Sun Broadcast Group

Last updated
Sun Broadcast Group
Company type Private
Industry Radio broadcasting
Founded2008 (2008)
Headquarters
Key people
Jason Bailey (CEO)
Website Official Website

The Sun Broadcast Group is an American radio network headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida and New York City. [1] The network covers over 5,500 affiliates and serves around 140 million monthly listeners in both English and Spanish as of 2014. [2] In 2014 and 2015, it was listed on the Inc. 5000 list as one of the fastest-growing companies in America and the single fastest growing company in the broadcast radio industry. [3] Programs broadcast on the network include The Marilu Henner Show , [4] The House of Hair with Dee Snider , [5] The Hit List with Fitz, [6] the NCAA College Football Game of the Week, [7] and Yahoo! Deportes, among others. [8] Sun is also a founding member of the Shazam for Radio interactive radio platform. [9]

Contents

History

2008–2012: Early years as Sun Radio Network

The Sun Broadcast Group was founded as the Sun Radio Network in Boca Raton, Florida in November 2008 by CEO Jason Bailey. [10] [11] [12] It was designed as a nationwide programmer and syndicator of its own content while also providing programming support and sales representation to other radio networks and syndicators in the United States. [12] In its early days, the network primarily sought small, local advertisers to fund its operation on a comparatively small network. Content produced by Sun included short product placement ads designed to fit within programs on their network. Over time, the company attracted national businesses who would use the network for advertising. [10] [13] [14] By 2011, Sun's network had expanded to 3,000 radio stations covering 99% of the US population. [13] It also officially changed its name to the Sun Broadcast Group in 2011. [10] [12]

2013–2015: Rapid expansion and Shazam for Radio

In 2013, the Sun Broadcast Group added The Marilu Henner Show to its syndication lineup. The show launched on September 9, 2013, and was said to be a non-political and non-confrontational alternative to typical talk radio offerings. [4] Also in 2013, Sun began a national sales representation agreement for Ricardo Sanchez's El Mandril Morning Show, the number one Spanish language morning radio program in Los Angeles. [15] In 2014, the company expanded its Sun Latino network—a Spanish-only, nationwide radio network—adding Yahoo! Deportes [8] and ad and affiliate support from Envision Networks. [16] By the end of 2014, the Sun Latino network had around 35 million monthly listeners. [2]

In October 2014, Sun announced a partnership with music detection service, Shazam, to create an interactive radio platform called Shazam for Radio. The platform would effectively allow listeners to use the Shazam app to find information about the current radio personality, social media campaigns and promotions, and music details all during the live broadcast. [9] Shazam for Radio would later expand by adding The Weather Channel (allowing listeners to get hyper-local, "Shazamable" weather reports from the radio to their phones) [17] and Hubbard Radio in 2015. [18] By the end of 2014, Sun had around 142 million monthly listeners on 5,500 general affiliate stations across the United States. [2] The company's revenue also jumped by 520% earning them a spot on the Inc. 5000 list as one of America's fastest growing companies. [1]

2015–present: Continued growth and beyond

In early 2015, Sun teamed with VH1 to create the VH1 Radio Network. Sun primarily handles advertising and affiliate sales for the VH1-run network. [19] Later that year, Sun added The Hit List with Fitz to its Shazam for Radio platform, which was the first interactive country music countdown and allowed listeners to discover content and interact with the show in real time. [6]

In August 2015, Sun again made the Inc. 5000 list as one of America's fastest growing companies with revenue increasing by 629%. [20] Additionally, Sun was named the fastest growing business in the broadcast radio industry and the 11th fastest growing company in all of media in 2015. [3] Sun Latino was also named the largest independent Spanish-language radio network in the United States. [21] In December 2015, Sun CEO, Jason Bailey, was named an Honorary Trustee by the Alliance for Women in Media. [22]

In January 2016, Sun acquired the syndication rights to The House of Hair with Dee Snider . [5] Sun also partnered with Radio Express in February 2016 in an ad sales and affiliate agreement that brought 10 new programs (including La Piedra, La Mex-Cha, and Jacapps) to the network. [21]

2020–present: Birth of G Networks

In February 2020, Sun Broadcast Group announced that it acquired Cleveland based Envision Networks. [23]

Envision's Danno Wolkoff and Laura Orcan Wolkoff were named Chief Operating Officer and VP/Operations, respectively, at Sun, but were both terminated June 23, 2021, for "gross negligence and gross incompetence … in the performance of their duties." [24]

On August 16, 2021, Sun Broadcast Group's parent company, Gen Media Partners, rebranded Sun Broadcast Group as G Networks. [25]

In July 2021, the Wolkoff's sued G Networks alleging the firm owes them $2.1 million. [24]

Programming and services

Sun Broadcast Group

Sun Latino

Related Research Articles

iHeartMedia, Inc., or CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc., formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc., a company founded by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs in 1972, and later taken private by Bain Capital and Thomas H. Lee Partners in a leveraged buyout in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VH1</span> American cable television network

