Posted by chicagomedia.org on March 11, 2008 at 13:44:47:
XM Satellite Radio senior VP and chief creative officer Lee Abrams will join the Tribune Co. in the newly created role of chief innovation officer. The veteran broadcaster and consultant will be responsible for innovation across
Tribune's publishing, broadcasting and interactive divisions, and will assume his duties April 1.
"There is a remarkable opportunity for Tribune to design the future of American media with passion, intellect, and imagination that meets the spirit of the 21st century," Abrams, who has been at XM since 1998, said in a statement. "We have the resources to pioneer a new age of information and entertainment that re-invents and
enlightens -- and that is exactly what we are going to do."
"Lee is the most formidable creative thinker in the media business today," said Randy Michaels, Tribune's president of broadcasting and interactive. "He invented the modern FM radio format, got satellite radio off the ground when no one gave it a chance, and managed to advise on the redesign of ‘Rolling Stone’magazine and the launch of TNT Cable Network in his spare time. Lee's going to pump new life into our content, re-energize our brands, and get people thinking and working together like they never have before."
Abrams was the founding partner of Burkhart/Abrams and is credited with inventing album rock, the first successful FM format. He pioneered the radio "morning show" and gave Howard Stern and Steve Dahl their first major market jobs. Abrams has also been a marketing and content consultant to MTV, Swatch and Coca-Cola.