Riding the airwaves of success: Greg Davis brings new life to old music

Black Enterprise, Nov, 1996 by Hal Karp

Gregory T. Davis had never worked for a radio station before--let alone run one. But this did not deter him from becoming general manager at the country's second-oldest radio station. In fact, it gave him the vision he needed to steer that station out of its long-standing financial abyss and land it on the forefront of his market.

In 1994, when Davis became general manager of Classical 101, WRR-FM, the station was outdated, detached from the community and barely breaking even. Davis sought to bring new life to WRR demystify classical music for the masses and become a critical player in the artistic community.

Today, those masses attracted to the only municipally owned, commercial station in the country are not just listeners, but advertisers, too. In just two short years, Davis, 39, has increased WRR's profits by over 1,000%, landed the station in the top 20 in its market and garnered a nomination from the National Association of Broadcasters for Best Classical Station of the Year.

Despite having no experience in radio, Davis brought to the table a diversified vision. In the mid '70s, while at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Davis worked for KLBK-TV, the college town's CBS affiliate, where he learned everything possible about television, including client services.

When the cable industry exploded years later, Davis headed to Dallas in 1993 and nabbed a position with the cable-television company, Warner-Amex, as director of community access. There, he taught the masses how to write, shoot and produce their own programming. In addition, he volunteered his time and knowledge with local arts organizations, offering to produce programming and assist with marketing.

Four years later, Davis became the City of Dallas' first in-house video producer, a position that led to a long string of awards and, eventually, the post of director of information services. With a $12 million budget and a staff of more than 200, Davis recalls that, "he learned that the cultural arts are the heart and soul of any city." Yet, even though he loved his job, the Dennison, Texas, native felt he needed to do something to make more of a difference.

When he heard that the general manager position at WRR was open, the mental gears began turning. He realized that his love for the arts, talent for management, ability to service clients and skill at maneuvering through municipal lanes could be melded in a position like that. "The radio station had ostracized itself from the community," explains Davis. "I knew I could turn it around." Several months later, the job was his.

Upon his arrival, Davis revamped marketing and publicity. Then, by asking employees what they wanted, he reorganized his staff. He made one of the station's former on-air talents the marketing director, and WRR began turning heads as it gave away trips and motorcycles, and held Halloween bashes and opera Karaoke contests. Dallas businesses took note and advertisers clamored to join ship.

To connect with the heart and soul of the city, Davis offered season sponsorships to arts organizations with 100% matching ad time. Next, he sought to open the arms of classical music. "For the first time ever, together with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, we sponsored both African American and Hispanic classical music festivals," says Davis.

Most importantly, Dallas recognized that WRR had a strong commitment to the community, on all levels, Davis explains. "Because without that, you're in trouble." It is safe to say that with Davis at the helm, WRR's troubled waters are a thing of the past.