Ed Salamon
Encyclopedia
Edward R. Salmon is an entertainment industry executive and radio broadcaster from the United States
, known as "Country radio's most influential programmer".
from a failing Country radio station
in into the most listened to Country station of all time.
The success of WHN encouraged the establishment of Country radio stations in other urban and non-traditional Country markets greatly expanding the audience for Country radio and, in turn, increasing the exposure of Country music
. He is credited as reinventing Country radio because his then radical programming techniques were emulated by other broadcasters, many of which became consultants or group Program Directors. Later Salamon would be head of Programming for a succession of national radio network
s for an amazing twenty consecutive years..
at the world’s first radio station, KDKA, in his hometown of Pittsburgh. There he applied methodology being used for sales research to programming, and began his first programming job as Music Director
of the station.
of Country formatted WEEP radio, also in Pittsburgh, which was languishing toward the bottom of the station rankings. He was the first to research Country listeners’ preferences, and applied Top 40 radio formatics such as a short playlist to Country radio.
Under Salamon’s guidance, WEEP became second only to KDKA in the Pittsburgh total survey area.(1) At that time WEEP had a larger audience share than any other Country station in any top ten market.
when he was hired as Program Director of WHN. WHN had three Program Directors since switching to Country in 1973, and was mired in 14th position. Prevailing conventional wisdom
was that Country radio could not be successful in the urban market of New York.
Using the techniques that he had refined in Pittsburgh, Salamon also assembled an airstaff of personalities who were able to make Country music relatable to New York
ers and bring context to a controversially inclusive spectrum combining more traditional Country performers George Jones
, Loretta Lynn
and Merle Haggard
with Country rock
acts The Eagles, Marshall Tucker Band
and The Allman Brothers.
Bicentennial edition reported that WHN had “ skyrocketed to listenership in the number two position among competitors and its 1.5 million listeners are eagerly sought by local and national advertisers”.(2) Front page ads in Broadcasting magazine touted WHN as “ #2 Adults 25-49 all week long!” the “biggest thing since Rock’n’Roll” (a reference to the format of WABC, the only station ahead of WHN in the ratings).
broadcasts with artists including Kenny Rogers
, Willie Nelson
and Hank Williams, Jr.
Many were aired nationally as part of the nationally syndicated series “Live From The Lonestar Café”. Lonestar Café broadcasts originally produced by Salamon of Johnny Paycheck
and Ernest Tubb
later were issued as records.
At that time many Top 40 stations used sales of singles to determine which records they played. WHN fueled a crossover phenomena for when records by Country artists including Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton
and Eddie Rabbitt
.
, Storer Broadcasting
, supervising programming for its stations in Miami, Chicago, and most notably Los Angeles. In LA, while Acting General Manager for KTNQ (13-Q), Salamon hired high profile air personalities including Charlie Tuna
and Jack Armstrong
, and won the battle with KHJ for supremacy in the Top 40 format.
In 1980, WHN was acquired by The Mutual Broadcasting System
. Salamon remained with the station and was given greater responsibilities at Mutual. Salamon was charged with changing the format of legendary station WCFL in Chicago from Talk back to a music format.
Also in 1980, Salamon was recognized with Billboard Magazine’s award for National or Syndicated Program Of The Year for “The Johnny Cash
Silver Anniversary Special”, which he produced for Mutual. Billboard again named Salamon Program Director of The Year in 1980 and 1981 and WHN as Station Of The Year in 1980 and 1981.
In addition to conducting the interviews used in those programs, Salamon conducted the interviews, wrote and produced specials on the Beatles, Rolling Stones
and others. In 1985, United Stations acquired the RKO Radio Network
, giving United Stations a 24/7 News operation.
In 1989, the United Stations merged with The Transtar Radio Network to form Unistar., where Salamon hosted his own weekly series “The Stories Behind The Song” and live network interview specials with Garth Brooks
and Alabama.
In 1993, Unistar merged with America’s largest radio network, Westwood One
and Salamon became President/Programming of The Westwood One
Radio Network.
, Jay Leno
, Martha Stewart
and Charles Osgood
. He was instrumental in bringing new talent including Jon Stewart
(through Comedy Central
) and brands like Fox News to the network. It is likely that every listener of the era, no matter what their format preference, has heard radio programming
for which Salamon has been responsible.
of The Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc.
, a Nashville based 501(c)3 non-profit organization
which for which he had volunteered since 1976 as board member.
