Linda Byrd, Division President Florida, iHeartMedia
April 15, 2022
by Fred Deane
Linda Byrd
Linda Byrd has spent forty-years at one company. Her tenure at iHeart/Clear Channel has allowed her to experience a very rewarding career. As the massive media company evolved over the decades, and especially over the past two, so has Linda as one of the company’s most effective and cherished leadership figures.
Linda has also been a beacon for women in our industry seeking advancement at all levels of their careers. It would be wise for us to take her advice seriously. I know her team members always do, and it equates to an extremely successful and productive relationship within her team, and for her brands.
Your oversight of the entire state of FLA has you interacting with all areas of multiple brands. What significant issues have dominated your agenda recently?
Hiring and keeping talent is always job number one, and with legacy employees, keeping them engaged and interested in continuing to grow is a priority and important for today and the future.
Also, most of us love to work in radio because of the culture in the building. With Covid, and many people working remotely, it’s become a challenge to keep that culture alive and a differentiator for our industry.
Regarding your management style and philosophy, what qualities do you hope your team takes away from your continuous encounters with them?
I hope they take away the importance of being honest and direct with people when they perform well, as well as when they perform poorly.
Employees want to know the truth. Some managers are afraid to deliver bad news and I coach them that by not doing this you are doing the employee an injustice.
I also hope they take away the importance of collaboration, everyone being one-minded with different styles and skills, and the power of brainstorming and honest feedback for the betterment of the team.
How important is it to maintain an active feedback mechanism up and down the chain of command?
Very! See my other response.
We do what I call Tune Meetings in Orlando, and we also did them when I managed in Jacksonville, and now many markets have adopted the concept.
One day each month is devoted to one station in the cluster where all the leadership and stakeholders at that station get together to lift the covers and do a top-down assessment of the station. Some of our best ideas and decisions over the years have come from one of these meetings.
iHeart has been an aggressive leader in our industry in several areas. What are you most proud of regarding the advancements iH has made in recent years?
There are so many advancements that iHeart has made and we’ve led in so many areas, but I guess our jump into the Podcast world and the subsequent quick rise to the top has been impressive and exciting for all our employees.
What areas do feel need more emphasis, from both iH and the industry in general?
We need to work hard to bring new talent into the industry in all areas, from on-air to sales to engineering. We need to make sure that radio and its part in the audio world continue to be sexy.
Considering you haven’t experienced the PD role firsthand, how have your current and former programmers informed you about the evolution of the PD role in addressing their needs?
I’ve had the honor to work with so many amazing programmers in every format, and they teach me all the time. The role has truly evolved from radio PD to multi-platform brand manager. And with that, we need to provide support and training systems to help them grow and achieve different goals.
As a woman in a leadership role for a major media company, what qualities can you impart to other females aspiring to advance at all levels?
Compete! I usually look at being a female as an advantage, not a disadvantage. But mostly I don’t think about it being any different than anyone else.
When I compare myself to others, I certainly don’t limit the competition to other women. I don’t even consider that. And I seriously doubt that my peers or employees consider me as a different type of leader because I am a woman.
If you could teach a few skills as a tutorial guide for women seeking leadership roles, what would the skills likely be?
Be bold, speak up. Be curious, fact check, and don’t assume what you are being told is accurate. Use your intuition and at times you just have to follow your gut. But make sure you have studied all the facts first. Hire great people and empower them.
What are you most passionate about regarding your job?
The impact we’ve had on the community and how much people love our stations. Bob Pittman says we are America’s companion, and boy is he right.
I’m also very passionate about coaching and mentoring, and so proud of all the people that have come through the Linda Byrd school of broadcasting to achieve great success.
How do you prefer to spend your casual time?
At the beach, listening to live music, drinking wine, watching Alabama football, and spending time with my wonderful son, Riley.
Brian Mack informed me that you’re a big Beatles fan (as am I!) You saw them perform live back in the day; can you share any fond memories from that experience?
There was a foreshadowing of my radio career when my father bought a concert package from WLOF, Orlando, and my sister and I got to go see the Beatles at the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville. The ticket price of $12.50 included admission, the bus ride, and a boxed lunch. I was 8 years old, but I can still close my eyes and hear all the women screaming while the Beatles were taking the stage to open with “Things We Said Today,” still one of my very favorite songs.
[Editor’s Note: On Friday, April 15, 2022, Linda Byrd announced her retirement after a successful 45-year career. Byrd commented, “It’s hard even to say the word retire. I’ve had the most fantastic career working in an industry I absolutely love. I’ve never even thought about doing anything else. And I am so fortunate to have been on this iHeart train, and previous companies, for the last 40 years. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I am thankful and excited to have the opportunity to transition into an advisory role for the next stage of my life.”
Related story: https://deanemediasolutions.com/iheartmedia-florida-division-president-linda-byrd-announces-retirement/]
