Lee Abrams
Encyclopedia
Lee Abrams is an American media executive who has held a number of posts for large and influential companies, and is generally credited with developing the "Album Oriented Rock" format employed by hundreds of radio stations across the country.
for the Tribune Company
(2008–2010) but prior to that founded XM Satellite Radio
and served as Chief Programming Officer at that company until his departure in 2008, founded and ran notable radio consulting company Burkhart/Abrams, served as an internal consultant for ABC Radio, and helped develop nationwide radio formats such as Z-Rock and Radio Disney
.
Additionally, he has been involved on the recording side of the music industry, producing Ah Via Musicom
for guitar virtuoso Eric Johnson
and appearing on several Alan Parsons Project CDs. He has also consulted and even managed such notable acts such as Yes
, The Moody Blues
, Steve Winwood
, Iron Maiden
, Bob Seger
and EMI Records
.
listed Abrams as one of their "100 Cultural Elite" and was cited by industry publication Radio Ink
as one of the 75 most important radio figures of all time.
That same day, New York Times public editor Arthur S Brisbane published an editorial questioning his paper's use of anonymous sourcing as one of the "load bearing" elements of the story, particularly as it was a "sensational episode" in a story about a competitor.
On October 19, 2010, Forbes
reporter Jeff Bercovici published an email from Abrams defending himself including some specifics not included in mainstream coverage. Notably, that the video was from parody site The Onion
and that it had been previously shown at a Chicago Tribune sales meeting to a positive reaction.
On October 28, 2010 Abrams talked for the first time on video with My Damn Channel about his experience at Tribune. Regarding the memo that led to his resignation he tells interviewer John Loscalzo "That memo was designed to point out how silly some of these reality shows are. It was just hilarious video. I showed it around a lot. People said, 'oh yeah, just a true satire that made a great point.' The thing that surprised me about the outrage is that the Onion is a partner of the Chicago Tribune. That very video was shown at a Chicago Tribune sales meeting and everybody yukked at it and it's also to me - kind of scary - that at a media company in the 21st century in the context of that memo you can't send around a parody clip to make a point. I apologized for it that it offended some people but I view it as a deeper political motive behind all that. It was very convienent to help get people like me out of the company."
Career
Most recently he was the chief innovation officerChief innovation officer
A chief innovation officer or CINO is a person in a company who "originates new ideas but also recognizes innovative ideas generated by other people."...
for the Tribune Company
Tribune Company
The Tribune Company is a large American multimedia corporation based in Chicago, Illinois. It is the nation's second-largest newspaper publisher, with ten daily newspapers and commuter tabloids including Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Hartford Courant, Orlando Sentinel, South Florida...
(2008–2010) but prior to that founded XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio is one of two satellite radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM Radio. It provides pay-for-service radio, analogous to cable television. Its service includes 73 different music channels, 39 news, sports, talk and entertainment channels, 21 regional...
and served as Chief Programming Officer at that company until his departure in 2008, founded and ran notable radio consulting company Burkhart/Abrams, served as an internal consultant for ABC Radio, and helped develop nationwide radio formats such as Z-Rock and Radio Disney
Radio Disney
Radio Disney is a radio network based in Burbank, California and headquartered out of the Disney Channel headquarters on West Alameda Ave., from where it has been based since November 2008. Prior to that, the network was based in Dallas, Texas...
.
Additionally, he has been involved on the recording side of the music industry, producing Ah Via Musicom
Ah Via Musicom
Ah Via Musicom is Eric Johnson's platinum-selling third solo album, released in February 1990 .Several of the songs on the album are dedicated to fellow guitarists. Johnson revealed in an interview with Guitar Player magazine in March 1990 that the song "Steve's Boogie" is dedicated to Austin pedal...
for guitar virtuoso Eric Johnson
Eric Johnson
Eric Johnson is an American guitarist. Though he is best known for his success in the instrumental rock format, Johnson regularly incorporates jazz, fusion, gospel and country and western music into his recordings...
and appearing on several Alan Parsons Project CDs. He has also consulted and even managed such notable acts such as Yes
Yes (band)
Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
, The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues are an English rock band. Among their innovations was a fusion with classical music, most notably in their 1967 album Days of Future Passed....
, Steve Winwood
Steve Winwood
Stephen Lawrence "Steve" Winwood is an English international recording artist whose career spans nearly 50 years. He is a songwriter and a musician whose genres include soul music , R&B, rock, blues-rock, pop-rock, and jazz...
, Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
, Bob Seger
Bob Seger
Robert Clark "Bob" Seger is an American rock and roll singer-songwriter, guitarist and pianist.As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as Bob Seger and the Last Heard and Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s...
and EMI Records
EMI Records
EMI Records is the flagship record label founded by the EMI company in 1972 and launched in January 1973 as the successor to its Columbia label. The EMI label was launched worldwide...
.
Recognition
In 1993 NewsweekNewsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
listed Abrams as one of their "100 Cultural Elite" and was cited by industry publication Radio Ink
Radio Ink
Radio Ink is a radio broadcasting industry trade magazine owned by Streamline Publishing. Radio Ink serves the management community of the radio industry in the United States and in 43 Countries worldwide...
as one of the 75 most important radio figures of all time.
Email Controversy
On October 15, 2010, Abrams resigned from Tribune Company following revelations that he wrote an email to staff with a link to a video that some within the company considered offensive.That same day, New York Times public editor Arthur S Brisbane published an editorial questioning his paper's use of anonymous sourcing as one of the "load bearing" elements of the story, particularly as it was a "sensational episode" in a story about a competitor.
On October 19, 2010, Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
reporter Jeff Bercovici published an email from Abrams defending himself including some specifics not included in mainstream coverage. Notably, that the video was from parody site The Onion
The Onion
The Onion is an American news satire organization. It is an entertainment newspaper and a website featuring satirical articles reporting on international, national, and local news, in addition to a non-satirical entertainment section known as The A.V. Club...
and that it had been previously shown at a Chicago Tribune sales meeting to a positive reaction.
On October 28, 2010 Abrams talked for the first time on video with My Damn Channel about his experience at Tribune. Regarding the memo that led to his resignation he tells interviewer John Loscalzo "That memo was designed to point out how silly some of these reality shows are. It was just hilarious video. I showed it around a lot. People said, 'oh yeah, just a true satire that made a great point.' The thing that surprised me about the outrage is that the Onion is a partner of the Chicago Tribune. That very video was shown at a Chicago Tribune sales meeting and everybody yukked at it and it's also to me - kind of scary - that at a media company in the 21st century in the context of that memo you can't send around a parody clip to make a point. I apologized for it that it offended some people but I view it as a deeper political motive behind all that. It was very convienent to help get people like me out of the company."