNight’. JB can be reached on Twitter @SportsRadioPD or by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
