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Chris Eagan Leaving CMG

R

RoddyFreeman

Radio Insight is reporting that Chris Eagan, SVP/Audience & Programming at Cox Media Group, is leaving to join Hubbard in Chicago as Vice-President of Brand and Content, overseeing Hot AC WTMX and Millennial Hits WTBC. He's been with CMG since 2008 and in Atlanta since 2012, starting in this market as PD of WSB-FM/B98.5.

His time here in Atlanta has to be considered a big success; all 3 CMG music stations have had stellar ratings and sounded really good during his tenure.

Hubbard is considered to be one of the best radio companies, but he has his work cut out for him. WTMX has mediocre 6+ numbers, but I haven't seen how they perform against young women, their target audience, and they could do well.

WTBC is on a full-power signal and seriously underperforming.

His departure from CMG comes shortly after the seemingly sudden departure of Market Manager Jaleigh Long.
 
Chris Eagan didn't like me in part because I didn't explicitly favor CMG stations or wasn't a full-throated supporter of the radio biz. But I once told him I wasn't a publicist, I was a reporter.
 
The proof is in the pudding with Chris’ performance, particularly in Atlanta. It’s hard to remember now, but when he first arrived, B98.5 was undergoing an identity crisis and The River couldn’t consistently break out from the pack. The Chicago job will be challenging in different ways, but Chris has steered stations through choppy waters before and Hubbard is likely the most programmer-friendly radio company in the country. He’ll also be reporting to fellow Cox expat Keith Lawless, with whom he evidently has a strong relationship.

On that note, while budget constraints have forced every radio company to shed payroll in recent years, the voluntary exodus of CMG’s strongest programming and on-air talent (across all of its markets) to other radio companies has been particularly striking. I have to imagine that’s due to a combination of below-market compensation, lack of opportunity for progression, and lack of resources. Say what you will about iHeart, they’re still making at least some attempts to cultivate talent where they can. CMG/Apollo can probably coast on the strength of its brands in many places, so they seem to be content harvesting as much cash as they can in the near term and hoping that a buyer eventually takes the stations off their hands.
 
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