| Kevin Metheny | |
|---|---|
| Born | USA |
| Occupation | Radio executive |
Kevin Metheny is a radio executive, famously nicknamed "Pig Virus" by Howard Stern from his days as Program Director at WNBC. He and various other historical Stern program directors were portrayed by Paul Giamatti as a composite character under the name Kenny "Pig Vomit" Rushton in the 1997 movie, Private Parts.[1]
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Metheny is the son of Terrell Metheny, a radio veteran who worked at many stations in the midwest.[2] He attended Seattle University and Kent State University's Graduate School of Management.[3]
Metheny became weekend air talent at Album Rock KWHP-FM in Edmond, Oklahoma in 1970. The following Spring, he moved to Oklahoma Publishing Company's Top-40 WKY-AM in Oklahoma City, where he served as weekend and fill-in talent during his senior year at John Marshall High School.
Noted Seattle radio impresario Pat O'Day, founder of Concerts West, and then General Manager of Kaye-Smith Enterprises' KJR-AM & KISW-FM, hired Metheny as evening talent at KJR-AM, where Metheny was later promoted to afternoon drive. Following O'Day's 1975 departure, Metheny left KJR for a brief stay at Sterling Recreation Organization's Oldies KUUU-AM, before becoming afternoon drive talent and Music Director at Louisiana Governor James A. Noe's WNOE-AM, New Orleans, where he was promoted to Program Director.
Metheny next became Program Director of KDEO-AM, El Cajon, changing the AM Album Rock station to Top-40 Majic 91. After a debut rating book in which KMJC's ratings tripled, Metheny became Director of RAM Research for DPS/Cyberdynamics, working closely with initial RAM client, Fairbanks Broadcasting's Adult Contemporary WIBG-AM, Philadelphia.
After his acceptance of the Program Director assignment at WIBG, the call letters were changed to WZZD-AM and the format was changed to Top-40. After four quarterly rating periods Metheny served as Program Director of Hearst Corporation's Top-40 WXKX-FM, Pittsburgh, then at General Cinema's WEFM in Chicago, followed by Charter Communications' KSLQ in St. Louis.
Metheny was named Program Director of The National Broadcasting Company's WNBC in New York in 1980. After four years he accepted a vaguely-defined position at Warner Amex Satellite Entertainment Company as Director of MTV Programming. Metheny led a clandestine management group in development of VH1, a response to a challenge to MTV by Ted Turner's Cable Music Channel. He was subsequently promoted to vice-president of MTV & VH1 Music Programming and Production, and then to vice-president of VH1.
Following the acquisition of MTV Networks by Viacom, Metheny toured Europe for a summer, then became Program Director of Gannett Radio's Top-40 KTKS-FM in Dallas. He subsequently moved to Savannah as Vice President & General Manager at WSOK-FM/WAEV-FM. After joining Phil Hall & David Isenberg in The Radio Group consultancy, he accepted the Operations Director position of Bedford Broadcasting's San Francisco Oldies and Adult Standards stations KFRC-FM & AM followed by Oldies KQOL-FM in Minneapolis.
Metheny then moved to Jacksonville, FL where he combined programming and marketing operations of Jacor's Country WQIK and News/Talk WJGR with newly acquired Urban properties WSOL-FM, WJBT-FM, and WZAZ-AM. This followed the deregulation of the broadcast industry by the Federal Communications Commission, allowing for unlimited national ownership and larger local station portfolios. Metheny was transferred to head programming for Jacor's Cleveland area radio group, consolidating operations at their combined six Cleveland stations, WAKS, WGAR-FM, WMJI, WMMS, WMVX, and WTAM. Following Jacor's merger with Clear Channel Communications Metheny was promoted to Regional Vice President of Programming, in which role he advised local Market Managers and Program Directors of 59 Ohio radio stations.
Simultaneously with the 2008 acquisition of Clear Channel by Bain Capital and Thomas H. Lee Partners, Metheny left Clear Channel to become Program Director of the Tribune Company’s sole radio property, News/Talk WGN.[1][2] He worked there until November 2010.
Metheny is generally acknowledged as an early implementer of consumer research in radio programming and an experienced and effective talent coach.
He is the father of two daughters.
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