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22 July 2019

MIKE MCVAY JOINS FORCES WITH BENZTOWN AS PROGRAMMING AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT

LOS ANGELES, CA, July 22, 2019 — Benztown, a global leader in radio imaging, voiceover, programming and jingles with over 2,300 affiliations on six different continents, announces that Mike McVay, President and Chief Executive Officer, McVay Media, will provide strategic audio programming and business development services as a senior consultant to the fast-growing audio services and programming company.

Benztown was founded in 2008 by L.A. radio producer and program director Dave “Chachi” Denes, Andreas Sannemann, a leading international audio imaging specialist and composer based in Stuttgart, Germany, and Oliver Klenk, audio production wunderkind and composer, also from Stuttgart. Their shared vision of radio’s future in the digital age led them to create Benztown, swiftly building a network of partners in the United States, Germany, England, Australia, and New Zealand. In July 2010, the company grew further when Denes formed Benztown Radio Networks, an international media syndication company providing dynamic programming and features to radio stations and media companies around the world. Since that time, Benztown has become one of the fastest-growing companies in the radio industry and in the U.S. at large. Benztown has been named to the prestigious Inc. 5000 by Inc. magazine for five consecutive years as one of America’s Fastest Growing Privately Held Companies and continues to grow its portfolio of innovative, high quality audio products and services, while expanding its customer base in the U.S. and around the globe.

McVay has worked with Benztown for the past eight years as a client partner in his previous role as Executive Vice President, Content and Programming for CUMULUS MEDIA and Westwood One. In 2011, Cumulus and Benztown signed an exclusive agreement that continues today, creating one of the radio industry’s largest and highest quality collections of production and imaging libraries, with Benztown providing radio imaging, production, voiceover, programming and jingles to Westwood One and to Cumulus’ owned and operated stations. The CUMULUS MEDIA-Benztown partnership has served as a model for best practices in audio production, imaging, and programming.

Dave “Chachi” Denes, President, Benztown, said: “Mike has been an incredible mentor, friend and partner to me throughout the years. I’m both humbled and privileged to now be able to work with him directly as a consultant to Benztown.”

Andreas Sannemann, Chief Executive Officer, Benztown, said: “We are more than excited to continue working with Mike and for me personally it is an absolute honor to learn more from one of the icons in our industry.”

Mike McVay said: “The product line from Benztown is nothing short of spectacular. I am excited to consult Andy and Chachi and interface with the worldwide team that is Benztown. My personal experiences using these products give me an advantage and insight into what Benztown offers.”

McVay is a 40-year programming professional with national and local consulting, management, ownership, sales, programming, and on-air experience. He has also developed and launched several nationally syndicated programs. McVay is currently an international radio consultant with the company McVay Media, having programmed or consulted more than 300 stations around the world, including ones in the United States, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Grand Cayman, and Puerto Rico. He was a founding partner in the company now known as Futuri Media. As Executive Vice President of Content and Programming for CUMULUS MEDIA and Westwood One from February 2011 through June 2019, McVay provided executive programming leadership for CUMULUS’ 425 owned radio stations and for Westwood One, the company’s national syndication arm.

McVay has received numerous awards and acknowledgements. He is a recipient of the prestigious Rockwell Award, was ranked #4 among “America’s Top Programmers” by Radio Ink magazine, is #14 on Radio Ink’s “Top-40 Most Powerful Broadcaster” list, was named one of the “Titans of Talk” by NTS magazine every year 2012-2019, and was named “Corporate Programmer of the Year” by Worldwide Radio Summit in 2015, 2017 and 2019. McVay was recognized three times as “Broadcast Executive of the Year” by the former Radio & Records magazine. He is a member of board of directors for Country Radio Broadcasters, the Country Music Association (CMA), the Radio Hall of Fame & Museum, and the Alliance for Women in Media. He is also the past chairman of the Radio Show Steering Committee for the 2017 NAB/RAB Convention, and is a Co-Chair for the Alliance for Women in Media’s Gracie Awards. He is also a member of the Long-term Steering Committee for the NAB/RAB Radio Show, which became effective in January 2019.