Part of the postscript to Indiana University’s improbable National Championship title run is the coaching legacy. Under IU Head Coach Curt Cignetti, Indiana University rose to the top of the national stage in just two short seasons. Indiana’s title story is a reflection of how a strong coach and a winning culture can quickly transform a program into a clear winner.
Coach Cignetti is just one of many branches on the “coaching tree” of Hall of Fame coach Nick Saban. In the history of college football, Saban has arguably built the deepest coaching legacy. His Alabama teams were crowned National Champion six times, after winning his first title at LSU. Saban’s “coaching tree” includes Cignetti and two other National Championship coaches—Kirby Smart and Jimbo Fisher. Oh—and add Cignetti’s opponent in last week’s game, Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal, to that tree as well.
Radio has its own “coaching trees.” These are programming giants and towering figures who dominated their eras while developing generations of programmers, consultants, and talent who went on to shape the industry.
If you are a recent addition to our business, it is wise to study the strategic and tactical minds of the legends who came before you.
Bill Drake
Bill Drake was one of the most influential figures in American Top 40 radio of the last century. Drake was a blue-chip consultant and programmer whose ideas reshaped Top 40 radio in the 1960s. He began his radio career in the 1950s in Atlanta and later San Francisco, where his music-first strategy took shape, featuring tight playlists and minimal on-air chatter.
Drake later met Gene Chenault in Fresno, where they formed Drake-Chenault Enterprises. The firm syndicated a streamlined Top 40 format known as “Boss Radio.” The programming featured the legendary Drake Drum in the legal ID. Also a cappella jingles from the Johnny Mann Singers, and strictly structured clocks which were unheard of in the 1960s.
The Drake-Chenault format quickly turned underperforming stations into winners across major markets. This included Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, New York, Boston, and Detroit.
Drake’s “coaching tree” influenced a generation of program directors and radio talent, many of whom became legends themselves.
Ron Jacobs—Program Director at KHJ—helped launch the Boss Radio sound in Los Angeles and produced The History of Rock and Roll, radio’s first long-form “rockumentaries.”
Bill Watson served as National Program Director under Drake and Chenault, carrying forward the Boss Radio principles.
Jhani Kaye, a later-generation Drake disciple, studied Drake’s programming philosophy and cited his influence while programming K-EARTH in Los Angeles.
Additional programming understudies on Drake’s “coaching tree” include Mike Phillips (K-EARTH), Paul Drew (KFRC), Ted Atkins (KHJ), and Sebastian Stone (KFRC). Many of Drake’s programmers later became respected consultants themselves.
Talent who embraced Drake’s tight content construction included Robert W. Morgan, the morning personality at KHJ during the Boss Radio years. Also The Real Don Steele, the station’s afternoon drive host, and Shotgun Tom Kelly, who later replaced Steele at K-EARTH in the 1990s. Each mastered the rapid-fire energy of the Boss Radio format.
Bill Drake taught me the power of a short music list, the impact of tight break construction, and the ear-grabbing magic of strong, well-written imaging.
Lee Abrams
Nearly the polar opposite of Bill Drake is Lee Abrams. One of the most influential figures in American radio. Abrams pioneered the use of audience research to guide music and format decisions on FM radio at a time when talent largely dictated programming.
In the early 1970s, Abrams founded Burkhart/Abrams with Kent Burkhart, which quickly became a major force in radio consulting. The firm is credited with creating Album Oriented Rock (AOR) specifically for FM radio, then distributing the format to hundreds of stations nationwide.
As the first employee and Chief Programming Officer at XM Satellite Radio, Abrams designed programming for 150 unique channels and helped establish satellite radio as a major audio platform.
Abrams’ genius extended well beyond radio. He later served as Chief Innovation Officer for The Tribune Company, where he reimagined strategies for television stations, cable networks, and newspapers.
Lee Abrams’ unique communication style, combined with groundbreaking creative vision, made him one of a kind. He recognized that listener culture mattered as much as demographics. Abrams has consulted for more than 1,000 radio stations and major media brands, including MTV, Rolling Stone, and Disney.
The influence of Lee Abrams is reflected in both format and talent.
Jarl Mohn programmed Abrams’ AOR format at WLRS-FM in Louisville under the name Lee Masters. He later served as General Manager of MTV and VH1, founded E! Entertainment Television, and led National Public Radio as President and CEO for nearly a decade.
