Speakers

Moderator: 
Lew Paper is a Partner with Dickstein Shapiro LLP in Washington, DC, and heads the Firm’s Broadcast Practice. He has served as Associate General Counsel at the FCC, Legislative Counsel to Senator Gaylord Nelson, and Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center. He is the author of four books, including Empire: William S. Paley and the Making of CBS. Lew is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Harvard Law School.  

Keynote Speaker:
Andrew W. Marcus was named Vice Chairman of Global Banking at Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. in 2005 and now focuses on the financing of media transactions. He was previously Managing Director and Global Head of Media Research at Deutsche Bank, where he was ranked as the number one Broadcasting Analyst on Wall Street and was selected eight times for the Institutional Investor “All American” list and five times as the Wall Street Journal’s “Master Stock Picker.” Drew has been involved in nearly 200 banking transactions valued at over $100 billion in the broadcasting, outdoor, and entertainment sectors.

Panelists:
Edward K. Christian has been Chairman, President, and CEO of Saga Communications, Inc. since the company’s inception in 1986. From 1977 to 1986, Ed served as Executive Vice President and subsequently as President of Josephson Communications. From 1974 to 1977, he served as Vice President and General Manager of WNIC-FM in Detroit until the station was purchased by Josephson Communications. Ed holds a BA from Wayne State University and an MA in management from Central Michigan University.

Lewis W. Dickey, Jr. is Chairman, President, and CEO of Cumulus Media. He co-founded the company in 1997 and became its CEO in June of 2000. Prior to taking the reins as CEO, Lew served as Vice Chairman of Cumulus, spearheading more than 145 separate transactions to build Cumulus’ platform. A second-generation broadcaster, Lew founded Stratford Research in 1985 and built the company into a leading provider of market research and strategy consulting to the radio and television industries. He holds a BA and MA in English Literature from Stanford University and an MBA from Harvard University.

Charles J. Dreifus is Managing Director of CIT Communications, Media, and Entertainment Finance. Chuck has been with CIT and its predecessor companies since 1992 and now is head of Media Finance. Chuck has originated, structured, and closed numerous transactions in the media industry. CIT’s specialized financing includes television and radio broadcasting, cable television, publishing, outdoor advertising, theater exhibitors, film, and sports franchise transactions. Chuck holds a BA in economics from the University of Michigan and an MBA in finance from the Boston College Graduate School of Management.

Garret Komjathy is a Managing Director-Originations at GE Commercial Finance. From 1994 to 2002, Garret was a Director with Fleet Bank’s Media Group. Prior to that, he spent eight years with Marine Midland Bank in its Media and Corporate & Investment Banking Groups. Garret holds a BA in economics from Rutgers College.

James R. Kuster is Managing Director and Head of Telecommunications, Media, and Technology (TMT) for RBS Greenwich Capital. He and his team primarily focus on originating and structuring merger and acquisition opportunities in the TMT sectors. Recent lead mandates include transactions with Univision, Reader’s Digest, Thomson Learning, Alltel, Clear Channel, BCE, Getty Images, and MGM. Prior to joining RBS, Jim was a Partner and Co-founder of Crest Advisors, LLC, where he advised companies in the media and communications industries from 1999 to 2004. Prior to Crest, Jim spent 14 years in the Media and Telecommunications Group of Chase Securities, Inc. Jim holds an MBA from Duke University and a BA from Davidson College. Bruce Levy is Managing Director of Media & Communications Investment Banking at Wachovia Securities. Bruce joined Wachovia in 1988, and over the past 20 years he has advised and raised capital for  broadcasting, yellow pages, outdoor, publishing, and telecommunications clients. He also has originated private equity investments in the media industry in conjunction with Wachovia Capital Partners. Mr. Levy holds an MBA in finance and a BA from Tulane University.

Dan Mason is President and Chief Executive Officer of CBS Radio and oversees CBS Radio’s 140 stations, as well as the day-to-day operations of the division. Dan returned to CBS Radio in April 2007 after serving as an adviser and consultant to CBS and other domestic and international companies in the radio broadcasting industry for the preceding five years. Prior to that, Dan was President of CBS Radio from 1995 to 2002. As the executive responsible for operating the group’s then 184 stations in the largest markets across the United States, he successfully integrated the original CBS, Group W, Infinity Radio, and American Radio Systems stations. Dan holds a BA in broadcasting from Eastern Kentucky University and an honorary Doctorate of Humanities from that institution.

Mark P. Mays is the Chief Executive Officer of Clear Channel Communications, Inc., the company with the largest radio platform in the country. Mark is active in a variety of professional and civic activities. He maintains leadership roles with the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, the United Way of San Antonio, Junior Achievement San Antonio Chapter, and the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research. Nationally, he has served as a Director of the Radio Board of NAB in the United States and is a founding member of the HD Digital Radio Alliance. Mark holds a BA in economics and mathematics from Vanderbilt University and an MBA from Columbia University.

Andrew Salter is the Senior Vice President of Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. Prior to joining Oaktree in 2001, Andy was Director of Business Development at RiverOne Inc., a software company, where he primarily worked on acquisition strategy, fundraising, and product development. Prior to that, he was an Investment Banking Analyst at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette. He holds a BA in economics from Stanford University.

Joseph Schwartz is President and CEO of Cherry Creek Radio LLC, which focuses on the western United States and is one of the country’s fastest growing small market radio groups. His 30-year background in radio includes ownership and management positions in both large and small, public and private companies, as well as all-size markets, both rated and unrated. A native of New York City, Joe holds a BA in English from Queens College, City University of New York.