Entercom yesterday announced major promotions for nine senior management executives across digital, programming, events, sales, ad sales marketing, legal and traffic departments -- here they are now, listed in alphabetical order for your convenience: Fred Bennett is now Senior Vice President, Traffic Weather Information Network; JD Crowley, Chief Digital Officer; Mike Dash, Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel; Liana Huth, Senior Vice President, Programming Innovation; Jen Morelli, Senior Vice President, Events & Experiences; Jenny Nelson, Senior Vice President, Ad Sales Marketing; John Pacino, Senior Vice President, Product and Engineering; Sam Rogers, Senior Vice President, National Sales and Jeff Sottolano is upped to Senior Vice President, Radio and Radio.com Programming.

"We are fortunate to have such a talented team of leaders at Entercom and it is a pleasure to be able to promote several of them today in recognition of their increasing roles and responsibilities," said David Field (left), President and Chief Executive Officer, Entercom. "These are exciting times at the company and as we roll ahead with our investments and execute our transformational plans, we will continue to offer meaningful professional growth opportunities for our top performers."

Weezie Kramer, Entercom Chief Operating Officer remarked, "This is a strategic move to position ourselves for success in the long-term. We are making great progress and we are excited about where we are headed. With this new, elevated leadership structure, we are poised to maximize our capabilities and scale as one of the best radio broadcast operators in the industry."

Universal Music Group (UMG) announced that Darcus Beese OBE, has been named President of Island Records and will join UMG's U.S. label leadership team. Beese, who had lead Island Records U.K. since 2013, will succeed David Massey as President of Island Records in New York, effective July 1.

In making the announcement, Sir Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO of UMG, said, "Few in the music industry have Darcus's track record of creative and commercial success. I've had the pleasure over the years of working closely with Darcus, who has impeccable creative instincts and takes a long-term view of artist development. I'm thrilled he is taking on this new role and I'm excited to support him in signing, developing and breaking many more artists."

Island Records U.K. has been Beese's home for nearly his entire music industry career -- he started as an intern in Island's promotion department in 1989, and worked his way up through the company, holding numerous jobs, including A&R director, where his signings included Amy Winehouse, Sugababes and Taio Cruz. In 2008, Beese was named co-President of the label with Ted Cockle, where together they developed Mumford & Sons and Florence + the Machine, among others. Beese was named President of Island U.K. in 2013.

Beese said, "Island Records was founded nearly 60 years ago by Chris Blackwell to serve as the home for boundary-defying and maverick artists with the ability to move popular culture. To this day, that mission continues to define and drive Island, whether in the U.K. or U.S., and I couldn't be more proud to play a role in carrying on that legacy. I'm grateful to Sir Lucian for this opportunity and I'd like to thank my U.K. boss and friend David Joseph for his generous support through the years. I'm looking forward to working closely with Michele Anthony, Monte Lipman as well as Eric Wong and the excellent team at Island." [Photo credit: Rankin]

After 32 years with BET Networks, Debra Lee announced that she is stepping down from her position as Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, effective May 28.

In a farewell statement, Lee said, "In 1986 I joined BET Networks to be its very first Vice President & General Counsel. As a young corporate attorney I saw my role as the protector of the BET brand and its employees and today, more than 32 years later, I still see myself as the protector and defender of a brand that I have helped to grow as a top destination for audiences across the globe. I have called BET Networks home for over three decades and this team is part of my extended family. I could not be prouder of the enormous amount of talent and creativity at BET Networks today and I will always be BET's number one fan."

Bob Bakish, President & CEO of BET's parent company, Viacom, commented, "Debra's vision and creativity has cemented BET Networks as a premiere network for African Americans and lovers of Black culture. As BET continues to move forward, we will always be grateful to Debra for her leadership and commitment to creating top-notch entertainment that both entertains and empowers. Her passion for the BET brand has resulted in countless wins and has allowed BET to stay competitive in a growing media landscape."

Bakish continued, "While we will all miss Debra tremendously, we respect her decision and understand her desire to leave at the very top of the game with a legacy of significant contributions that spans decades. I have seen first-hand how the network has grown under her direction, and I know that she will bring that same innovative thinking and strategic vision to her future pursuits. Debra has groomed an amazing group of senior executives, and I am confident that BET Networks will continue to flourish under their leadership."