In 2003, Salamon began teaching Mass Communications as an Adjunct Professor
at Middle Tennessee State University
. In 2005 he joined Belmont University
in a similar capacity. While at Belmont, he was asked to develop a course on Entertainment Leadership, which he teaches in their Mike Curb School of Entertainment and Music Business.
In 2007, Ed Salamon joined more than two dozen other radio and music industry executives as members of the Board of the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.
Salamon left Country Radio Broadcasters in 2009 and in 2010 became Chief Executive Officer for the Savannah Music Group, a music publishing company and record label. In making the appointment, Savannah Chairman Jeff Cohen said that Salamon was "one of the most dynamic and well-connected people in the music industry".
His first book, "Pittsburgh's Golden Age of Radio", was published by Arcadia Publishing in March 2010.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, known as "Country radio's most influential programmer".
Accomplishments
Ed Salamon was inducted into The Country Radio Hall of Fame in February 2006. Known as "Country radio’s most influential programmer", at age 27 he used innovative and controversial programming techniques to transform WHN in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
from a failing Country radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
in into the most listened to Country station of all time.
The success of WHN encouraged the establishment of Country radio stations in other urban and non-traditional Country markets greatly expanding the audience for Country radio and, in turn, increasing the exposure of Country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
. He is credited as reinventing Country radio because his then radical programming techniques were emulated by other broadcasters, many of which became consultants or group Program Directors. Later Salamon would be head of Programming for a succession of national radio network
Radio network
There are two types of radio networks currently in use around the world: the one-to-many broadcast type commonly used for public information and mass media entertainment; and the two-way type used more commonly for public safety and public services such as police, fire, taxicabs, and delivery...
s for an amazing twenty consecutive years..
KDKA
Salamon began his radio career at age 20 as the Assistant Promotion Director and Director of Marketing ResearchMarketing research
Marketing research is "the function that links the consumer, customer, and public to the marketer through information — information used to identify and define marketing opportunities and problems; generate, refine, and evaluate marketing actions; monitor marketing performance; and improve...
at the world’s first radio station, KDKA, in his hometown of Pittsburgh. There he applied methodology being used for sales research to programming, and began his first programming job as Music Director
Music director
A music director may be the director of an orchestra, the director of music for a film, the director of music at a radio station, the head of the music department in a school, the co-ordinator of the musical ensembles in a university or college , the head bandmaster of a military band, the head...
of the station.
WEEP
From there, he was hired as Program DirectorProgram director
In service industries, such as education, a program director or programme director researches, plans, develops and implements one or more of the firm's professional services...
of Country formatted WEEP radio, also in Pittsburgh, which was languishing toward the bottom of the station rankings. He was the first to research Country listeners’ preferences, and applied Top 40 radio formatics such as a short playlist to Country radio.
Under Salamon’s guidance, WEEP became second only to KDKA in the Pittsburgh total survey area.(1) At that time WEEP had a larger audience share than any other Country station in any top ten market.
Program Director at WHN
Salamon duplicated this remarkable turnaround in America’s number one radio marketMedia market
A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area , Television Market Area , or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same television and radio station offerings, and may also include other types of media including newspapers and Internet content...
when he was hired as Program Director of WHN. WHN had three Program Directors since switching to Country in 1973, and was mired in 14th position. Prevailing conventional wisdom
Conventional wisdom
Conventional wisdom is a term used to describe ideas or explanations that are generally accepted as true by the public or by experts in a field. Such ideas or explanations, though widely held, are unexamined. Unqualified societal discourse preserves the status quo. It codifies existing social...
was that Country radio could not be successful in the urban market of New York.
Using the techniques that he had refined in Pittsburgh, Salamon also assembled an airstaff of personalities who were able to make Country music relatable to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
ers and bring context to a controversially inclusive spectrum combining more traditional Country performers George Jones
George Jones
George Glenn Jones is an American country music singer known for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to Tammy Wynette....
