He joined Cumulus Media seven years ago to serve as VP/Market Manager of its Chicago radio stations. Now he is tacking on similar duties in the Minneapolis-St. Paul region amid a reduction-in-force initiative at the publicly traded company that has seen an 85% dip in its stock price over the last year.
In what the company is calling a promotion, Marv Nyren is now Regional Vice President of Cumulus Media in the Windy City and in Minneapolis-St. Paul.
Shelly Malecha Wilkes had been in charge of the Twin Cities stations for Cumulus Media, taking the role of VP/Market Manager in 2013 after serving as Director of Sales for a decade. A Cumulus spokesperson confirmed to RBR+TVBR that she has exited the company. She is a radio sales veteran who began her career as an AE for Malrite Communications in 1987.
Nyren joined Cumulus Media in 2017 to lead the company’s three Chicago audio brands: Talk WLS-AM, Classic Hits WLS-FM and WKQX “Q101,” a reborn Alternative station once owned by Merlin Media. WLS-AM & FM are former ABC Radio properties.
Before joining Cumulus, Nyren served as VP/Corporate Sponsorships for Chicago Public Media’s WBEZ-FM. Nyren has also held roles as President/Regional Vice President for iHeartMedia’s 13 radio stations in Jacksonville, Fla., and nearby Brunswick, Ga., and was a Regional Vice President/Market Manager for Emmis Communications for 12 years, managing the company’s former radio stations in Chicago, Atlanta, Phoenix, and Indianapolis.
Dave Milner, President of Operations at Cumulus Media, said Nyren “brings a wealth of experience across multiple U.S. markets to this expanded role. Known for his highly effective and impactful leadership in Chicago, Marv will be a tremendous asset to our talented teams and strong brands in the Twin Cities.”
Nyren commented, “I’m deeply honored and grateful for the opportunity to lead the Cumulus Chicago team, and now, expanding to the Minneapolis market is truly a dream come true. Being part of both teams is a privilege, and I’m excited to contribute and make a positive impact in both markets.”
In the Twin Cities, Cumulus owns and operates former ABC Radio Rocker KQRS-FM; Active Rock KXXR “93X” ; and Adult Contemporary trimulcast WGVX, WWWM and WLUP, branded as “Love 105.”
Since the start of November, Cumulus Media shares have failed to close above $1. On Thursday, they finished the trading session on Nasdaq at $0.7350. Cumulus stock started 2024 at $5 per share.