• Saga Communications, Inc. announced that Chris Forgy is being promoted to the new position of Senior Vice President of Operations. Forgy (left) initially joined Saga in 1995 and served as Director of Sales for the company's Columbus Radio group in Columbus, OH until 2006, when he left to become VP/GM of Radio One's Cleveland cluster. He rejoined Saga in 2011, returning to Columbus as President/GM of the market, where he has served until this big promotion.

Ed Christian, President and Chief Executive Officer of Saga Communications, Inc. said, "Chris is a world-class broadcaster whose contributions to Saga will be very important and strategic as he joins us in the corporate office." Forgy commented, "I have always dreamed of having this opportunity and am looking forward to working directly with Ed as well as with Saga's great team of broadcasters who I have had the honor to work with and alongside of for the past 20 years."

• In a related story, Saga has appointed outgoing Chief Operating Officer Warren Lada to its Board of Directors, effective immediately. Earlier this week it was announced that Lada, a 27-year company vet, is retiring, effective at the end of June.

• iHeartMedia New Orleans has tapped native son Mark Boudreaux as the new Market President of the eight-station group, effective June 11. He succeeds Steve McNair, who had been on the job there for the past year. Boudreaux (left) will report to Michael Hudson, Area President for iHeartMedia Baton Rouge/New Orleans, who commented, "We're thrilled to have Mark as our new leader at iHeartMedia New Orleans. His incredible skill set and passion for people make him the perfect person to take the stations in our New Orleans market to amazing ratings and revenue thresholds."

Boudreaux segues from Knoxville-based South Central AV, where he most recently served as Business Development Manager. His 25+ years of sales experience includes a two-year stint as Director of Sales for Entercom New Orleans and a six-year run in Knoxville as GSM of South Central Media and Director of Sales for Midwest Communications.

"Who better to run our iHeartMedia New Orleans market than a native New Orleanian?" said Eddie Martiny, President of iHeartMedia's Houston Region. "Mark has a proven track record in the Crescent City as a seller, Sales Manager and Vice President of Sales. We are excited to have Mark and his infectious personality leading iHeartMedia New Orleans." Boudreaux remarked, "I'm fired up to work with iHeartMedia, especially in a great market like New Orleans that truly understands the power, reach and ROI of radio. I've known many on the iHeartMedia New Orleans team for years and the chance to play in the same sandbox with such a talented group is amazing."

• Another former CBS Radio executive has exited Entercom, post-merger -- Michael Young, longtime SVP/Market Manager for News-Talk 1020 KDKA, Sports-Talk KDKA-FM (93.7 The Fan), Country WDSY (Y108) and Hot AC WBZZ (100.7 Star)/Pittsburgh has left the company. The news was initially reported by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which quoted Young as saying, "It was an honor and a privilege to work and serve with such a talented staff at these stations, and I thank Entercom and CBS Radio for that opportunity."

RAMP has confirmed that Entercom Pittsburgh VP/Director of Sales Michael Spacciapolli is currently serving as interim SVP/Market Manager as Entercom kicks off a nationwide search for a permanent successor. 

Republic Records has advanced Ben Adelson to Executive Vice President, A&R, as announced by EVP Rob Stevenson and EVP/Head of Urban A&R, Wendy Goldstein. Not bad for a guy who started at Republic as an intern in 2007... Adelson has served as SVP of A&R since 2015, and among his signings are multiplatinum Grammy® nominated superstar James Bay, indie stalwart Lord Huron and buzzing upstart Noah Kahan.

Stevenson commented, "Ben's ability to spot new talent and nurture artists' careers makes him a cornerstone of our team. His track record for breaking artists is fast solidifying him as one of the industry's foremost A&R executives and I'm proud to work with him." Goldstein added, "Ben has cemented himself as one of this generation's most trusted A&R minds. He's uncovered and developed real career artists whose impact resonates throughout the business. It's been an honor to work with him on this journey."

Republic co-Founder and President Avery Lipman stated, "A&R remains the backbone of our company. We're built on a tradition of breaking new artists, and the department represents the front line in that pursuit. I'd like to congratulate Ben on his continued achievements and this much-deserved promotion."

