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This is the official release from Citadel.
Subject: Citadel Knoxville GM position eliminated
"It is will great sadness that we were informed today that Ed Brantley is no longer with Citadel Knoxville, effective immediately.
These are trying economic times and Citadel Corporate made the difficult decision to eliminate the General Manager's position in the Knoxville market. This has been done in several other Citadel markets for cost cutting reasons. The position will not be refilled.
Ed Brantley has been a major influence in East Tennessee radio and in community in so many capacities and he will be greatly missed by staff, clients and friends of the station. We thank him for his many years of service to this company.
Ben McWhorter will be over all sales
Mike Hammond will be over all programming
Robin Lane will be over all business
Paul O’Malley, President of the South East Division of Citadel, will be available for any assistance required."
WIVK, 107.7 FM
#1 Radio Station in the Knoxville market since 1972!
7 Time CMA Country Station of the Year
5 Time ACM Country Station of the Year
IF this can happen at the number one station in the market it can happen anywhere.
Since we (CP and Walker) left radio I have had dipped back into the fringe of the industry two POINT 1 times and I can tell you each experience caused me to miss the
"old" days. My personal (and this is only substantiated on personal experiences) opinion is only crooks, fools and those who just don't have a clue are either running the industry or trying to get into it. Granted today radio sales are kinda like a battlefield where both sides lost and only the wreckage and dead remain. Still anyway you cut it Corporate American is running most big stations now and when sales start to take that final swirl down the bowl people are always the next to go. We all know it, if you are in the industry you live with it daily but Brothers and Sisters that still does not make it easier when a guy who just captained the biggest and most successful radio ship in the nation gets tossed overboard.
So next time a radio rep. calls or drops in to see you, give them a listen and see if tossing a log on their fire can rekindle yours.
Ed you will be missed!
