Ep. 71 Deborah Parenti
EPISODE SUMMARY: Deborah Parenti is a broadcasting trailblazer who currently oversees some of the industry’s most respected brands and events, including Radio Ink, Radio + Television Business Report, Forecast, and the Hispanic Radio Conference. She shares stories of how she broke through barriers throughout her career, culminating in her induction into the Radio Hall of Fame.On this episode of Chachi Loves Everybody, Chachi talks to Deborah Parenti about:Falling in love with radio as a child growing up in Dayton, OhioMoving to LA to help syndicate Wolfman JackHow she overcame her shyness and learned to put herself out there and go for itThe value of marketing and research in radio and the importance of knowing where statistics come fromOvercoming gender discrimination and how she was held back by some and supported by many othersBecoming the first female GM in Dayton, and how she climbed up the sales ladderWhat makes for a strong company culture and good teams, and the importance of communityMoving to Philadelphia and the challenges of being a leader in a larger marketPutting together the Hispanic Radio Conference and Forecast, then publishing RadioInkHer advice for future radio professionalsAnd more!ABOUT THIS EPISODE'S GUEST: Radio Ink President and Publisher Deborah Parenti is a distinguished executive in the radio industry, having held roles in marketing and research and sales prior to several management positions. Later in her career, she assumed the Publisher role of Radio Ink and Radio + Television Business Report, two influential industry publications. Deborah’s career including years of success in both Dayton, OH, and Louisville, KY, working with WING-AM and WWSN-FM and WDJX -FM. She became the first female General Manager in Dayton, overseeing WMMX-FM’s success with both ratings and revenue. She went on to become the VP/GM of American Radio Systems group of stations in Dayton, one of the first managers of a consolidated group of radio stations in a single market. In 1997, she joined Broadcast Group in Philadelphia to become VP/GM of WXTU-FM, a premier country-formatted station.A decade later, Deborah Parenti joined Streamline Publishing in 2007. Her accomplishments are many, including leading Radio Ink’s editorial and management staff to recognize radio industry leadership in management, sales and programming in a variety of formats and management genres. The expanse and influence of the set of publications has allowed the industry a forum for conversations at multiple annual meetings organized by the publication to further the industry’s evolution of new programming, new technology and more.Deborah’s efforts and industry impact have been recognized by the Broadcast Foundation of America and the Dayton Area Broadcasters Hall of Fame, among others. In 2023, Deborah Parenti was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame.ABOUT THE PODCAST: Chachi Loves Everybody is brought to you by Benztown and hosted by the President of Benztown, Dave “Chachi” Denes. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the myths and legends of the radio industry.PEOPLE MENTIONED:Ray SparWolfman JackChris ForgyGlenn BellMichael J. FoxJim BennettMaddie ShriverPierre BouvardBill BurtonSteve DodgeEric RhodesAlan GrayBill CampbellChris SheebleBrad FuhrSteve DodgeDave PerlmanTom StonerGlen BellAvis EckelGarth BrooksTrisha YearwoodMike McVayPat PaxtonFrank SinatraSteve LawrencePiolinShoboyEd KrampfJim CarnegieAdam JacobsonABOUT BENZTOWN: Benztown is a leading international audio imaging, production library, voiceover, programming, podcasting, and jingle production company with over 3,000 affiliations on six different continents. Benztown provides audio brands and radio stations of all formats with end-to-end imaging and production, making high-quality sound and world-class audio branding a reality for radio stations of all market sizes and budgets. Benztown was named to the prestigious Inc. 5000 by Inc. magazine for five consecutive years as one of America’s Fastest-Growing Privately Held Companies. With studios in Los Angeles, New York, London and Stuttgart, Benztown offers the highest quality audio imaging work parts for 23 libraries across 14 music and spoken word formats including AC, Hot AC, CHR, Country, Hip Hop and R&B, Rhythmic, Classic Hits, Rock, News/Talk, Sports, and JACK. Benztown provides custom VO and imaging across all formats, including commercial VO and copywriting in partnership with Yamanair Creative. Benztown Radio Networks produces, markets, and distributes high-quality programming and services to radio stations around the world, including: The Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 Countdown, The Daily Dees Show, The Todd-N-Tyler Radio Empire, Hot Mix, Sunday Night Slow Jams with R Dub!, Flashback, Top 10 Now, AudioLogger, Audio Architecture, Radio Merch Shop, The Rooster Show Prep, AmeriCountry, and Benztown Swag Bank. Benztown + McVay Media Podcast Networks produces and markets premium podcasts including: The Making of: A National Geographic Podcast, Run It Again, Hot Chicken and Cage-Free Conversation with Byron Kennedy, and Edelman Financial Engines’ Everyday Wealth.Web: benztown.comFacebook: facebook.com/benztownradioTwitter: @benztownradioLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/benztownInstagram: instagram.com/benztownradio
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