2009 Career Achievement
Don Benson
Don Benson is a graduate of Vanderbilt University, Don came to Atlanta’s WQXI AM/FM as a programming assistant in November of 1974. He rose quickly to assistant program director and in 1977 was promoted to program director of WQXI FM. He changed the format and identity; it became top 40 94Q. In 1979, Benson left, however WQXI lured him back in 1992, this time as operations manager. He stayed until 1988 when he joined Atlanta based Burkhart/Douglas as Executive Vice President of Operation and oversaw twenty five radio clients in a range of formats. In 1994, Jefferson Pilot hired Don for the newly created position of Corporate Vice President of Programming & Operations; later he became Senior Vice President. Don became President of the Jefferson Pilot Radio Division. In 2006 Jefferson Pilot merged with Lincoln Financial to become Lincoln Financial Media. In 2008, Benson was promoted to his present position, President and Chief Executive Officer, based in Atlanta. Benson currently serves as a member of the Broadcast Advisory Board for the Associated Press and as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Radio Advertising Bureau. He also currently represents the top fifty continuously-rated radio markets on the Arbitron Advisory Council. Don was named to Radio Ink’s list of “The 40 Most Powerful People in Radio”.
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