As Women’s History Month concludes, Barrett Media is sitting down for conversations with some of the highest-ranking female executives in the media space. We begin the series with one of the most accomplished executives — male or female — in the business: Premiere Networks President Julie Talbott.
After originally beginning her career in advertising at BBDO, Julie Talbott joined Premiere Networks in 1999 as Senior Vice President of Integrated Marketing Solutions. In 2003, she was elevated to Executive Vice President of Affiliate Relations.
Julie Talbott was later promoted to President of Content and Affiliate Relations before again rising eventually to the role of President of Premiere Networks in 2014.
In this conversation, Talbott answers if she thought there was a pathway to an executive role in media when she began, what she enjoys about her job, and why she believes it’s her duty to mentor those wishing to follow in her footsteps.
Garrett Searight: I’d like to start by going back even before your career started. When did you know that you wanted to get into radio and be in the media space?
Julie Talbott: Well, I think it’s almost a bigger issue than that. I grew up with women in my life who were all working, whether that was in the banking community or running a farm, et cetera. I had always had the ability to see women in a workplace, and I think that always influenced me. That was the way it should be.
It really wasn’t until I graduated from college and came to New York City that I had the opportunity to talk with people in every industry. The broadcasting field just completely grabbed my imagination and that creative juice that gets flowing. It really was an industry that allowed everyone to contribute.
So I would say it was right after college, having the opportunity to really see different industries in New York City in action.
GS: There are a lot of folks who even today still believe that radio is a male-dominated industry. When you look around, the CEO of Audacy, the CEO of Beasley Media Group, the CEO of Cumulus, the CEO of Hubbard, the President of Bonneville — you can go down the list — there are women executives leading all of these organizations. Did you think that was possible when you first got into the industry, that you could rise to the level that you have?
JT: Absolutely. I knew that it would be a tough road to travel, but I never doubted it. You set your goals and you go after them, and we’ve made extraordinary progress across all of audio and broadcasting — whether in on-air roles, leadership roles, or influential voices.
We have really seen incredible change, whether it’s on air with Angela Yee, Delilah, and all the support with Amy Brown, Gandhi, and Danielle Monaro. We just have so many terrific on-air folks, as well as in leadership roles. So I never did doubt it. I knew that it would be a hard road, but I never doubted it.
GS: Who are some of the people who influenced you on your journey to where you’ve gotten?
JT: I think every manager I’ve ever had. Whether that was Darren Davis, Charlie Riley, or the leadership of Bob (Pittman) and Rich (Bressler), everybody has been open to listening to what my goals have been. I don’t think there’s one person — it takes an army.
The more people you get to work with, the more opportunities different people have to get to know you and how you work.
GS: Now that you’ve risen to the stature that you have, how important is mentorship from you to other people coming up in the industry?
JT: Very important. Walking around the floor, not recognizing some faces, and always saying, “Hey, what are you doing here?” — I think all of us as managers have been very open to saying, if you have anybody in your department who needs to talk with me or wants to talk to another manager, let’s encourage that. Let’s make sure they feel comfortable to say, “Hey, I’ve been really thinking about production,” so I can put them in touch with the production team to talk about what a day looks like.
Mentorship is really critical, and I think iHeart does a really good job of that, so that young folks know there is always someone open to talking to them.
GS: What’s the best part of your job?
JT: Being with all the different people. This industry has the most amazing, interesting people doing all kinds of different things and always bringing unique ideas. Being down here [Talbott was at Country Radio Seminar during our conversation] — really shows that, because there are people from all parts of the business, and each conversation is more interesting than the next. Just being with the people, gathering their ideas, and talking about new things coming up is really the best part.
GS: If somebody were to ask you for advice on climbing the ladder in the media space, what would you tell them?
JT: Talk to as many people as you can. Let as many people know what your goals are as you can, and work harder than anybody else to get there.
GS: That’s good stuff, Julie. Is there anything else you’d like to include that I didn’t ask you?
JT: I think we’re good. We’re proud of what we’ve done at Premiere Networks. We have women in every position, and we’ll keep expanding. The most important thing is not just about the number of people — it’s about the opportunities.
For those who want to rise, we absolutely need to help them in any way we can, because the greater diversity you have in every position, the more diverse ideas you have to come up with the best solutions.
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing daily news stories, features, and opinion columns. He joined Barrett Media in 2022 after a decade leading several radio brands in several formats, as well as a 5-year stint working in local television. In addition to his work with Barrett Media, he is a radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.
