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27 October 2014

BENZTOWN 50 – LIST PUBLISHED

Benztown Releases First-Ever Benztown 50 Voice Power Index BY CHRIS ON OCTOBER 27, 2014 “Benztown 50” Ranking Honors Radio Industry’s Top Voiceover Professionals BURBANK, CA, October 27, 2014—Benztown today released its Benztown 50 Voice Power Index, the first-ever industry ranking of the top 50 voiceover artists in the U.S. Benztown enlisted SparkNet Research & Consulting to compile and analyze industry data that was the foundation for the ranking. SparkNet ranked voiceover professionals against their industry peers across several criteria, including number of radio station affiliates, station size and market. More than 100 radio groups provided information for this exclusive annual ranking. The top VO artist is Pat Garrett. Click here to view the list. BZ-50-badgeDave “Chachi” Denes, President of Benztown, said: “This annual ranking of the most influential voice professionals in the U.S. is an idea whose time has come. As an industry leader in producing quality radio voiceover and imaging, we believe it’s important to shine a light on the value of voiceover to successful radio brands. The very best voiceover professionals shape the listener experience and build distinctive audio brands that engage, captivate and entertain. We congratulate and honor those talented individuals who comprise this inaugural index. We’re excited about making next year’s index even more robust.” Ken Benson, President of Research for SparkNet said: “The professional research team at SparkNet partnered with Benztown to create the Benztown 50 Voice Power Index. The index was devised using a proprietary formula weighting voice talent visibility from a number of factors, including station count, station information, and audience. Using our online platform, interviews and other research methods, we dug deep and looked at VO artists and their achievements from multiple angles and metrics. We interviewed the talent themselves, their managers and peers, and programming professionals across the industry. We poured over their resumes, portfolios, and station performance. And we looked at their contributions to the industry holistically, including their pro-bono service for charitable causes and organizations. We are proud to join Benztown in this worthwhile effort to give the brand voices of radio the recognition they deserve and to honor their contributions to American radio.” The following voiceover professionals comprise the 2014 Benztown 50 Voice Power Index. They will be honored at a reception next April at the Worldwide Radio Summit in Hollywood. To view the list online, please go to http://www.benztown.com/50. Pat Garrett Scott Fisher Cousin Deke George W Robinson John Willyard Jeff Berlin Harry Legg Scott Matthews Chad Erickson Rachel McGrath Steve Kamer Sean Caldwell Howard Cogan Randy Reeves Dave Ferguson Dave Kampel Matt Anthony Chris Corley Rick Party Rich Van Slyke Heather Walters Jim Conrad Tom Pagnotti Jake Kaplan Jim Merkel Wendy K Gray Dave Steele Jude Corbett Allan Peck John Reilly Drake Donovan Mike Muscatello Jeff Laurence Jeff Davis Randy Cox Dave Morris Neil Wilson Austin Keyes Mitch Craig Joe Cipriano Steve Stone Mike Blakeney Apollo Ann Dewig Chuck Matthews Amber Cotton Cayman Kelly Donna Frank Ben Blankenship Pete Gustin For more information, visit www.benztown.com, or contact Masa Patterson at mp@benztown.com and at (818) 842-4600.