VH1 is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the BET Media Group subsidiary of Paramount Global's CBS Entertainment Group based in New York City. The network was originally owned by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment; a division of Warner Communications, and the original owner of then-sister channel MTV at the time. It was launched in the channel space of Turner Broadcasting System short-lived Cable Music Channel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sinclair Broadcast Group</span> American media company, founded 1971

Sinclair, Inc., doing business as Sinclair Broadcast Group, is a publicly traded American telecommunications conglomerate that is controlled by the descendants of company founder Julian Sinclair Smith. Headquartered in the Baltimore suburb of Cockeysville, Maryland, the company is the second-largest television station operator in the United States by number of stations, after Nexstar Media Group, owning or operating 193 stations across the country in over 100 markets, covering 40% of American households. It is the largest owner of stations affiliated with Fox, NBC, CBS, ABC, MyNetworkTV, and The CW. Sinclair owns four digital multicast networks, Comet, Charge!, The Nest, and TBD, and sports-oriented cable networks, Stadium, Tennis Channel, and Bally Sports Regional Networks. In June 2021, Sinclair became a Fortune 500 company, having reached 2020 annual revenues of US$5.9 billion, equivalent to $6.8 billion in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radio in New Zealand</span>

Radio broadcasting began in New Zealand in 1922, and is now dominated by almost thirty radio networks and station groups. The Government has dominated broadcasting since 1925, but through privatisation and deregulation has allowed commercial talk and music stations to reach large audiences. New Zealand also has several radio stations serving Māori tribes, Pasifika communities, ethnic minorities, evangelical Christians and special interests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radio Disney</span> American youth-focused radio network (1996–2021)

Radio Disney was an American radio network operated by the Disney Radio Networks unit of Disney Branded Television within Disney General Entertainment Content, headquartered in Burbank, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moody Radio</span> Christian radio network in the United States

Moody Radio is one of the largest Christian radio networks in the United States. Located in downtown Chicago, Moody Radio has 71 owned and operated stations and hundreds of affiliates and outlets that carry all or part of its programming. It is owned by the Moody Bible Institute.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WBAL (AM)</span> Radio station in Maryland, United States

WBAL is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Baltimore, Maryland. It is owned by the broadcasting division of Hearst Communications and broadcasts a news/talk radio format. The station shares its studios and offices with sister stations WBAL-TV and WIYY on Television Hill in Baltimore's Woodberry neighborhood. WBAL and WIYY are the only two radio stations owned by Hearst, which is primarily a publishing and television company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WDOK</span> Adult contemporary radio station in Cleveland

WDOK is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, known as "Star 102" and featuring an adult contemporary format. Owned by Audacy, Inc., the station serves Greater Cleveland and surrounding Northeast Ohio. WDOK's studios are located at the Halle Building in Downtown Cleveland while the transmitter is in the Cleveland suburb of Parma. In addition to a standard analog transmission, WDOK broadcasts in HD Radio and is available online via Audacy.

WZRL is a commercial radio station licensed to Plainfield, Indiana, serving the Indianapolis metropolitan area. It broadcasts a mainstream urban radio format and is owned and operated by iHeartMedia The WZRL broadcast license is held by iHM Licenses, LLC. WZRL carries The Breakfast Club morning drive time show from co-owned WWPR-FM in New York City. The studios are located on Fall Creek Road on the northeast side of Indianapolis.

United Christian Broadcasters (UCB) is an international Christian broadcasting and media group, founded by Rhema Media. Through affiliates in twenty five countries, it operates radio and television stations and publishes and broadcasts Bob Gass's daily devotionals The Word for You Today and Word For You.

KKGQ is an American 95 kW radio station operating in Wichita, and licensed to Newton, Kansas. KKGQ airs a sports talk format, branded as "ESPN Wichita 92.3." KKGQ's studios are located on McLean Boulevard in Wichita, and their transmitter is located on Cow Palace Road on the south side of Newton.

KBOB-FM is a radio station licensed to Haven, Kansas, the station serves the Wichita area, and airs an adult hits format under the "Bob FM" branding. The station is currently owned by parent corporation, Murfin Media, through daughter corporation and licensee, My Town Media Inc. The station's studios are located in downtown Wichita, and the transmitter is near Colwich, Kansas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shazam (music app)</span> Music identification application

Shazam is an application that can identify music based on a short sample played using the microphone on the device. It was created by the British company Shazam Entertainment, based in London, and has been owned by Apple since 2018. The software is available for Android, macOS, iOS, Wear OS, watchOS and as a Google Chrome extension.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jelli</span> Radio advertising technology firm

Jelli is a San Mateo, California-based advertising technology firm, which develops solutions for the programmatic sale and airplay of radio advertising.

iHeartRadio is an American freemium broadcast, podcast and radio streaming platform owned by iHeartMedia. It was founded in August 2008 and iHeartRadio serves as the national umbrella brand for iHeartMedia's radio network, the largest radio broadcaster in the United States with 128 million registered users as of 2019 and its other consumer-facing brands. Its main radio competitors are Audacy, TuneIn and Sirius XM.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NPR</span> American nonprofit media organization

