Oliviero is focused on taking everything the merger created and putting it to better useCONTRIBUTED
Name: Chris Oliviero
Position: Entercom Exec VP/Programming
Where I’m from: Brooklyn
Where I call home: Brooklyn
Focusing on right now: Because of the merger of Entercom and CBS Radio, we have now over 40 owned and operated stations in more than 30 cities. Add to that over a few dozen play-by-play partnerships with teams like the Yankees, we have a great group of assets that’s extremely influential in driving the sports conversation in the country. I am kind of focused on how we take this envious scale that the merger created and how we put it to better use for the benefit of our listeners, our clients and our sponsors.
Best advice: Be very picky on whom you seek counsel from. One hundred percent of the people will have an opinion on your particular situation, but not everyone is going to have your best interest in mind or even the capacity to guide you in right direction.
People I admire: One group that has had a huge influence and probably doesn’t get spoken enough about is the Filippini Sisters. It’s an order of Roman Catholic nuns who for generations have educated students around the world, especially here in the Northeast. They are all about self-sacrifice for the greater good.
Must have for a new hire: Confidence, especially to speak up and pitch an idea without any concern about other people’s reaction. To me there is nothing more debilitating in a work space or a work environment than that fear to fail. I sometimes even wonder how many great or transformative ideas have just slipped through the cracks because they stay safely nestled in someone’s mind because they are afraid to speak it out aloud.
Book shelf: I recently re-read autographed copies of both “PRIVATE PARTS” and “MISS AMERICA,” by HOWARD STERN. Every time I read it and look at it just brings me back to memories of my early and formative years in radio when I started as an intern.
Must-have music: Anything FRANK SINATRA. I just love the man, the microphone and his orchestra. He tells a story through music better than anybody before him, at the same time as him, or since him.
First thing in the morning: Put the radio on, then I look at the iPhone, then I get a cup of coffee and then I get something from the sweet department -- either it will be a cookie or even a donut. It has to be that sequence or I’m cranky.
Talking tech: I just love the speed that technology is at and how it is constantly changing. It forces your brain to stay active and it forces you to be proactive to stay in the learning mode. That’s important for any executive, especially in the media business. Because of technology our audio content is more readily accessible.
Food for thought: It would not be uncommon if you walk by my desk at lunch and you see a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a pickle on the side. Is it simple? Yes. Is it affordable? Yes. Is it very filling? Yes. Is it stylish for a grown man? No. But peanut butter and jelly with a pickle on the side is a go-to staple at least once a week for my lunch.
How I unwind: I love to watch golf and on a lazy afternoon -- especially now this time of year when it’s cold and snowy in the Northeast -- watching the PGA Tour to me is very comforting. Everything about it from the presentation, to the production, to the sound, to the images, to the green grass, to the sunshine, it’s just so appealing.
Day in the life: What I try to make a hallmark of every day is to always have my eyes and ears open for the next great sports radio talent. With so many stations, so many hours and so many platforms now in the new Entercom to populate, we can never have enough talent. And you never actually know where you’re going to find that star.
