Todd Amlin Launches Company

WCVO/Columbus (104.9 The River) Chief Creative Officer and Music Director Todd Amlin is launching Amlin Media Group, born from what Amlin describes as a hunger to see an industry that is ripe for change boldly move forward into greater relevance, to have a bigger impact in communities large and small across the country.

“When I came into the CCO role at The River, there were these unwritten rules in the industry for programming a Christian AC Radio Station. I would hear all these things that you can’t do, but it was incongruent with what I knew about our audience and what they want,” Amlin said. “Most of my career has been spent close to the people, and I believe that if we truly exist to serve our listeners then we need to re-think a great many things about how we program. Thankfully I was given the green light to do just that at The River. The naysayers said it wouldn’t work, it’s not what ‘She’ is looking for. Five years later I can say unequivocally that it has worked. The risks paid off.”

For Amlin, great radio is a mission. “I love this industry. I believe deeply in the ability to change lives and communities through the power of music and the connections our DJ’s make with listeners. It’s for that reason that I want to bring fresh, innovative strategies to the industry at large and empower stations to reimagine what is possible if we move forward boldly.”

As a client of AMG, The River can attest to the value of an experienced guide: “From the moment he took over, Todd Amlin has been aggressively pursuing music strategy,” said Bill Montgomery, President and CEO of The River, “Asking questions, annoying labels, reading and researching, badgering consultants, tweaking algorithms until he finally could get his mind around the process and make it his own. He wanted to make Christian radio music strategy serve the audience and the industry, and blend new music discovery with still being familiar. We are excited to retain him as our music director. We love how The River sounds and want to have him continue to direct our future sound,” Montgomery said.

Amlin Media Group will offer a full suite of services – not just music strategy – to stations of all sizes, Amlin explained. “One of the big things that I believe makes this different than anything I’ve seen is that we are set up to partner with radio stations on a really comprehensive basis. I saw a post on Facebook a few years ago asking for referrals for a consultant and it was all over the place – see this person for talent, that person for music strategy, this person for digital, so and so is great at promotions and events, etc. The team that we’ve put together has extensive knowledge in a wide range of areas.”

For example, (WCVO morning co-hosts) Josh Hooper and Chad Bradley are two of the best on-air talents in our industry, and they are joining us to coach talent at stations we’re partnering with,” Amlin said.

Talent coaching, Bradley noted, requires a good map. “The journey to becoming better at what you do would be very difficult without good directions. The good news is that the map is easy to follow. There are no shortcuts to becoming a better on-air talent, but that doesn’t mean you have to take the long route either! I am the product of incredibly talented people sharing their map with me, and I’m thrilled and honored to be able to share that with individuals who are ready and eager to grow and move forward in their craft,” Bradley said.

“CCM Radio across the country is full of incredible talent and radio stations,” Hooper said. “I cannot wait to work with some of these content creators. We’ll share real life, real faith, and the real Jesus with listeners, in exciting new ways. Let’s get ready to have some fun!”

The AMG team is rounded out by two additional talents: Jon Dennings and Robin Amlin.

“Jon Dennings has a gift for hearing and helping to create great radio. He’s a master of clocks and rotations. He’s a connoisseur of music. He will be working with us in a variety of ways to bring value to our partners,” Amlin said.

Robin Amlin, an accomplished business advisor with extensive knowledge of corporate governance and experience serving on nonprofit boards, is a co-founder of AMG. She has degrees in public relations and law, and has a real gift for helping organizations understand which strategies are working and which aren’t from a business perspective.

“Radio stations across the country, whether nonprofit or for-profit, small or large, can benefit from Robin’s unique business expertise,” Amlin noted. “We’re excited to come out of the gate with 104.9 The River as a client, and look forward to serving you and your team soon,” Amlin said. “You can find us at www.amlinmedia.com or contact Todd Amlin at todd@amlinmedia.com for more information.”