National Public Radio is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national syndicator to a network of more than 1,000 public radio stations in the United States. It differs from other non-profit membership media organizations, such as the Associated Press, in that it was established by an act of Congress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Sykes (American businessman)</span> American entertainment executive (born 1955)

John Sykes is an American entertainment executive and the President of Entertainment Enterprises for iHeartMedia since 2011. As of January 2020, he is now also the Chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. Sykes was a co-founder of MTV and throughout his career has held leadership positions including President, VH1; President, Chrysalis Records – North America; Executive Vice President, Artist Acquisitions, EMI Music Publishing; and Chairman and CEO, Infinity Broadcasting Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Get (TV network)</span> American digital multicast television network

Get is an American digital multicast television network owned by the network television division of Sony Pictures Television. Originally known as GetTV from 2014 until its rebranding in 2023, the network was initially formatted as a movie-oriented service, and over time transitioned into a general entertainment network featuring primarily classic television shows from the 1960s through the 2000s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Comet (TV network)</span> American digital multicast television network

Comet is an American digital broadcast television network owned by the Sinclair Television Group subsidiary of the Sinclair Broadcast Group that focuses on science fiction, supernatural, horror, adventure and fantasy programming. The network was originally launched on October 31, 2015 as a joint venture with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, with much of its programming sourced from MGM's film and television library.

References

  1. 1 2 "Sun Broadcast Group Named One Of The Fastest Growing Companies In America". All Access Music Group. 20 August 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 "Sun Broadcast Group Celebrates Six Years With Major Milestone". All Access Music Group. 19 November 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Sun Broadcast Group Makes INC. List". Inside Radio. 13 August 2015. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  4. 1 2 Marcucci, Carl (5 September 2013). "The Marilu Henner Show joins Sun Broadcast Group". Radio & Television Business Report. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  5. 1 2 "Sun Acquires 'House Of Hair.'". Inside Radio. 12 January 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 "Shazam For Radio Strikes 'The Hit List With Fitz'". All Access Music Group. 14 May 2015. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  7. 1 2 "Sun Broadcast Group - We Rise Together!". Inside Radio. 24 November 2015. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  8. 1 2 "Sports Marketing Bits: FDP, NBCUniverso. Sun Broadcast Group-Yahoo Deportes, LAFC replaces Chivas". Portada Online. 5 November 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  9. 1 2 Lopez, Napier (9 October 2014). "Shazam makes a big move into interactive radio content". The Next Web. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  10. 1 2 3 Kent, Cindy (2 September 2011). "Small business profile: Entrepreneur dials into radio's evolving platform". Sun-Sentinel . Archived from the original on September 18, 2012. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  11. ↑ "It's Lucky 7 For Sun Broadcast Group". All Access Music Group. 17 November 2015. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  12. 1 2 3 "Sun Radio Network, Home of Payne Nation, Chooses Clear Channel Satellite to Provide Satellite Space Segment". Business Wire. 5 January 2012. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  13. 1 2 Heizer, Pedro (1 August 2011). "Sun Radio CEO, Jason Bailey is Single-Handedly Putting Radio Back on the Map". The Boca Raton Tribune. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  14. ↑ "Jason Bailey". All Access Music Group. 13 September 2011. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  15. ↑ "Sun Broadcast Group to Represent El Mandril Morning Show". All Access Music Group. 13 March 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  16. ↑ "Envision Networks Taps Sun Broadcast Group's 'Sun Latino' For Hispanic Ad Representation". All Access Music Group. 26 March 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  17. 1 2 "Sun Teams Up With The Weather Channel". Inside Radio. 7 October 2015. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  18. ↑ "Sun Broadcast Group Signs Hubbard Radio To Shazam For Radio". All Access Music Group. 5 August 2015. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  19. ↑ "Sun Broadcast Group, VH1 to launch VH1 Radio Network". Radio & Television Business Report. 5 February 2015. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  20. ↑ Stimson, Leslie (14 August 2015). "Sun Revenues Earn "Fastest" Label". Radio & Television Business Report. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  21. 1 2 3 "Radio Express Partners With Sun Broadcast Group For Ad Sales, Affiliate Relations". All Access Music Group. 4 February 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  22. ↑ "Sun Broadcast Group's Jason Bailey Named Honorary Trustee Of Alliance For Women In Media". All Access Music Group. 3 December 2015. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  23. ↑ "Sun Broadcast Group Acquires Envision Networks®". Sun Broadcast Group. 2020-02-04. Retrieved 2020-03-02.
  24. 1 2 "Wolkoffs Sue G-Networks For Breach Of Contract, Seek $2 Million For Their Stake In Company". All Access. 2021-08-19. Retrieved 2021-09-20.
  25. ↑ "Gen Media Partners Kick Off G Networks". All Access. 2021-08-16. Retrieved 2021-09-20.
  26. ↑ "Sun Broadcast Group Offers NYE Edition Of 'The Country Club With Dee Jay Silver'". New Music Radio Network. 2 December 2015. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  27. ↑ "Sun Broadcast Group Holds Upfront Presentation". All Access Music Group. 23 November 2015. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.