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player ready...When Harvey Wells first joined rock radio station WXRT-FM 93.1 27 years ago, it was a quirky, privately owned entity where executives didn’t have to answer to suits in another city worrying about some profit target.
That changed, dramatically, when Infinity Broadcasting bought the station during a wave of massive consolidation that enveloped the industry in the 1990s, not only here but also in other markets.
On Wednesday, Wells announced he’s leaving Infinity to operate entrepreneur Fred Eychaner’s small, but growing, local radio empire–a step back in time for one of the city’s longest-sitting radio general managers.
Wells, who has headed Infinity’s XRT, and more recently WCKG-FM 105.9 and country station WUSN-FM 99.5, says this was not an opportunity to bail out of the draining pressures of running a radio station within the confines of a public company.
But his [Wells] move from being the head of Infinity’s XRT, and more recently WCKG-FM 105.9 and country station WUSN-FM 99.5, to a small, independent radio operator certainly removes the worry of an eventual bull’s-eye that seems to pop up on Infinity GMs backs when the company looks to cut costs (this paragraph as published has been corrected in this text).
During the past couple of years, Infinity, like other big radio owners, has cut the number of general managers and other executives in markets where they have multiple stations.
Critics contend that has done damage to formats–which now have little risk, few rewards. Stations are packing in more commercials, further tightening radio formats.
It also means he won’t have to deal with complaints any longer that the eclectic gem of a rock station he oversaw since 1990 has become a watered-down version of the original since its sale to Infinity.
Instead, Wells is leaving to become vice president of the station group of Eychaner’s WSBC Broadcasting in charge of the company’s four stations, as well as two others recently purchased that are pending Federal Communications Commission approval. The company already owns WCSN-AM 820 (the original dial position of Infinity’s sports/talk format WSCR, which Wells helped launch), WAIT-AM 850, WSBC-AM 1240 and WCFJ-AM 1470. The two waiting for FCC approval are WRZA-FM 99.9 and WNDZ-AM 750.
“I’ve had a terrific experience at Infinity. But it’s time for the next chapter,” Wells said. “I’ve spent 27 years at XRT; it’s very emotional. It’s like leaving your family. But now it’s time for a new challenge.”
On Wednesday, Rod Zimmerman, head of Infinity’s station group in Chicago, downplayed the effect of Wells’ departure. “I’m confident we have a strong bench,” Wells said. “I think we have people that are ready to step up.”
Zimmerman said he should have an announcement on a replacement in a week or so.