Jim Ryan

101 POSTS
Jim Ryan is a Music Radio columnist for Barrett Media. In addition, he runs Jim Ryan Media LLC, a consulting company which assists major market radio brands and top talent including national radio personality Delilah. Prior to relaunching his consultancy in 2025, Jim spent 15 years with Audacy/CBS Radio, serving as SVP of Programming. Among his responsibilities included programming WNEW-FM and WCBS-FM.  His career includes additional programming stops in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Houston. Jim was voted the #2 PD of 2024 in Barrett Media's Top 20 series in the AC category. He can be reached by email at Jim@JimRyanMedia.com.

Why the Barrett Media Top 20 Lists Matter to Music Radio Professionals

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Where else would you find national shows winning in some formats and great local talent in Philly, Detroit, and Boston winning in others?

Music Radio Morning Shows Ignored a 26-Million-Viewer Moment

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One morning show told me they didn’t make the hockey win a focus because women don’t care about sports. That, to me, was like saying male-targeted news radio shouldn’t have mentioned the Nancy Guthrie story because men don’t care about kidnappings.

Randy Micahels Was Right — But Music Radio Paid the Price

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Randy Michaels compared radio to railroads. Trains are still running, and radio stations are still playing the hits of yesterday and today. But there’s a lot less of both.

If Music Radio Wants Listener Loyalty, Give Them a Story to Follow

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If you’re on the air and have built a relationship with your audience, are you telling your story? The more listeners know about you and the cast of your show, the more points of relatability they will have with you.

Music Radio Doesn’t Need Better Research — It Needs More Courage

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Visionaries took chances on Howard Stern, Rush Limbaugh, WFAN, and Charlamagne tha God. If those leaders had played it safe, radio’s AQH would be significantly lower today.
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Breaking

Howard Stern’s HBO Max Deal Is a Win for Everyone Involved

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Audio built Stern's legend, yet television extends it to a generation that discovers shows through streaming platforms rather than satellite dials.

When Artists Die: Streaming Data Tells the Story

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"The genuine shock of losing someone whose voice shaped your entire life. That can't be planned. That's real."

Salem Media’s Allen Power Reflects on 50-Year Radio Career Before Retirement

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"It's bittersweet. What I will do is just be grateful. I'll be grateful for the 26 years with Salem, and the 50 years in the business, and the wonderful people that I've worked with."

How Freezing Cold Takes Turned Sports’ Worst Predictions Into An Entertainment Phenomenon

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"I was only going to use it to mess with people. I did not plan on it being big at all. But it lends to what I do, which is find stuff. And because it’s sports, it makes it that much better for me."