Lee Michaels became a longtime partner, top programmer, and AOR format developer within Burkhart/Abrams/Michaels/Douglas & Associates, as the firm was later renamed.
Dave Logan also played a major role at Burkhart/Abrams/Michaels/Douglas & Associates. He programmed KFOG-FM in San Francisco, WCBS-FM in New York, and worked with Abrams on the development team at XM.
Abrams also played a significant role in the major-market careers of Howard Stern and Steve Dahl.
My first exposure to Lee Abrams came at WLRS-FM in Louisville. As a young talent, I didn’t understand the value of a consultant until our first meeting. In a conference room packed with programming talent and leadership, Abrams entered. He jumped onto the table and with his signature Afro floating through the air shouted, “Think outside the box? Where we are going there is no box.” That moment stays with me like it was yesterday.
You may not have heard of our first two examples—Bill Drake and Lee Abrams. You have, however, certainly heard of our final example.
Mike McVay
Mike McVay is a longtime consulting leader with more than four decades of broadcasting experience. He is best known as President of McVay Media Consulting, where he works with talent on content creation, programming strategy, coaching, and media development across radio, podcasting, streaming, and digital platforms.
From his early radio beginnings in the American South to today, Mike has built a “coaching tree” that resembles a giant redwood. More than four decades have passed since he formed McVay Media, during which time he has guided stations across the Americas, the U.K., Australia, and New Zealand.
For nearly a decade, Mike served as Executive Vice President of Content and Programming for Cumulus Media and Westwood One, overseeing more than 500 owned and operated stations. He developed national content and scaled syndicated systems across the Cumulus Radio platform.
Mike’s trophy case is extensive. He has been recognized with honors from Radio Ink, the Rockwell Award, the Innovation in Music & Media Award, the Worldwide Radio Summit Lifetime Achievement Award, and induction into the National Radio Hall of Fame. He is also a NAB National Radio Award honoree.
The list of programmers and talent Mike has mentored is vast.
Programming professionals who have passed through Mike’s orbit include Charlie Cook, Harv Blain, Dave Lang, Holland Cooke, and dozens of others—along with many reading this today.
Listing every individual Mike has coached would require a separate article. Household names include Delilah, John Tesh, Soledad O’Brien, Reba McEntire, Hall & Oates, and Robin Meade.
My first encounter with Mike McVay’s greatness came more than 30 years ago. While considering the McVay Media team for our Buffalo franchise, we traveled along Lake Erie to meet Mike at his Cleveland headquarters. His extensive library of manuals—covering everything from production to promotion to presentation—was impressive. On the way to dinner, I played what I believed was a fantastic promo for our AC brand. When it ended, Mike paused and said, “it’s too long.”
He was right.
Consider the “coaching tree” you are part of today. Also consider the “coaching tree” you have grown throughout your career. No one scales the mountain of success alone. Take time to thank those who helped you along the way.
Our business is competitive, but it is also about lifting others through shared knowledge. Among the inspiring quotes from Coach Saban is:
“Leadership is about making those around you better, and helping them reach their full potential.”
Our charge is to light—and then pass—the torch.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest informed right in your inbox.
Kevin Robinson is a passionate award-winning programmer, consultant and coach – with multi-formats success all over the country. He has advised numerous companies including Audacy (formerly Entercom Communications), Beasley Broadcast Group, Westwood One, Midwest Communications, Townsquare Media, Midwest Family Broadcasting Group, EG Media Group, Federated Media, Kensington Media, mediaBrew Communications, Starved Rock Media, and more. He specializes in strategic radio cluster alignment, building lean-forward tactics and talent coaching – legacy and entry-level – personalities.
Known largely as a trusted talent coach, Kevin is the only personality mentor who’s coached three different morning shows on three different brands in the same major market to the #1 position. His efforts have been recognized by The World Wide Radio Summit, Radio & Records, NAB’s Marconi, and he has coached CMA, ACM and Marconi Award-winning talent. He is also in The Zionsville High School Hall of Fame as part of the 2008 inaugural class. Kevin is an Indiana native – living near Zionsville with his wife of 39 years, Monica and can be reached at kevin@robinsonmedia.fm.
