Mark Adams is Program Director at iHeartMedia’s Top 40 Z100, New York, and VP of CHR Programming. Adams joined Z100 in March 2024, moving cross country from Wild 94.9 and Star 101.3, San Francisco.
In Barrett Media’s Top 20 series, he was voted the #1 CHR programmer of 2024. Industry executives and programmers voted on his behalf, recognizing the contributions he’s made to New York’s hit radio station.
I had the opportunity to chat with Mark about being recognized by his peers, Z100, Elvis Duran, and much more.
Jeff Lynn: What was your reaction to landing the top spot on Barrett Media’s Top 20 CHR Program Directors list?
Mark Adams: I was genuinely surprised and both grateful and appreciative of the acknowledgment. It’s always nice to be recognized, and even more so when it’s driven by our industry peers. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who voted for me; considering how many talented programmers were also highlighted, that makes it even more special.
JL: What was the reaction like from your staff and industry colleagues?
MA: I heard from a lot of people the morning of the announcement, including other radio programmers, many of my current and former employees, and a number of label executives. Again, it was very nice and totally unexpected. It was also gratifying to see so many of my iHeartRadio programming partners receiving recognition of their own, including Dylan Sprague, Beata, Cara Hahn, Maynard, Tony Travatto, Rich Davis, Dan Hunt, James Howard, Mark Medina, and others.
JL: Your morning show, Elvis Duran, landed the top spot among CHR programs. What was your reaction when you heard that?
MA: I’m very happy for Elvis and the entire show, but to be candid, I’m also not terribly surprised. Elvis Duran & The Morning Show have been dominating morning drive in NYC for literal decades. The entire cast, both behind the mics and behind the scenes, are best in class. They do a tremendous job every morning. They’re also just great people, and I enjoy working with them.
JL: Z100 is a huge heritage brand. How aware are you of those who came before you and keeping the brand at the top?
MA: Highly. I’d go so far as to say that thought was paramount upon assuming the role. I’m only the sixth person to program Z100 New York, following Scott Shannon, Steve Kingston, Tom Poleman, Sharon Dastur, and Mark Medina. This brand means a lot to New Yorkers. There’s a very specific set of listener expectations that come along with having been an integral part of their lives for so many years.
I certainly feel the weight of those expectations. Though I’ve also been diligent about immersing myself in both the brand and the market. I also have great institutional knowledge within the building and the organization to call upon up too, including Tom (Poleman. Along with that I bring my own thirty years of programming experience.
Having said that, it’s not really about any one person, not even me. We have great, committed, and passionate teammates in programming, promotions and marketing, social, sales, research, and more that all play a significant role in keeping Z100 successful.
JL: What’s it like working with Elvis?
MA: Prior to even meeting him, I have been a long time Elvis Duran fan. Having already been a listener for many years, it’s kind of remarkable now finding myself working with him and the morning show. While I wouldn’t say I was intimidated, and to give you an idea of Elvis’s humor in response to that, he would have immediately demanded, “Why not?!”
I certainly brought a healthy amount of respect to the new relationships. They’ve been successfully entertaining, informing, and providing companionship to our listenership for many years. Yet despite that incredible winning track record, I’ve found Elvis and the entire show to be easy to work with and open to direction and feedback.
In response to my attempting to compliment him, Elvis would be the first to say something humorous or self-deprecating in deflection, but I genuinely think he’s one of if not the most effective morning drive hosts in radio history. His warmth, humor, empathy, and ability to make one on one connections with listeners is simply unparalleled. Getting to know Elvis, Danielle, Gandhi, Skeery, Nate, and the rest of the EDMS team has been one of my highlights of joining Z100.
JL: With such a huge spotlight on the morning show, does that impact the rest of your staff either negatively or positively?
MA: I don’t believe it’s anything other than a positive. The Z100 staff all recognizes that our overarching success begins in morning drive and that we’re all working towards the same goals. Having said that, I care just as much about our performance in midday with Ryan (Seacrest) and Sisanie, afternoon drive with Crystal Rosas, evenings with Josh Martinez, late nights and overnights with respectively Shelly Rome and Kiana Singh, and our entire on-air team. I certainly try to convey that consistently.
JL: So many young people starting out set their sights on Z100 or KIIS as a goal. What advice do you have for someone shooting for the top?
MA: If you have passion for radio, one of the best pathways to furthering your career is still simply getting into the building. I think you’d be hard-pressed to speak to any successful radio professional that didn’t work their way up from the inside. While things have never been more complicated and competitive, the need for exceptional talent has never been greater. I’ve always tried to offer mentorship and guidance, and I know I’m not alone in that ethos. If you have talent, passion, and hustle, there are still fantastic opportunities available and people who will be willing to help.
JL: And along those lines how did you get your start?
MA: I began my radio career in a very small town in rural Arkansas. I’m not sure it even rated a market ranking at the time. There were only three local radio stations, and I was fortunate enough to get in the door at one of them. I was excited to be there, driven to learn everything I could, and then willing to go wherever necessary to further my professional growth.
I was later an on-air personality in Phoenix and San Diego. My first program director’s position was in Fresno, CA. I later programmed in Milwaukee, Portland, Houston, and San Francisco. I was in the Bay Area for the past decade before moving to New York last April. The point being, if I did it, you can certainly do it as well.
JL: How do events like Jingle Ball impact not only all of iHeart’s Top 40 brands but Z100 as well?
MA: I, along with Marissa Morris (iHM SVP artist relations) work together each year to book the Jingle Ball tour. It rolls across ten markets each December and is a massive undertaking. The shows are a celebration and culmination of that year’s hit songs and artists across our CHR radio stations.
The Jingle Ball brand itself is iconic, and our listeners and clients nationwide are passionately engaged with these shows. For Z100 NYC, this event has history dating back to 1996. Then, as today, it’s held each December at Madison Square Garden. Over the past nearly three decades, the Z100 Jingle Ball has featured the biggest names in music, including Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber, Olivia Rodrigo, Bruno Mars, and many more.
This past December featured Katy Perry, Tate McRae, Gracie Abrams, Teddy Swims, Benson Boone, Twenty-One Pilots, and many others, too. For New York, this is *the* holiday concert of the year. The shows often sell out within a few minutes of the on-sale, and Jingle Ball tickets then become the hottest and most in-demand contesting element we execute all year. As the PD of Z, it really doesn’t get any better than that.
Speaking in my VP CHR role for a moment, as I mentioned a moment ago, this is really the winners circle for a year’s worth of both song and artist development at the format as well. We’re as passionate about identifying and developing new and emergent artists as we are supporting those who are already established.
It’s always fun to share that many of the artists we have had in smaller events in years past, or even at a station’s Jingle Ball’s daytime village in years past, have gone on to become Jingle Ball headliners. Which is incredible for our listeners and, of course, the artists themselves. Z100 is an undeniable shaper of music and pop culture. It’s an honor to be a part of that legacy.
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Jeff Lynn serves as Editor of Barrett Media’s Music Radio coverage. Prior to joining Barrett Media, Jeff spent time programming in Milwaukee, Omaha, Cleveland, Des Moines, and Madison for multiple radio groups, including iHeartMedia, Townsquare Media, NRG Media, and Entercom (now Audacy). He also worked as a Country Format Editor for All Access until the outlet shut down in August 2023.
To get in touch with Jeff by email, reach him at Jeff@BarrettMedia.com.