, Loretta Lynn
Loretta Lynn
Loretta Lynn is an American country music singer-songwriter, author and philanthropist. Born in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky to a coal miner father, Lynn married at 13 years old, was a mother soon after, and moved to Washington with her husband, Oliver Lynn. Their marriage was sometimes tumultuous; he...
and Merle Haggard
Merle Haggard
Merle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, fiddler, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies,...
with Country rock
Country rock
Country rock is sub-genre of popular music, formed from the fusion of rock with country. The term is generally used to refer to the wave of rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s, beginning with Bob Dylan and The Byrds; reaching its greatest...
acts The Eagles, Marshall Tucker Band
Marshall Tucker Band
The Marshall Tucker Band is an American Southern rock band originally from Spartanburg, South Carolina. The band's blend of rock, rhythm and blues, jazz, country, and gospel helped establish the Southern rock genre in the early 1970s...
and The Allman Brothers.
Success
One year later, the Business and Finance section of the New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
Bicentennial edition reported that WHN had “ skyrocketed to listenership in the number two position among competitors and its 1.5 million listeners are eagerly sought by local and national advertisers”.(2) Front page ads in Broadcasting magazine touted WHN as “ #2 Adults 25-49 all week long!” the “biggest thing since Rock’n’Roll” (a reference to the format of WABC, the only station ahead of WHN in the ratings).
Station of the Year
In 1976, WHN was named Station of The Year by Billboard Magazine. In 1977 WHN was again named Station of the Year and Ed Salamon was named “Program Director of the Year”. Salamon also produced live concertConcert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
broadcasts with artists including Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers
Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...
, Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
and Hank Williams, Jr.
Many were aired nationally as part of the nationally syndicated series “Live From The Lonestar Café”. Lonestar Café broadcasts originally produced by Salamon of Johnny Paycheck
Johnny PayCheck
Johnny Paycheck was the legal name of Donald Eugene Lytle , a country music singer and Grand Ole Opry member most famous for recording the David Allan Coe song "Take This Job and Shove It"...
and Ernest Tubb
Ernest Tubb
Ernest Dale Tubb , nicknamed the Texas Troubadour, was an American singer and songwriter and one of the pioneers of country music. His biggest career hit song, "Walking the Floor Over You" , marked the rise of the honky tonk style of music...
later were issued as records.
At that time many Top 40 stations used sales of singles to determine which records they played. WHN fueled a crossover phenomena for when records by Country artists including Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
and Eddie Rabbitt
Eddie Rabbitt
Edward Thomas "Eddie" Rabbitt was an American singer-songwriter and musician. His career began as a songwriter in the late 1960s, springboarding to a recording career after composing hits such as "Kentucky Rain" for Elvis Presley in 1970 and "Pure Love" for Ronnie Milsap in 1974...
.
Storer Broadcasting
In 1978, Salamon was named National Program Director of the Radio Division of WHN’s parent companyHolding company
A holding company is a company or firm that owns other companies' outstanding stock. It usually refers to a company which does not produce goods or services itself; rather, its purpose is to own shares of other companies. Holding companies allow the reduction of risk for the owners and can allow...
, Storer Broadcasting
Storer Broadcasting
Storer Broadcasting, Inc. was an American company which owned several television and radio stations in the northeast United States. It was incorporated in Ohio in 1927, and sold its broadcasting properties in 1983.-1920s—1940s:...
, supervising programming for its stations in Miami, Chicago, and most notably Los Angeles. In LA, while Acting General Manager for KTNQ (13-Q), Salamon hired high profile air personalities including Charlie Tuna
Charlie Tuna
Charlie Tuna is the stage name of Art Ferguson , a radio personality based in Los Angeles, California currently working at KRTH-FM....
and Jack Armstrong
Jack Armstrong
Jack Armstrong is a sportscaster, working primarily for the Toronto Raptors on TSN and Raptors NBA TV. Jack is also the college basketball analyst for Rogers Sportsnet. Armstrong graduated from Fordham University with a Masters in Communication.Armstrong is a former coach for Niagara University...
, and won the battle with KHJ for supremacy in the Top 40 format.
In 1980, WHN was acquired by The Mutual Broadcasting System
Mutual Broadcasting System
The Mutual Broadcasting System was an American radio network, in operation from 1934 to 1999. In the golden age of U.S. radio drama, MBS was best known as the original network home of The Lone Ranger and The Adventures of Superman and as the long-time radio residence of The Shadow...
. Salamon remained with the station and was given greater responsibilities at Mutual. Salamon was charged with changing the format of legendary station WCFL in Chicago from Talk back to a music format.
Also in 1980, Salamon was recognized with Billboard Magazine’s award for National or Syndicated Program Of The Year for “The Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
Silver Anniversary Special”, which he produced for Mutual. Billboard again named Salamon Program Director of The Year in 1980 and 1981 and WHN as Station Of The Year in 1980 and 1981.
