KURT LUCHS

1093 Cromwell Avenue

Richland WA 99352
kl504ee0@westpost.net
Home Phone 509-396-7405; Cell Phone 509-378-9366
OBJECTIVE: I seek a challenging general manager job that allows me to use both m
y creative and entrepreneurial gifts.
QUALIFICATIONS
A decade of general management and operations experience in both national and lo
cal radio. A similar decade in publishing, plus a brief stint running my own bus
iness. Strong knowledge of core business issues and best practices, along with h
ands-on creative experience, enabling me to deal with both sides.
EMPLOYMENT
09/09 to present: Vice President/General Manager, New Northwest Broadcasters (Tr
i-Cities, WA)
Hired as general manager of the NNB six-station radio cluster in Tri-Cities, WA,
in September 2009. Total responsibility for four music FMs, a news/talk AM and
a sports AM. Company was in midst of major downturn along with the rest of the e
conomy. Solid director of sales in place but serious weakness in the department
overall. Major accomplishments: Within first six months, successfully replaced h
alf of sales force. Initiated new programs for nontraditional revenue as well as
renewed focus on basic prospecting, new business acquisition and upselling. Fli
pped weakest FM from AC to Christmas (winning Christmas ratings battle), then to
Oldies. Hired new Country PD, resulting in major ratings uptick. Turned ship ar
ound very quickly and put sales in the black late by end of first quarter 2010,
continuing into second quarter.
11/06 to 5/09: Vice President/General Manager, Dial Global Local (Omaha, NE)
Hired as general manager of Waitt Radio Networks in November 2006. Company had n
ever once made money in its 15-year history. Major accomplishments: Within first
year, successfully completed turnaround of company. Internal restructuring save
d $250K the first year and every year going forward. A revised work model enable
d greater flexibility and competitiveness. Changing our national ad sales vendor
and the way our ads were sold doubled ad revenues. Revamping and leading the sa
les force resulted in a more than 40 percent increase in affiliate sales. Compan
y's 2008 budget projected and hit a 50 percent increase in revenue. Helped Dial
Global acquire the firm, then promoted to vice president of newly renamed Dial G
lobal Local.
12/00 to 11/06: VP/General Manager, American Comedy Network (Milford, CT)
Hired as comedy writer for the leading US radio humor syndicator in December 200
0. In 2002, promoted to general manager. Major accomplishments: Turned around bu
siness in one year, going from the brink of failure to strong profitability. Cut
deal to syndicate "The Onion Radio News" -- the only such deal they've ever mad
e -- and initiated ACN's first foray into consumer products with a comedy album
on the top comedy label, Laugh.com. Started co-venture with Australian partner t
o create Australian Comedy Network. Inaugurated ACN's entry into web comedy with
viral videos that got millions of hits and produced new revenue streams. Reorga
nized sales team to increase affiliate sales by 30 percent.
5/00 to 12/00: Editorial Director/Associate Publisher, Adams Business Media (Chi
cago, IL)
Directed all editorial, budgets and production for six horticultural and two rec
reational trade magazines. Managed staff of eleven. Major accomplishments: impro
ving editorial quality, revamping staff, turning editorial calendars into profit
centers, using an early web wiki to generate unique content and new revenue, in
creasing ad sales by 10-50 percent, depending on the publication.
10/99 to 5/00: Communications Director, International Fellowship of Christians &
Jews (Chicago, IL)
Directed all communication efforts for $20 million humanitarian nonprofit. Wrote
and placed articles and press releases in the New York Times, Chicago Tribune,
AOL, and CNN. Drafted speeches. Managed staff of three. Major accomplishment: do
ubled organization's amount of positive press coverage.
3/99 to 10/99 Write Way (Wheaton, IL)
Started own freelance writing and editing service. Handled all aspects of editor
ial, advertising, promotion and office management. Enjoyed total independence an
d creative freedom for about three minutes. Burned out. Discovered vast new area
s of incompetence. Drove wife crazy. Made money but never enough. Major accompli
shments: admitting failure, going out of business, returning to planet Earth. As
Clint Eastwood said, "A man's got to know his limitations."
9/95 to 3/99 Editor, Health Forum Inc. (Chicago, IL)
Total editorial and budget responsibility for Health Facilities Management, a mo
nthly trade publication for facility managers in health care. Major accomplishme
nts: initiated magazine's web site, made company's first entrepreneurial venture
into a new product area (educational seminars), won 1997 ASBPE Award for Signed
Editorial.
1/91 to 9/95: Account Executive, Mobium Corp. (Chicago, IL)
Hired as Editorial Supervisor for database publishing division of R.R. Donnelley
. Managed editorial for all products. Promoted to Account Executive, sold and di
rected database publishing projects for Fortune 500 clients. Major accomplishmen
ts: oversaw company's first CD-ROM, received Donnelley President's Award, landed
$3 million in contracts.