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Taylor Davis

100 North Greene Street
Greensboro, NC 27420
Phone: 336-691-3000
Fax: 704-691-3939
Connect: Facebook

History
Conglomerate Lincoln National Life Insurance Company has dabbled in the radio industry since it’s first station went on air in 1934. [1] In April 2006, the company acquired Jefferson-Pilot’s radio and TV operations. [2] As a subsidiary of Lincoln Financial, Jefferson-Pilot was renamed Lincoln Financial Media and has now evolved from the original station to 13 stations in 4 major markets and several other affiliate stations. The stations provide an eclectic offering of news, music and sports programming in the following markets:

 

Miami Stations: 

WAXY 790 The Ticket – This sports station was simulcast with 104.3 after Lincoln Financial Media purchased 104.3 this past August. [3] The station serves as the flagship station for professional sports teams The Miami Heat [4] and Miami Marlins. [5Website | Twitter | Facebook | Listen Live

WYLF 101.5 Lite FM – Lincoln Financial Media acquired the station during the 2006 merger. The station specializes in Soft Adult Contemporary. Website | Twitter | Facebook | Listen Live

WMXJ Miami Magic 102.7 – Lincoln Financial Media acquired the station during the 2006 merger. The station was named “Majic 102.7” but was rebranded to “Magic 102.7” on August 2, 2012. The station features oldies as “Miami’s Greatest Hits” station. Website | Twitter | Facebook | Listen Live

Atlanta Stations:

WQXI 790 The Zone – The Zone is a sports talk radio station that is the AM flagship station for the Atlanta Falcons [6] and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. [7Website | Twitter | Facebook | Listen Live

WSTR Star 94 – This Hot Adult Contemporary station caters to the greater Atlanta metropolitan area.  Website | Twitter | Facebook | Listen Live

 San Diego Stations: 

KSON FM – San Diego’s “Number 1 for New Country!” [8Website | Twitter | Facebook | Listen Live

Smooth 98.1 – The soft Adult Contemporary station was a Marconi Award Winner in 2005. [9Website | Twitter | Facebook | Listen Live

KZBT FM 94.9 –  Lincoln Financial Media acquired the modern rock station during the 2006 merger. Website | Twitter | Facebook | Listen Live

Denver Stations:

KRWZ 950 AM– This station was originally a sports talk radio station, until Lincoln Finanical Media moved the sports station to 104.3, thus making this a Cruisin’ Oldies station. [10Website | Twitter | Facebook | Listen Live

KKFN 104.3 The Fan – This sports talk radio station was purchased by Lincoln Financial Media that covers 15 Colorado sports teams. Website | Twitter | Facebook | Listen Live

KQKS KS 107.5 – Lincoln Financial Media acquired this Top 40s station during the 2006 merger. Website | Twitter | Facebook | Listen Live

KEPN 1600 The Zone – Although owned by Lincoln Financial Media, this station is an ESPN affiliate.  Website | Twitter | Facebook | Listen Live

KYGO – This country station was once named the number one country station of the year in a top 25 market (KSON FM San Diego was a nominee) by Radio and Record Magazine [11].  Website | Twitter | Facebook | Listen Live

A year later in 2007, for $583 million Raycom Media acquired Lincoln Financial Media’s TV stations and Lincoln Financial Sports. [12]

Lincoln Financial Media – Wiki Article

Key Executives:

 

Under the leadership of Don Benson, who currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer and President, Lincoln Financial Media has seen multiple areas of growth over the past several years. [13]

 

Theresa M. Stone has served as the President of Lincoln Finanical Media since April 2006. Prior to her tenure at Lincoln, she was the President of Jefferson-Pilot Communications Company (JPCC) from July 1, 1997 until she stepped down April 2006. [14] She is cited as a key figure in the merger of Jefferson-Pilot and Lincoln Financial Media. [15]

 

John Dimick, Senior Vice President of Programming and Operations, has worked his way up since joining the company in March 2007. He is currently responsible for the oversight of all station brands in the company’s four major markets. Additionally he develops interactive, HD and PPM strategies. [16]

 

Additional Employees [17]:
Marketing Director : Connie Estopinan
Purchasing Director : Sheila Miah
General Counsel and Secretary : Leon Porter

Recent News 

August

August 24: Lincoln Financial Media purchased a radio station, WMSF, from Palm Beach Broadcasting for $13 Million. WMSF changed its call letters to WAXY-FM after the acquisition. The station simulcast 790 and 104.3 until the merger was complete; at that time 790 signal was dropped, the 104.3 website was registered and Lincoln Financial Media took full control. As the flagship station for The Miami Heat Basketball and Miami Marlins Baseball teams, at WAXY is a combination of 10 hours of local sports talk and ESPN radio. [18]

September

September 20: Lincoln Finanical Media’s San Diego country radio station, KSON, was named the Large Market Station of the Year at the 2012 NAB Marconi Radio Awards Gala Dinner. The Marconi Radio Awards are named after Nobel Prize winner and radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi. The awards are designed to recognize distinction in radio personalities and radio stations since 1989. [19]

September 26: Minor League Hockey team, the Denver Cutthroat, signed a deal with Denver Lincoln Financial Media station 1600 AM The Zone to broadcast its inaugural season 2012 – 2013 season. The partnership came into fruition Cutthroat General Manager Eric Newendorp wanted to align the new team with a station that prided “‘themselves in focusing on local sports, and [added] Denver’s newest pro sports team to the mix by giving [The Cutthroat] a voice…'” [20] The deal outlined a play-by-play voice over, pregame and postgame content for 45 of the 66 scheduled cutthroat games. [20] Fans can catch the show 15 minutes prior to each game here!

