The next big battle in Atlanta radio won’t necessarily be fought over morning-show ratings, music rotations, or which station has the biggest promotional budget. This time, the competition is moving into the sales department, where Cox Media Group is bringing longtime iHeartMedia Atlanta executive Chris Jones across town as General Sales Manager. Jones leaves iHeart after thirteen years, most recently serving as Senior Vice President of Sales, to join one of his former employer’s most formidable competitors. He succeeds Scott Kellum at Cox, and while a sales management appointment might not generate the excitement of a major morning-show change, this one deserves attention. In a market where advertising relationships can be just as valuable as audience share, Cox has recruited someone who knows the competition from the inside.
And believe me, that’s a pretty interesting move.
I’ve spent a portion of my broadcasting career in Atlanta, and I can tell you that selling radio in that market is not for the faint of heart. You’ve got some of the most recognizable brands in the business, sophisticated advertising agencies, major corporate accounts, and enough competition to make an ordinary sales meeting feel like the fourth quarter of a Falcons game.
Jones understands that environment.
He worked his way through iHeartMedia’s Atlanta operation, beginning in integrated marketing sales before moving into General Sales Manager responsibilities in 2017. By June 2020, he had been elevated to Senior Vice President of Sales, overseeing the company’s local revenue efforts during one of the most difficult periods commercial broadcasting has experienced.
Now he’s joining Cox, home to some of Atlanta’s most established radio properties, including News/Talk 95.5 WSB, B98.5 WSB-FM, Classic Hits 97.1 The River WSRV, and Kiss 104.1 WALR.
That’s quite a collection of brands.
And it gives Jones a very different set of products to take into the marketplace.
At iHeart, he worked with a portfolio that included Country, Hip-Hop, rhythmic and Spanish-language programming, along with national digital and podcast advertising opportunities.
At Cox, he’ll be working with heritage stations that have longstanding relationships with Atlanta audiences and advertisers.
But here’s the part of the story I find particularly fascinating.
Cox isn’t just acquiring an experienced sales executive. It’s acquiring thirteen years of competitive perspective.
Jones knows how iHeart approaches the market.
He understands the advertising environment, the challenges local sellers face, and the growing pressure on radio companies to demonstrate results beyond traditional ratings.
He also understands Atlanta itself.
Jones grew up in Lithonia and has previously spoken about his affection for the city’s energy, diversity, and business community. That local connection matters in a market where relationships are often developed over years rather than a couple of sales presentations.
Of course, bringing that experience to Cox doesn’t mean he can simply walk into his new office and take his former employer’s business with him.
Advertising relationships belong to the larger marketplace, and clients make decisions based on audience, performance, pricing, and service.
But knowing how to develop those relationships is an enormous advantage.
There’s also an interesting difference in the competitive strategies of the two companies.
iHeartMedia offers advertisers the scale of a national audio organization, with broadcast, podcast, digital, and other products extending well beyond Atlanta.
Cox brings a strong local broadcasting heritage and some particularly recognizable station brands to the conversation.
Both approaches have value.
And Jones now has an opportunity to demonstrate what he can accomplish with a different portfolio and organizational structure.
I also think this appointment says something about where the real pressure in radio is being felt.
We spend an enormous amount of time talking about programming.
We debate formats, personalities, music selection, and whether another station should switch to Classic Hits.
Meanwhile, the sales departments are trying to convince advertisers that radio deserves a meaningful portion of their marketing budgets.
And that’s becoming increasingly challenging.
Advertisers have more choices than ever.
Google, Meta, streaming audio, connected television, social media, and digital advertising platforms are competing for the same dollars that once flowed much more naturally toward local broadcasters.
A good sales manager today has to understand considerably more than how to negotiate a rate.
The job involves developing people, building client relationships, understanding digital opportunities, and helping advertisers recognize how different media products can work together.
That’s why experienced sales leadership matters.
And it’s why Cox’s decision to bring Jones aboard is worth more than a routine personnel announcement.
He’s not walking into an organization that needs someone to explain the difference between a thirty-second commercial and a sixty-second commercial.
He’s joining an established operation with significant expectations.
The challenge will be translating his experience into measurable growth while helping Cox’s sellers compete in a changing advertising environment.
And there’s another point worth considering.
Sometimes the most important talent acquisition in radio isn’t the person behind the microphone. It’s the person who helps pay for everything coming out of it.
We tend to forget that.
Great programming requires investment.
Local personalities need support.
Promotions cost money.
Engineering departments need resources.
And those expenses are ultimately supported by the revenue the company generates.
A successful sales organization doesn’t simply make ownership happy.
It helps create the conditions necessary for better broadcasting.
That’s the opportunity in front of Jones.
For Cox, the appointment brings an Atlanta-tested executive into an important leadership role.
For iHeart, it means losing someone who spent more than a decade developing within its organization.
And for the Atlanta advertising community, it adds another interesting chapter to the competition between two established broadcasting companies.
Congratulations to Chris Jones on the move.
I’ll be interested in watching how his leadership influences Cox’s sales operation and whether this change produces additional competitive energy in one of America’s most important radio markets.
Because there’s an old reality in broadcasting that hasn’t changed, regardless of how sophisticated our technology becomes.
The ratings may tell you who’s listening. The sales department determines how much that listening is worth.
And in Atlanta, Cox just made a move that suggests it’s taking that distinction very seriously.
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