Ep. 46 Heather Cohen

EPISODE SUMMARY: Heather Cohen is the recently named president of the Weiss Agency, previously serving as EVP. She has been named to Radio Ink’s Most Influential Women in Radio 9 years in a row, is a recipient of the Talkers Magazine Judy Jarvis Award and many other honors. She shares what it’s like to represent incredible talent and the amazing friends, clients, mentors, and mentees she has met along the way. 

On this episode of Chachi Loves Everybody, Chachi talks to Heather Cohen about:

1. Growing up in New York and developing a love for radio from an early age ny listening to her uncle on air from her Strawberry Shortcake radio
2. Getting her start at WRHU and the amazing opportunities given to her as a student at Hofstra University
3. Becoming the first female non-union board op for WOR
4. Negotiating deals as an APD and PD including altercation with an agent that almost got physical
5. Meeting Eric Weiss and becoming a part of his personal and professional family
6. How she was convinced to join the Weiss Agency
7. How the audio world has changed since she started out and the shift from working with mostly radio groups to streaming services and podcast companies
8. Her work with great causes such as the Gracie Awards and the Broadcasters Foundation of America
9. The value of mentorship and how she has benefitted from mentors throughout her career

And more!

 

ABOUT THIS EPISODE'S GUEST: Heather Cohen was recently named President of The Weiss Agency, a broadcast talent agency which represents and develops the careers of many of the industry’s most successful local and syndicated personalities where she served as EVP for many years. Heather joined the Weiss Agency directly from GreenStone Media, LLC, where she was Vice President, Programming.

Heather joined GreenStone from New York’s legendary WOR where she was Assistant Program Director and responsible for the station’s local and national on-air content, programs, and production. Prior to that, she served as Executive Producer for The Joan Hamburg Show.

In 2013 Talkers Magazine awarded Heather with the prestigious “Judy Jarvis Memorial Award for Outstanding Contributions to Talk Radio by a Woman,” also known as “Woman of the Year”. Radio Ink Magazine has selected Heather as one of the Most Influential Women in Radio every year since 2014. Heather was on the cover of Radio Ink’s June 2017 Most Influential Women in Radio issue. She is a 2015 recipient of Hofstra University’s George M. Estabrook Distinguished Service Award. In 2019 Heather was inducted into the WRHU Radio Hall of Fame. In 2021, Heather was one of the first awardees of the “Sheros in Media” Award from the Multicultural Media and Correspondents Association.

Heather serves on the Alliance for Women in Media and Foundation Board of Directors as the Immediate Past Chair. She has formerly held positions as Chair, Vice Chair and Treasurer, and has co-chaired the Gracie Awards since 2016.

Heather is on the Board of Directors of the Broadcasters Foundation of America and is a juror for the Academy of Radio Arts & Sciences.

A graduate of Hofstra University, she is President of the Executive Board of Hofstra University’s Alumni Organization, and has previously served as both Vice President for Programs and Vice President for Services. Heather is a member of The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication Dean’s Advisory Board and the Women In Leadership Advisory Board. She recently completed her term on the Board of Directors of the George M. Estabrook Alumni Association. Heather previously served as President of the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication Alumni Association.

Heather has mentored New York City school children as part of NYC’s Principal for a Day program and has been a Safe Space committee member. She judged the Tony Awards for eight seasons.

 

ABOUT THE PODCAST: Chachi Loves Everybody is brought to you by Benztown and hosted by the President of Benztown, Dave “Chachi” Denes. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the myths and legends of the radio industry.

 

ABOUT BENZTOWN: Benztown is a leading international audio imaging, production library, voiceover, programming, podcasting, and jingle production company with over 3,000 affiliations on six different continents. Benztown provides audio brands and radio stations of all formats with end-to-end imaging and production, making high-quality sound and world-class audio branding a reality for radio stations of all market sizes and budgets. Benztown was named to the prestigious Inc. 5000 by Inc. magazine for five consecutive years as one of America’s Fastest-Growing Privately Held Companies. With studios in Los Angeles and Stuttgart, Benztown offers the highest quality audio imaging work parts for 23 libraries across 14 music and spoken word formats including AC, Hot AC, CHR, Country, Hip Hop and R&B, Rhythmic, Classic Hits, Rock, News/Talk, Sports, and JACK. Benztown provides custom VO and imaging across all formats, including commercial VO and copywriting in partnership with Yamanair Creative. Benztown Radio Networks produces, markets, and distributes high-quality programming and services to radio stations around the world, including: The Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 Countdown, The Daily Dees Show, The Todd-N-Tyler Radio Empire, Hot Mix, Sunday Night Slow Jams with R Dub!, Flashback, Top 10 Now & Then, Hey, Morton!, Audio Architecture, StudioTexter, The Rooster Show Prep, AmeriCountry, and Benztown Swag Bank. Benztown + McVay Media Podcast Networks produces and markets premium podcasts including: The Making of: A National Geographic Podcast, IEX: Boxes and Lines, and Everyday Wealth.

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