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Ed Salamon
Edward R. Salamon is an American entertainment industry executive and radio broadcaster. He is credited as one of the people who led to country music becoming a major force in the mid-1990s. He was dubbed “country radio’s most influential programmer” while programming WHN, New York, which became the most listened to country radio station of all time in the mid-1970s, an accomplishment that led to his induction into the Country Radio Hall of Fame in 2006.
Salamon's success at WHN encouraged the establishment of country radio stations in other urban and non-traditional country markets, which greatly expanded the audience for country radio, and, in turn, increased the exposure of country music. He has been credited with reinventing country radio because his programming techniques, viewed as radical at the time, were emulated by other broadcasters, many of which went on to greater successes in the radio industry. After WHN, Salamon headed a succession of national radio networks for twenty consecutive years.
Salamon began his radio career in 1970 as assistant promotions manager and director of market research for KDKA in Pittsburgh. Upon his promotion to music director, he applied the methodology used for sales research to programming. His techniques led to his being hired, in 1973, for his first job as program director, at country-formatted WEEP, a Pittsburgh daytime-only AM station, which was virtually at the bottom of the local radio ratings. At WEEP, he furthered his use of research for programming and became the first country radio program director to adopt the formatics, most notably short playlists, used in Top 40 Radio. Under Salamon's guidance, WEEP became second rated only to KDKA in the Pittsburgh Total Survey Area.
Storer Broadcasting's WHN switched to country music in 1973. When Salamon was hired in 1975, the station had gone through three program directors and was mired in 14th position. The prevailing wisdom was that country radio could not be successful in the urban market of New York. Using the techniques he refined in Pittsburgh, the format “mixed timely artists like George Jones, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Dolly Parton with the timeless Hank Williams. Also in the mix were contemporary country rockers, like The Eagles, crossover popsters like John Denver, and odd weepy novelties and off-center artists that New York just had to love, like Kinky Friedman." While at WHN, Salamon partnered with Jim Halsey to bring an Oak Ridge Boys concert to Carnegie Hall. and assembled a staff of personalities who were able to make country relatable to New Yorkers.
WHN's impact in New York was significant enough to cause Top 40 formatted WABC to add country records to their playlist on the strength of record sales generated by airplay on WHN. Country artists heard on WABC at the time included Kenny Rogers, Crystal Gayle, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton and Eddie Rabbitt.
A year after Salamon joined WHN, the Business and Finance section of The New York Times Bicentennial edition reported that the station 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.” Front page advertisements in Broadcasting Magazine touted WHN as “#2 Adults 25-49 all week long” and the “biggest thing since Rock’n’Roll (a reference to the format of WABC, the only station ahead of WHN in the ratings). In 1976, WHN was named Station of the Year by Billboard Magazine. A year later, WHN was again named Station of the Year by Billboard Magazine, and Salamon was named Program Director of the Year. While there was no doubt about WHN’s programming success, sales success was not as clear. Sponsors back then were reticent to have their commercials run on country music stations, even when the ratings warranted it.
Salamon was named National Program Director of the Radio Division of WHN’s parent company, Storer Broadcasting in 1978, supervising programming for its stations in Miami, Chicago, and in Los Angeles, where he served as acting general manager for KTNQ (10Q), hiring high profile air personalities including Charlie Tuna and Jack Armstrong. In 1980, when WHN was acquired by the Mutual Broadcasting System, Salamon remained with the station and added responsibilities at Mutual, being charged with the changing the format of the company’s legendary WCFL in Chicago from Talk back to a music format.
Salamon was named Program Director of the Year by Billboard Magazine for three consecutive years from 1979 through 1981. In 1980, he also received the Billboard award for National Syndicated Program of the Year for “The Johnny Cash Silver Anniversary Special”, which he produced for Mutual. Additionally WHN was named Billboard's Station of The Year in 1980 and 1981.
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Ed Salamon
Edward R. Salamon is an American entertainment industry executive and radio broadcaster. He is credited as one of the people who led to country music becoming a major force in the mid-1990s. He was dubbed “country radio’s most influential programmer” while programming WHN, New York, which became the most listened to country radio station of all time in the mid-1970s, an accomplishment that led to his induction into the Country Radio Hall of Fame in 2006.
Salamon's success at WHN encouraged the establishment of country radio stations in other urban and non-traditional country markets, which greatly expanded the audience for country radio, and, in turn, increased the exposure of country music. He has been credited with reinventing country radio because his programming techniques, viewed as radical at the time, were emulated by other broadcasters, many of which went on to greater successes in the radio industry. After WHN, Salamon headed a succession of national radio networks for twenty consecutive years.
Salamon began his radio career in 1970 as assistant promotions manager and director of market research for KDKA in Pittsburgh. Upon his promotion to music director, he applied the methodology used for sales research to programming. His techniques led to his being hired, in 1973, for his first job as program director, at country-formatted WEEP, a Pittsburgh daytime-only AM station, which was virtually at the bottom of the local radio ratings. At WEEP, he furthered his use of research for programming and became the first country radio program director to adopt the formatics, most notably short playlists, used in Top 40 Radio. Under Salamon's guidance, WEEP became second rated only to KDKA in the Pittsburgh Total Survey Area.
Storer Broadcasting's WHN switched to country music in 1973. When Salamon was hired in 1975, the station had gone through three program directors and was mired in 14th position. The prevailing wisdom was that country radio could not be successful in the urban market of New York. Using the techniques he refined in Pittsburgh, the format “mixed timely artists like George Jones, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Dolly Parton with the timeless Hank Williams. Also in the mix were contemporary country rockers, like The Eagles, crossover popsters like John Denver, and odd weepy novelties and off-center artists that New York just had to love, like Kinky Friedman." While at WHN, Salamon partnered with Jim Halsey to bring an Oak Ridge Boys concert to Carnegie Hall. and assembled a staff of personalities who were able to make country relatable to New Yorkers.
WHN's impact in New York was significant enough to cause Top 40 formatted WABC to add country records to their playlist on the strength of record sales generated by airplay on WHN. Country artists heard on WABC at the time included Kenny Rogers, Crystal Gayle, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton and Eddie Rabbitt.
A year after Salamon joined WHN, the Business and Finance section of The New York Times Bicentennial edition reported that the station 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.” Front page advertisements in Broadcasting Magazine touted WHN as “#2 Adults 25-49 all week long” and the “biggest thing since Rock’n’Roll (a reference to the format of WABC, the only station ahead of WHN in the ratings). In 1976, WHN was named Station of the Year by Billboard Magazine. A year later, WHN was again named Station of the Year by Billboard Magazine, and Salamon was named Program Director of the Year. While there was no doubt about WHN’s programming success, sales success was not as clear. Sponsors back then were reticent to have their commercials run on country music stations, even when the ratings warranted it.
Salamon was named National Program Director of the Radio Division of WHN’s parent company, Storer Broadcasting in 1978, supervising programming for its stations in Miami, Chicago, and in Los Angeles, where he served as acting general manager for KTNQ (10Q), hiring high profile air personalities including Charlie Tuna and Jack Armstrong. In 1980, when WHN was acquired by the Mutual Broadcasting System, Salamon remained with the station and added responsibilities at Mutual, being charged with the changing the format of the company’s legendary WCFL in Chicago from Talk back to a music format.
Salamon was named Program Director of the Year by Billboard Magazine for three consecutive years from 1979 through 1981. In 1980, he also received the Billboard award for National Syndicated Program of the Year for “The Johnny Cash Silver Anniversary Special”, which he produced for Mutual. Additionally WHN was named Billboard's Station of The Year in 1980 and 1981.