After 29 years, Wagner leaves to run stations in San Diego; Inside Arizona Business ends its run
By David Hatfield, Inside Tucson Business
Published on Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Debbie Wagner, who has spent all but 14 months of her 29-year media career in Tucson — and is as responsible as any executive for the success of the “Johnjay and Rich” morning radio show — has left the market. She was promoted by her bosses to take over as president and market manager of Clear Channel Communications’ seven radio stations in San Diego.
In Tucson, Director of Sales Tom Zlaket Jr., was named acting market manager.
Wagner’s appointment to her new position must have come suddenly. Not only was it effective immediately, Dec. 18, but she had not changed her Tucson phone voice message, which as of last week still had her saying she would be out of the office until Dec. 16. According to others, Wagner has remained in San Diego.
Wagner is replacing a market manager who had been running Clear Channel’s San Diego stations for three years but, judging from accounts from advertising agencies there, they’ve been three years of at least some turmoil within the group. Although Clear Channel’s announcement of the management change wished the former manager, Bob Bolinger, “well in his future endeavors,” there had been speculation for at least three months that he was going to be replaced.
“During her tenure in Tucson, both online and on-air revenue have grown exponentially. As a result, Tucson’s online revenue pacing is ninth among all Clear Channel markets,” said Susan Karis, executive vice president of operations for Clear Channel’s western region and Wagner’s new boss.
Of the seven Clear Channel stations in San Diego, five are ratings leaders in their formats — news-talk, hit music, adult contemporary, rock and classic rock. The company also operates the market’s No. 2-rated country music station and an AM sports-talk station.
In Tucson, besides her success running Clear Channel’s seven radio stations, Wagner has been active in organizations including the Boys and Girls Clubs, Pima Community College Foundation, the Tucson chapter of American Women in Radio and Television, Tucson Advertising Federation and the Arizona Broadcasters Association, including a year as its president in 1998.
A graduate of the University of Arizona, Wagner has worked at KOLD 13, was a media buyer for Taylor Advertising, then a regional/national account executive for the old KCEE and KWFM where she moved into management. Those stations were then acquired by Prism Radio Partners who went on to acquire KRQ and KNST. As the group grew larger, Wagner was promoted to general sales manager, corporate sales development trainer, general manager of two stations, then four stations and ultimately all seven stations through four different ownereship changes.
After being away from Tucson for 14 months when she was market manager for Clear Channel stations in Springfield, Mass., Wagner returned in August 2003.
Among the bigger on-air successes during her time in Tucson, Johnjay Van Es and Rich Berra were hired in 2001 to do the morning radio show on KRQ 93.7-FM. Wagner was instrumental in expanding the “Johnjay and Rich” show into Phoenix in 2006. It now also airs in Portland, Ore., and Colorado Springs and Fort Collins, Colo.
Clear Channel’s seven Tucson stations are: KRQ 93.7-FM, Hot 98.3 KOHT 98.3-FM, KNST 790-AM, The Mountain KWMT 92.9-FM, Cool KWFM 1450-AM, La Preciosa KTZR 97.1-FM and Radio Tejano KXEW 1600-AM.
Business TV show shuts down
After more than three years, “Inside Arizona Business” has signed off. The weekly half-hour TV program anchored by Dana Cooper was airing on KVOA 4, usually at 9 a.m. Sundays. Dec. 21 broadcast was its last telecast.
Jason Fenwick, executive producer, said the decision was made by the show’s parent company, Grow Indiana Media Ventures, which was modeling the Arizona program after one it had successfully developed in Indianapolis called “Inside Indiana Business.” That show has been on the air for 8½ years and continues.
Fenwick said the Tucson show was a victim of the recession and a weakened advertising market.
Contact David Hatfield at dhatfield@azbiz.com or (520) 295-4237. Inside Tucson Media appears weekly.
Copyright © 2009 Inside Tucson Business