In an interesting move this past week, an effort to unify the sales strategy for Clear Channel’s urban stations in the Chicago market included programming changes. Derrick Brown adds programming stripes for WGCI and former WGCI PD Kris Kelly moves to the APD position. Brown is now the Director of Urban Programming for Clear Channel’s WVAZ, WGCI and WGRB. Clear Channel is calling the sales strategy “The Urban Network”… huh?
On a side note, how ironic is it that Clear Channel purchased The Network Magazines (Network 40, Album Network and Urban Network) from the owners known as The Bird Brothers around 2001 for a reported WHOPPING 10 million each to Gary Bird, Eli Bird and Stephen Smith then they form this new advertising alliance and call it “The Urban Network.” Miller London, to my knowledge , has been given the rights to use that name for the magazine that is still being produced called “The Urban Network.” Perhaps it is just a nickname for CC. The Bird Brothers must have laughed all the way to the bank after that deal closed… industry trade magazines literally died within MONTHS after their deal was done. BRILLIANT move. Read more on the WGCI story here