United Stations Radio Network
In 1981, Salamon formed The United Stations Radio Network with Dick Clark and other Mutual executives. Salamon was responsible for the creation of weekly programs including “The Weekly Country Music Countdown”, “Dick Clark’s Rock Roll and Remember”, both of which are still on the air twenty five years later.In addition to conducting the interviews used in those programs, Salamon conducted the interviews, wrote and produced specials on the Beatles, Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
and others. In 1985, United Stations acquired the RKO Radio Network
RKO Radio Network
The RKO Radio Networks, a subsidiary of RKO General, were the first commercial radio networks to distribute programming entirely by satellite. When it began operations on October 1, 1979, the initial RKO network was the first new full-service American radio network in 40 years. Satellite...
, giving United Stations a 24/7 News operation.
In 1989, the United Stations merged with The Transtar Radio Network to form Unistar., where Salamon hosted his own weekly series “The Stories Behind The Song” and live network interview specials with Garth Brooks
Garth Brooks
Troyal Garth Brooks , best known as Garth Brooks, is an American country music artist who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon. His eponymous first album was released in 1989 and peaked at number 2 in the US country album chart while climbing to number 13 on the Billboard 200 album chart...
and Alabama.
In 1993, Unistar merged with America’s largest radio network, Westwood One
Westwood One
Westwood One was an American radio network and was based in New York City. At one time, it was managed by CBS Radio, the radio arm of CBS Corporation, and Viacom and was later purchased by the private equity firm The Gores Group...
and Salamon became President/Programming of The Westwood One
Westwood One
Westwood One was an American radio network and was based in New York City. At one time, it was managed by CBS Radio, the radio arm of CBS Corporation, and Viacom and was later purchased by the private equity firm The Gores Group...
Radio Network.
Westwood One
At Westwood One Salamon was directly responsible for programming by the networks’ biggest stars including David LettermanDavid Letterman
David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
, Jay Leno
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
, Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart is an American business magnate, author, magazine publisher, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she has gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, and merchandising...
and Charles Osgood
Charles Osgood
Charles Osgood is a radio and television commentator in the United States. His daily program, The Osgood File, has been broadcast on the CBS Radio Network since 1971. He is also known for being the voice of the narrator of Horton Hears a Who!, an animated film released in 2008, based on the book...
. He was instrumental in bringing new talent including Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart is an American political satirist, writer, television host, actor, media critic and stand-up comedian...
(through Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
) and brands like Fox News to the network. It is likely that every listener of the era, no matter what their format preference, has heard radio programming
Radio programming
Radio programming is the Broadcast programming of a Radio format or content that is organized for Commercial broadcasting and Public broadcasting radio stations....
for which Salamon has been responsible.
Move to Nashville
In 2002, Salamon left Westwood One and became Executive DirectorExecutive director
Executive director is a term sometimes applied to the chief executive officer or managing director of an organization, company, or corporation. It is widely used in North American non-profit organizations, though in recent decades many U.S. nonprofits have adopted the title "President/CEO"...
of The Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc.
Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc.
Country Radio Broadcasters is a non-profit organization based in Nashville, Tennessee created to promote the growth of country radio and the country music industry through educational programs....
, a Nashville based 501(c)3 non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
which for which he had volunteered since 1976 as board member.
In 2003, Salamon began teaching Mass Communications as an Adjunct Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
at Middle Tennessee State University
Middle Tennessee State University
Middle Tennessee State University, commonly abbreviated as MTSU, is a public university located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, United States....
. In 2005 he joined Belmont University
Belmont University
Belmont University is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. It is the largest Christian university in Tennessee and the second largest private university in the state, behind nearby Vanderbilt University.-Belmont Mansion:Belmont Mansion...
in a similar capacity. While at Belmont, he was asked to develop a course on Entertainment Leadership, which he teaches in their Mike Curb School of Entertainment and Music Business.
In 2007, Ed Salamon joined more than two dozen other radio and music industry executives as members of the Board of the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.
Salamon left Country Radio Broadcasters in 2009 and in 2010 became Chief Executive Officer for the Savannah Music Group, a music publishing company and record label. In making the appointment, Savannah Chairman Jeff Cohen said that Salamon was "one of the most dynamic and well-connected people in the music industry".
His first book, "Pittsburgh's Golden Age of Radio", was published by Arcadia Publishing in March 2010.