Ep. 61 Mike McVay

EPISODE SUMMARY: Mike McVay is a 40+ year radio veteran with expertise spanning content creation broadcasting, network syndication, talent coaching, artist development, and media strategy design. He has held numerous roles including EVP of Cumulus and Westwood One and is the President of McVay Media Consulting. McVay shares the story of his legendary career. McVay will be among those honored this fall as Giants of Broadcasting by the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation at the 2024 Giants of Broadcasting & Electronic Arts luncheon and awards ceremony on November 12th at Gotham Hall in New York City.On this episode of Chachi Loves Everybody, Chachi talks to Mike McVay about:Growing up outside of Pittsburgh in a railroad family and deciding to do radio from an early ageGetting his first gig at WHJB at 15 then dropping out of college and moving to West Virginia to become a program directorHis desire for career growth and to control his own destiny and how that attracted him to programmingJumping around to several cities and stations before landing in LA where he was surrounded by legendary air talent whom he learned fromBouncing around more and becoming a station manager and GMHaving a supportive wife and family who allowed them to move around but also supported him and founded McVay Media with him along with Charlie CookThe explosive success of McVay Media and recruiting top consultants to handle over 200 stations eventually growing to over 25 employees worldwideBuying his first radio station and the stress of owning multiple stationsJoining Cumulus Media and Westwood One as EVP of Content and Programming and advising over 500 stationsHow he reacted to management shakeups, the evolution of Cumulus, and stepping away to focus back on McVay Media which became a family affairThe many industry organizations he is a part of, including the Country Radio Broadcasters Board, Alliance for Women in Media Board, and the Radio Committee for St. Jude's Children's Hospital and Research CenterThe importance of professionalism, personal happiness, and giving back, and being a good personABOUT THIS EPISODE'S GUEST: Mike McVay is President of McVay Media Consulting. Working globally as a full-service consultant in the areas of Content Creation, Program Consultation, Syndication, Digital Delivery, Production & Imaging, Podcasting, Talent Coaching, and Media Training. He was most recently the Executive Vice President of Content and Programming for Cumulus Media and Westwood One.McVay is a 40+ year programmer with national and local management, ownership, sales, major market programming, and major market on-air experience. Mike has owned and operated radio stations in multiple markets. He is a partner in Benztown + McVay Media Podcast Network with experience in curating Podcasts for Westwood One, NatGeo and Disney+. He has also developed and launched several highly successful nationally syndicated programs.He is a 2021 Inductee to the West Virginia Broadcasters Hall of Fame. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation, The Country Radio Broadcasters, the Radio Committee for St. Jude Children’s Hospital and Research Center, and is a voting member of the Country Music Association as well as The Academy of Country Music.ABOUT THE PODCAST: Chachi Loves Everybody is brought to you by Benztown and hosted by the President of Benztown, Dave “Chachi” Denes. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the myths and legends of the radio industry.PEOPLE MENTIONED:Donny OsmundJohn SallyJim BrickmanDoug StefanMark McGrathStephen A SmithSoledad O’BrienJean ChatskyCowboy PhilEd SalomanBob PittmanJohn RookCharlie CookJimmy FoxRich Brother RobinJack ArmstrongDon SteeleMachine Gun KellyNancy PlumJoe NastyDave SebastianCharlie TunaBarbara StreisandGene SimmonsBrooke ShieldsStephen BishopGeorge BurnsGeorge FrancisTom WilsonBernie DitmanDoris McVayJim and Tom ImbresciaLarry RobinsonLarry PollackTerry JacobsLou DickeyJohn PinchJim WestGeorge and RegJay AlbrightBob MoodyJerry KingHarv BlaineChris ElliottVal GarisGreg GalepsyJan JeffriesDwight DouglasHolland CookJim GlassBob McNeilDaniel AnstandigSue WilsonJim LongDavid RogersonChris BurnsSteve SmithBarry GerberChesley MaddoxKent BurkhardtLee AbramsGreg GillespieDave LangJohn TeshTom PullmanJustin ChaseGreg StrasselMary BernerBob WalkerDave MilnerBrian PhillipsRyan KershnerJai KershnerNikki LaniganJimmy LaniganBing CrosbyWalter CronkiteAl RokerChristine BaranskiSteve JonesChris ForgyJason BaileyABOUT BENZTOWN: Benztown is a leading international audio imaging, production library, voiceover, programming, podcasting, and jingle production company with over 3,000 affiliations on six different continents. Benztown provides audio brands and radio stations of all formats with end-to-end imaging and production, making high-quality sound and world- class audio branding a reality for radio stations of all market sizes and budgets. Benztown was named to the prestigious Inc. 5000 by Inc. magazine for five consecutive years as one of America’s Fastest-Growing Privately Held Companies. With studios in Los Angeles and Stuttgart, Benztown offers the highest quality audio imaging work parts for 23 libraries across 14 music and spoken word formats including AC, Hot AC, CHR, Country, Hip Hop and R&B, Rhythmic, Classic Hits, Rock, News/Talk, Sports, and JACK. Benztown’s Audio Architecture is one of the only commercial libraries that is built exclusively for radio spots to provide the right music for radio commercials. Benztown provides custom VO and imaging across all formats, including commercial VO and copywriting in partnership with Yamanair Creative. Benztown Radio Networks produces, markets, and distributes high-quality programming and services to radio stations around the world, including: The Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 Countdown, The Todd-N-Tyler Radio Empire, Hot Mix, Sunday Night Slow Jams with R Dub!, Flashback, Top 10 Now & Then, Hey, Morton, StudioTexter, The Rooster Show Prep, and AmeriCountry. Benztown + McVay Media Podcast Networks produces and markets premium podcasts including: IEX: Boxes and Lines and Molecular Moments.Web: benztown.comFacebook: facebook.com/benztownradioTwitter: @benztownradioLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/benztownInstagram: instagram.com/benztownradio Enjoyed this episode of Chachi Loves Everybody? Let us know by leaving a review! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.