Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Dan Mason is no stranger to country music.
The President and Chief Executive Officer of CBS Radio recently spoke to Country Aircheck about the country format, his experience behind the mic and his job running one of the largest major-market radio operators in the United States.
Mason has a long history with country music. In 1982, he personally pushed the “play” button on the first country song that Chicago’s WUSN aired after switching formats. Twenty years later, WUSN is still the top country station in Chicago.
Now, Mason oversees all of of CBS Radio’s country stations, sits on the board for the Academy of Country Music, and has been a key supporter of the organization by rigorously promoting it on CBS Radio stations and digital properties.
In the interview, Mason spoke to the publication about how CBS Radio is revolutionizing advertising sales through innovative programs like it’s Amplify initiative which creates unique “money-can’t-buy experiences.”
Mason has worked with key sponsors to offer listeners experiences like racing a car with Brad Paisley and attending ACM rehearsals with Blake Shelton. For brands, these these campaigns are just the tip of the iceberg. Mason plans to roll out 4 to 5 times the number of strategic partnerships with country artists to deliver even more. And that, Mason points out, “can sell some music.”
The Altitude group has been creating similar unique experiences by launching innovative partnerships with companies like JBL. Our Grammy awards promotion sent lucky listeners on an all-expenses paid trip to see the awards show in Los Angeles. The campaign was integrated into AMP Radio Los Angeles’ Carson Daily interviews with artists like Maroon 5 and Alicia Keys.
For innovative brands that want to break through, these once-in-a-lifetime experiences offer multiple consumer touch points and results that cannot be matched in any other medium.
Country Aircheck is “the leading voice in the Country radio trade publication industry.” You can check out their online content at their website here, and be sure to read the whole interview with Dan Mason by picking up Country Aircheck’s June issue.