Originally published on November 10, 2006

Burke Allen

Allen Media Strategies
President/CEO

'There was rep blood in me all along,' Katz Radio's new president says

Burke Allen, president/CEO of Allen Media Strategies and managing member of Allen Media Stations, is bringing more than two decades of experience to running his own media and marketing consultancy. This year he and his partners have also purchased their first radio property. And most recently he has formed the nonprofit AM Daytimers Assn.

Getting into the business: "I grew up in a little coal mining town in southern West Virginia. I saw my grandfather, uncles and all these guys spend their lives underground in a dangerous, scary place and knew from an early age that was not going to be my career path. There was an AM 1,000-watt radio station in my hometown, WLOG, and I pestered my mom who worked for the police department to make an introduction for me and I actually got my first on-air position when I was 14 years old. My mom was the police dispatcher and back in the day they had to have FCC licenses. She called policemen on the police radio and conversely, the news director of the local radio station would call her every morning to see if anything happened in town. One morning she said, 'Hey, my son is interested in radio. Can he come and watch what you do?' I went and was offered a job that afternoon."

Advertisement

Career path: "On to Huntington and Charleston. Charleston is the biggest market in the state, so after that I sort of had to leave home and seek my radio fortune. I worked for Tom Birch and Ray Quinn who owned stations in Savannah [Ga.] and then for Trumper in Salt Lake City. CBS in Las Vegas and Orlando [Fla.] and then in 2001 I became a consultant with Alan Burns and Associates."

Founding of Allen Media: "I kept getting approached by entertainers, authors and people who wanted to be talk-show hosts to learn the inner working of radio, so we hung out a shingle and it has grown exponentially in the last couple of years. We work in all formats and assist with not only talent development but with how to maximize radio as a medium. We are big advocates for radio."

Describe the broadcast ownership division: "Earlier this year we purchased our first station in Ravenswood, W.Va., WMOV, close to where I grew up. I have a couple of partners: Scott Cinnamon, who is an FCC attorney here in Washington [D.C.] and his brother Todd, who is in software development. We want to focus primarily in small markets on the East Coast, Mid-Atlantic and the South. We're looking for stations that can make an impact in the communities they serve and do good, full-service radio that is client-focused."

Involvement with the AM Daytimers Assn.: "I teamed up with Scott Cinnamon and we founded this group to act as the advocate for AM stations that have to sign off or drop to really low power after local sundown. One of the things we want to do is lobby the FCC to change the rule to allow those AM stations to own FM translators and operate them within the AM station's contours 24 hours a day. It's totally a labor of love. It's something Scott and I feel strongly about . . . AM station owners that may not have the funds or the time to file comments with the commission can do so through us at amdaytimers.org and we'll make one consolidated filing with the FCC."

Biggest challenge: "Time management and making sure that everyone that needs time gets time."

State of radio: "I think there's a lot of well-deserved hand-wringing as radio operators, programmers and broadcasters; and there's an awful lot of stress, but at the end of the day I believe if we get the content right and can deliver quantifiable results for our advertisers one brick at a time, we'll get it done. Lots of big companies for an awful long time were in the business of buying a lot of stations and they weren't able to focus on operations. Now I sort of see the light at the end of the tunnel where these guys now have to concentrate on operations, and because of that everyone is finally becoming more focused on content."

Career highlight: "I'm most proud of the charity work I've been a part of. In Salt Lake City we founded KISN Cares for Kids and did one of the first-ever radio telethons. We raised a quarter of a million dollars in 30 hours with our morning team and put part of that into a trust that continues to be administered today. Our station WMOV is hugely involved in the community. We do a ton of charity stuff throughout the year and try to make the community a better place to live."

Career disappointment: "I was day-to-day with Alan and Donna Burns in sort of the inception of the MOViN format and then he decided to live at the beach, so it was disappointing that I didn't get to see the successful launch of all those stations directly from the co-pilot's chair. From a bigger standpoint, growing up where I did and then being able to do, see and participate in all the neat stuff I have been able to do the last 25 years—there's not a whole lot to hang your head and feel bad about. I've been really fortunate . . . and for my mom knowing the news director at that little radio station, I could be a coal miner right now."

Most influential individual: "There are a couple of folks, starting with Bob Weisner, the news director at that little station. He believed in doing your homework and doing it right and was a great teacher. From Alan Burns I learned the nuts and bolts of how to run a business. Cindy Schloss taught me the importance of great people skills. I learned systems from Tom Birch. The most influential people in my life were my parents, both confined to wheelchairs. They never let it stop them. Both of them were inspiring, so when I look back on my life I don't have to go far to find heroes."

Advice for broadcasters: "Wake up energized every day about delivering the best entertainment you can for your listeners and the very best results you can for your advertisers."

Liner Notes
Profile: Burke Allen
Title: Allen Media Strategies president/CEO
Favorite radio format: "Great Top 40."
Favorite TV show: "The Daily Show"
Favorite song: "Return to Pooh Corner" by Kenny Loggins
Favorite movie: "Matewan"
Favorite book: "Rocket Boys" by Homer Hickam
Favorite restaurant: "My wife is from Louisiana and I just die for her to make Cajun food at home. I would trade that for any restaurant, any day."
Beverage of choice: "Vanilla Coke, the nectar of the gods."
Hobbies: "I have an antique 1929 Model A Ford car that has been in my family for over 50 years I like to tinker around on. I'm a student pilot and I'm getting my pilot's license. I ride a motorcycle when I have time and I like to hang out with my kids."
E-mail address: burke@allenmediastrategies.com

'Wake up energized every day about delivering the best possible entertainment you can.'—Burke Allen