AUGUST 12, 2019 RADIOINK•COM 21
what they were doing on air and bring it to
our digital platform. The DME would help
with the writing, grammar, headlines, etc. It
was getting buy-in, with them understand-
ing the importance to the community, their
own brand, and the company.
The second step was to give them
resources to help them be comfortable with
our digital platforms. We lost some on-air
talent. There was a subset who said, “I don’t
want to do that.” While we understood their
position, it was not one we could embrace,
and so roughly 15 percent of our on-air team
parted ways.
Radio Ink: Was it hard to sell up?
Wilson: The corporate office at Townsquare
back then was a dozen people. It was, “You
are in charge of this new strategy, you
implement it, and here we go.” I was selling
it up to myself.
Radio Ink: Did you think back then you
would become the CEO?
Wilson: When I joined I did not have aspira-
tions to be the CEO. I was happy to do the
job I was hired for. But I had aspirations,
since I was a kid, to be the CEO of an enter-
tainment company, so that has always been
my dream. I was not expecting it at this
company, but could not be more pleased
that it is. I am honored that has occurred.
Radio Ink: After the co-CEO arrangement
with Dhruv Prasad, you became the sole
CEO. What does that feel like, to become
CEO of a large company?
Wilson: On that day I felt honored and
blessed. I had the benefit of being with the
company since it was formed. We have out-
standing, dedicated employees I had been
working hand-in-hand with. I was glad to
continue the mission we started. It was a
consistency in the leadership that Steven
and I worked so closely together since the
beginning. I wanted to continue to move for-
ward with what we had been building.
Radio Ink: What is the day of a CEO in
radio like?
Wilson: Empowering, fun, challenging. I
love being on the road, which I am about
40 percent of the time, in our local markets
meeting with our teams. We do a “state of
the state” town hall — what are the goals
of the company, how are we doing, what is
the executive team’s focus, hearing ques-
tions and feedback on how we can become
a better company. Meeting with clients and
listeners. That’s the most satisfying part of
the job.
The other side is making sure we are
always evaluating our strategy. There is
so much happening in media. It’s the most
transformative time in media, when you
look at what has happened in print in the
last five years. Same for TV. When I joined
the company, TV was the number one
reach medium in the U.S. That has now
declined and radio is number one, reach-
ing 93 percent of Americans on a weekly
basis. More people listen to radio today
than 10 years ago.
It’s obviously an incredibly challenging
time in the media landscape, but that is
also a time to be bold, take risks. I could
not be more pleased with where we are as
a company.
Erik Hellum is our COO of local media.
He’s a tremendous partner who’s been in
the radio industry since day one. We spend a
lot of time strategizing, making sure we are
positioning ourselves optimally in our local
markets. Our ultimate goal is to be the num-
ber one local media company.
Our first goal is to be the number one
broadcaster in terms of total revenue and
audience. Our real goal is in three to five
years to be the number one media company
in each and every one of the markets we
operate in. I’m making sure we’re getting
the top talent and giving them the tools and
resources to go execute and achieve that
goal.Radio Ink: I remember how meaningful it
was when I was working in small-market
radio to have the CEO come in and speak
to us. Is that still the case?
Wilson: We have a wallet card that lists
the six tenets of the company. At the top
of that wallet card is “You Matter.” I want
to make sure I go into a market and let the
team know how much I appreciate the work
they’re doing and how important it is to
the company overall. To become a multi-
platform entertainment company embracing
digital as well as the live event platform is a
lot of hard work.
I just came off the road visiting markets
and was sharing with them that 10 years
ago, if you were an on-air talent, it was tre-
mendously hard. You come in, prep a great
local show with guests and calls, and after“Bill is an amazing leader
who fosters a culture of
creativity, ingenuity, and
out-of-the-box problem-
solving that delivers results.
Add to that Bill’s incredible
passion to superserve
the employees and the
customers, and you quickly
understand the secret
to Townsquare Media’s
success! Bill has redefined
what great leadership truly
is.”
Mary Niemeyer
Market President
Townsquare Media
Duluth, Minnesota“Bill Wilson is the true
visionary as he sees where
the media business is
going, as opposed to where
it is currently. As CEO of
Townsquare Media, he has
crafted a company that is
cutting-edge, customer-
focused, and employee-
centric. Bill’s focus on
building a best-in-class
media company is yielding
great results for the
scores of employees and
customers that benefit from
his vision and hard work.”
Ron deCastro
President
WKXW (New Jersey 101.5)/Trenton
Townsquare Media