Final Words Of Wisdom From Irwin Pollack

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By Adam R Jacobson
RBR + TVBR


The radio industry this week lost a good friend, and a key champion of how the power of audio can deliver results for advertisers.

Irwin Pollack, a Boston-based radio sales and management trainer, lost his battle with cancer on Wednesday (1/18). He was a beloved contributor to Radio & Records in the early 2000s. Through his consultancy, Irwin provided hands-on, results-oriented seminars and in-house advisement for group heads and individual stations alike.

14680943_10210641334139958_5741287602910045109_oIn recent years, Pollack passed the tough Massachusetts bar exam, and became a lawyer specializing in couples who had opted to dissolve their union. Not forgetting the power of radio, this sales champion promoted his business through the hour-long Talking About Divorce with Attorney Irwin Pollack each Saturday on WRKO-AM in Boston. The show was also heard on WTAG in Worcester, Mass.; WHYN-AM in Springfield, Mass.; and on WBOQ-FM in Gloucester, Mass.

He was a devoted family man, and pictures of his family can be found on his Facebook page, viewable to the public.

In a private message posted by his wife, as reported by Radio INK, she said, “Irwin, my amazing husband, incredible father and so much more to so many more has moved on to whatever challenge awaits him after this life. Thank you all for your kind words and love. A true gift from God to our family even if just for a short time. Thank you for sharing your stories, memories and feelings.”

Erica Farber, President/CEO of the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) and the former Publisher of Radio & Records, told RBR + TVBR, “This was a great loss of a wonderful guy. Irwin was passionate and focused about radio. As a sales trainer to so many, he understood the numbers … and I don’t mean ratings.  He mastered the art of figuring how many sales calls it took for success.  He also understood pricing and how much more revenue one could add just by increasing the cost per spot by $5. Always running but always making an impression, he believed in the power of advertising and put his money where his mouth was.  Can you imagine anyone doing a sales seminar at a conference at 6 a.m. in the morning? That was Irwin. I feel so privileged to have known him.”

A celebration of Irwin’s life will be held in Foxboro, Mass., on Friday, Jan. 20 at 11:30 a.m.

In tribute to Irwin, we are pleased to share excerpts of a column that originally appeared in the Oct. 11, 2002 edition of R&R. The topic: How To Reduce Stress. 

Rest in Peace, Irwin. The radio industry owes you a debt of gratitude.

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