 November
November 5: San Diego Lincoln Financial Media station, Alternative KBZT (FM 94.9) was designated the Official Radio Station of San Diego Beer Week, designated by the San Diego Brewer’s Guild. As a media sponsor and event partner, FM 94.9 covered all of the events of the 10-day festival such as beer tastings and beer and food pairing workshops.[21]  A complete and comprehensive list of events of the festival can be found here.

November 9: Denver host of station KKFN (104.3 The Fan) extended contracts for two hosts on different talk shows. Former NBA forward/center, Scott Hastings, will continue to co-host the “Drew and Scott Show” after six years at the station. Joel Klatt, former Univ. of Colorado quarterback, signed a contract that allowed him to maintain his radio co-host position and job as a co-host of other professional and college sports TV shows. [22]

November 12: Miami’s WYLF (101.5 LITE FM) extended the contract of Rob Sidney. Sidney, the stations Director of Programming and Operations, is now the longest tenured programmer in all of Lincoln Financial Media’s radio stations across the country. He joined the station in 1990 and will continue to work for at least 3 more years at the company, for a total of 25 years at the company. [23]

November 14: Three San Diego Lincoln Financial Media radio stations ( KIFM, KSON, and FM 94.9) teamed up with Azusa Pacific University to develop The Teachers are Heroes honor program. San Diego County students nominate teachers by sending their essay nominations to one of the radio stations. The program is designed to honor “teachers throughout the San Diego Country for their outstanding efforts to builid relationships.” [24]

December

December 1: Atlanta Lincoln Financial Media Station WQXI-A, 790 The Zone, now carries ESPN Radio Programming as well as Colin Cowherd returning back to that station after several years absence. If WQXI-A chooses, they will have access to ESPN radio programming such as World Series and NBA finals broadcasts. In addition, WQXI-A can interview ESPN talent. [25]

Finances

Despite increases in expense spending, Lincoln Financial Media is showing exponential financial growth. The company spent $53 million in 2009 and $59 million in 2010. However the net revenues for those years were $68 million and $75 million respectively. [26] Lincoln Financial Media has current revenue of $122M. [27]

Competitors [28]:
Broadcast Company of the Americas, LLC
Astor Broadcast Group
Wilks Broadcast Group
Clear Channel
CBS Radio

 

 

Sources:

Company Logo: http://indiana.typepad.com/fwob/2011/02/lincoln-financials-radio-station-income-up-in-2010.html

Don Benson Photo: http://www.nab.org/documents/newsRoom/photos/Don_Benson_hi.jpg

Theresa M. Stone Photo (Coutrsey of MIT Co.) : http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2006/stone-vp.html

John Dimick Photo: http://hardnewscafe.usu.edu/?p=3858

Rob Sidney Photo: http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&client=safari&sa=N&tbo=d&rls=en&biw=2044&bih=877&tbm=isch&tbnid=ZIGnzN8qFSwISM:&imgrefurl=http://www.radioink.com/article.asp%3Fid%3D2573449%26spid%3D24698&docid=09xk9a3Ci7yQVM&imgurl=http://images.radcity.net/5173/5121345.jpg&w=300&h=301&ei=-2TCUJH6OYmz0QHItIHIBw&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=312&sig=109233043539766094309&page=1&tbnh=145&tbnw=136&start=0&ndsp=73&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0,i:87&tx=102&ty=73

Video Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPDOTDSvsk0

 Sources:

[1] http://lincolnfinancialmedia.com

[2] http://www.ovguide.com/lincoln-financial-media-9202a8c04000641f8000000000dca665#

[3] http://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/70124/lincoln-financial-media-acquires-104-3-wmsf-will-flip-to-sports/

[4] http://www.nba.com/heat/news/heat_signs_radio_contract_with_790_the_tickets_2010.html

[5] http://miami.marlins.mlb.com/mia/schedule/shows_partners.jsp

[6] http://www.atlantafalcons.com/on-the-air/radio-and-television.html

[7] http://www.ispsports.com/radio-network-affiliates.cfm?pid=33&type=1&affiliates

[8]  http://www.kson.com/stream973/Listen.aspx

[9] http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/737/your-2005-marconi-radio-award-winners-are

[10] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KYGO-FM

[11] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KRWZ

[12] http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/111194-Raycom_Grabs_Lincoln_Financial_Stations.php

[13] http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/people.asp?privcapId=834076

[14] http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=282411&privcapId=3758827&previousCapId=19691&previousTitle=CISCO%20SYSTEMS%20INC

[15] http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2011/stone-announcement-0517.html

[16] http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=282411&privcapId=3758827&previousCapId=19691&previousTitle=CISCO%20SYSTEMS%20INC

[17] http://www.insideview.com/directory/lincoln-financial-media-company

[18] http://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/70124/lincoln-financial-media-acquires-104-3-wmsf-will-flip-to-sports/

[19] http://www.radioshowweb.com/2012/newsroom/newsRelease.asp?id=2816

[20] http://www.denvercutthroats.com/news/news/index.html?article_id=38

[21] http://www.sdradio.net/2012/11/fm-949-and-san-diego-beer-week.html

[22] http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/112315/kkfn-inks-scott-hastings-joel-klatt-to-contract-ex

[23] http://www.radioink.com/article.asp?id=2573449&spid=24698

[24] http://www.theclause.org/2012/11/behind-the-lesson-plan-what-motivates-a-teacher-to-go-above-and-beyond/
[25] http://blogs.ajc.com/radio-tv-talk/2012/11/19/790the-zone-picks-up-espn-radio-colin-cowherd/
[26] http://rbr.com/lincoln-financial-media-had-an-up-year-in-2010/
[27] http://www.insideview.com/directory/lincoln-financial-media-company
[28] http://companies.findthecompany.com/l/835932/Lincoln-Financial-Media-Company-in-Greensboro-NC