iHeartMedia announces the acquisition of Jamie Cutburth as Vice President of Marketing. Cutburth moves over from NBCUniversal, where he held a nearly identically titled role of Executive Vice President, Marketing and Brand Partnerships. He was with NBCU for 14 years, first as VP Ad Sales Marketing for Bravo. The plan for Cutburth is to help define and lead the company’s marketing strategy — that will include “tent-pole storytelling” and cross-platform packaging. “Jamie swings big,” enthused Lisa Coffey, Chief Business Officer for iHeartMedia. He will fit right in as our team continues to push innovative ideas at the leading edge of the industry.” His goal? “Ensure that iHeart shows up in the market with a clear story and a modern marketing engine.”
Meanwhile, iHeartMedia New York has promoted Andrew Festo to Vice President of Events and Experiences, effective immediately, reinforcing its commitment to high-impact live and experiential programming. In his new role, Festo will lead the strategy, development and execution of franchise and some national events, overseeing all aspects from partnerships and production to artist coordination and budget management. In this new role Festo will report to SVP of Promotions Joe De Angelis.
Grading season
James Cridland’s Podnews has posted results of its annual Report Card with its traditional You Are Important logo. It’s an open survey to evaluate podcast platforms. It is meant for podcasters but anyone can participate, and the survey wouldn’t make much sense to non-podcasters. The questionnaire asks for ratings of podcast apps, directories, services that provide analytics and insights, monetization services, innovations, adherence to basic podcast standards such as the open ecosystem, ease of use, and overall choices. The format is multiple choice, and offers space to explain your choices and list features you’d like to see. Results are HERE.
