Thoughts on radio and advertising based on a lifetime of customer contact. Barry Drake retraces the steps of his forty year broadcasting career to delight readers by telling stories and bringing to light things that have changed and so many things that have not. Growing up in a media household, Drake saw the birth of television and the impact of local radio personalities. He picked up knowledge of business working in fast food and retail. In radio, Drake began in the day of AM domination and participated in the rise of FM. Later he went on to head companies in radio and television. 40 Years 40,000 Sales Calls is loaded with Drake's opinions on the current state of the media, radio in particular and what advertisers want. What makes this book unique is that the opinions all come from direct contact with advertisers. There is no B-school philosophy. Just real world knowledge obtained over forty years of real world work. One hundred percent of the net proceeds from the book's sales go to the Broadcasters Foundation of America to assist broadcasters who are in acute need. The Foundation does not endorse or subscribe to the views expressed in the book.
About the Author: Barry Drake is best known as a "radio guy," although he served as CEO of a sixty-two-station television group as well. He has been on the programming and production side of the radio business, sold locally in markets large and small, sold nationally, and managed stations in all formats, sizes, and market conditions. In 1984, Drake joined Keymarket Communications as general manager, first in Baton Rouge and then in Houston, before being named president of the group in 1988. Keymarket was sold to River City Broadcasting in 1995, and in 1996, River City was purchased by Sinclair Broadcast Group, where Drake was named CEO of radio and then CEO of television in 1999. He is no stranger to the finance side of the industry, having years of experience working with equity sponsors, the public market, and lenders to structure companies and deals. In 2002, Drake formed Backyard Broadcasting with private equity sponsor Boston Ventures. The group grew to thirty radio stations in six markets, then was sold in 2013. During his career, Drake stayed close to the action by committing himself to making sales calls, some with sales people, others on his own. He has called on a wide range of businesses: chains with billions of dollars in volume as well as single-location retailers grossing less than $1 million annually. What Barry Drake enjoys most is listening to business owners talk about advertising and what works.