"I started here as an intern 11 years ago," Adelson said. "The culture of the company is one of innovation. Monte and Avery are incredible leaders. I look up to them, what they've created with Republic, and what they've been able to do. As a result of their approach, Republic is the best at breaking new talent. Rob, Wendy and I work very closely on a lot of projects. I've learned so much from them in terms of making records, developing artists, and building careers. I'm grateful for the opportunities and invaluable experience I've gotten at the company."

Less than three years after expanding into the amusement sector, Townsquare Media announced that it has completed the sale of North American Midway Entertainment, LLC ("NAME") to North American Fairs, LLC, owned by Danny Huston, for $23.5 million plus a 15% residual interest in any future proceeds of a sale of NAME in the next ten years.

It was August of 2015 when we initially reported Townsquare had entered into a definitive purchase agreement to acquire NAME, described as the largest provider of rides, games and food concessions in North America for approximately $75.5 million. In 2017, Townsquare announced that it was initiating a strategic review of its Entertainment segment, which included NAME.

Under the terms of the purchase agreement, North American Fairs, LLC will acquire all of the issued and outstanding membership interests of NAME's parent company, Heartland Group, LLC, from the Company for total cash consideration of $23.5 million. In addition, Townsquare will have the right to receive 15% of any sale proceeds if NAME is sold, in whole or in part, in the next ten years. The Company expects to hold the net cash proceeds from the sale on its balance sheet, pending reinvestment.

• Entercom Classic Hits WCBS-FM/New York and Scott Shannon & The Big Show will be ushering in the Memorial Day Weekend festivities live from Coney Island this morning -- the Shannon in the Morning Summer Beach Blastoff will feature host Scott Shannon, Patty Steele, Sue Aller, John Elliot and Brad Blanks, live and in person, along with special performances by Taylor Dayne and Smash Mouth!

The action starts at 6am today near the Parachute Jump on the legendary Coney Island Boardwalk in Brooklyn.

• Radio One Top 40 KROI (92.1 Radio Now)/Houston is keenly aware of the K-Pop cultural explosion known as BTS. The seven-member Korean boy band elicited waves of high-pitched shrieks every time their name was mentioned ahead of their wildly received performance on Sunday's Billboard Music Awards, and their social media activity is through the roof.

Wisely taking advantage of the hysteria surrounding these guys, Radio Now is going to give its listeners more than they bargained for, as Radio Now MD DJ Riddler explains to RAMP, "For 24 hours straight, starting at midnight on Memorial Day, we will be playing nothing but BTS, including the entire Love Yourself 'Tear' album and songs from their previous albums like Mic Drop, DNA, and others. The demand and social media activity for BTS has been non-stop, so we decided to treat the BTS fans around the world as the first station to play nothing but BTS on Memorial Day."

Discussing the band's latest single, Riddler said, "After receiving over 30,000 votes on Twitter last Friday to play 'Fake Love,' and seeing it debut at No. 15 on Shazam in Houston after only two spins, we instantly added the record." He added, "I've never seen anything like this in my lifetime -- fans taking screenshots, sending us Snapchat videos of them listening to BTS on 92.1 Radio Now in their cars or on their computers. The BTS Army is a real force!"

• Premiere Networks and CMT personality Cody Alan was fortunate enough to covered the inaugural Live in the Vineyard Goes Country music and wine festival in beautiful Napa, CA, which featured a headline performance by 14-time ACM winner Carrie Underwood and a bunch of other Country stars. Proceeds from the three-day festival benefitted ACM Lifting Lives®, the philanthropic arm of the Academy of Country Music dedicated to improving lives though the power of music.

Alan hosted a special episode of his CMT show Hot 20 Countdown at the festival, and his interviews with Underwood and several other artists will air on the show this weekend, May 26 and 27, as well as on CMT After MidNite and CMT Radio Live next week.

• Dance Show With MJR just picked up its 11th station -- WPCF (93.1 Play FM in Panama City Beach, FL. The two-hour, hit-driven weekend show, hosted by MichaelJohn Roach now airs in Utah, Idaho, Texas, New Hampshire, Grand Cayman and in Munich, Germany. Stations interested in adding Dance Show With MJR should email MJR at michaelroach30@gmail.com.