Berlin School of Creative Leadership and Clear Channel Announce Winner of Audio Innovation Competition

Berlin School of Creative Leadership and Clear Channel Announce Winner of Audio Innovation Competition

Council of Advertising Thought Leaders Select Deutsch Creative Director Sam Bergen as the Winner and Recipient of a Full-Tuition Scholarship to Attend the Berlin School Global EMBA Program
 
Berlin – January 16, 2014 – The Berlin School of Creative Leadership and Clear Channel Media and Entertainment announced today Sam Bergen, SVP and Creative Director of Deutsch Inc., as the winner of the Berlin School’s “Clear Channel Scholarship for Leadership in Audio Innovation” program.  Bergen will receive a full-tuition scholarship (worth 53,000 Euro) to attend the Berlin School's prestigious Global Executive MBA in Creative Leadership Program starting March 2014.
 
The Berlin School and Clear Channel’s recently formed Creative Advisory Council (CAC), featuring advertising thought leaders who focus on the development of innovative approaches to the audio and out-of-home media landscape, reviewed over 40 entrants from more than 20 countries around the world, based on their professional and academic profile, as well as their response to a special essay question about innovative audio strategies.
 
“We are pleased to welcome Sam Bergen into our Executive MBA program,” said Michael Conrad, Founding President, Berlin School of Creative Leadership. “Focused on leading radio and audio commerce to the forefront of media thinking, the Berlin School Clear Channel scholarship drew an amazing amount of high-quality applications from around the world. We were extremely impressed by the caliber of applications as well as the many compliments applicants had of our young school. We thank Clear Channel for this exciting and collaborative opportunity.”
 
“Driving education and awareness on the value audio advertising offers is a key initiative for us,” said Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO for Clear Channel.  “We are proud to work with the Berlin School and our new Creative Council to award this scholarship to the audio industry's next creative innovator.  Sam Bergen distinguished himself among a very elite group of applicants and I am confident that with his continued development at the Berlin School, Sam will be a trailblazer on the media landscape for both audio and out-of-home.”
 
The global scholarship competition kicked off Clear Channel’s overarching creative advertising initiative designed to drive excitement among the creative community on the possibilities audio and out-of-home platforms offer and to develop leadership talent in the field.  In conjunction, Berlin School President Michael Conrad will welcome Bob Pittman to the Miami Ad School New York on Thursday, January 30 at 6:30 p.m. for an exclusive lecture on Pittman’s vision of creative leadership.
 
Sheridan Johns, director of the Berlin School, said the scholarship from Clear Channel adds a new dimension to the mix of students in the global EMBA program.  “With the rise of social media in recent years, people tend to forget the bedrock and ubiquity of radio on the media and advertising landscape,” said Johns. “The scholarship aims to provide Clear Channel as well as the entire industry with exciting, fresh ideas on how creative leadership applies to the vibrant field of audio communication, including innovative developments in radio.”
 
The part-time internationally accredited Berlin School EMBA program starts twice per year (March and September) in Berlin and is designed for senior executives in the creative industry who have a track record for creative excellence. The Executive MBA comprises of five separate two-week modules taking place in the USA, Asia and Berlin over 12-24 months.  The ideal candidates should be accomplished senior executives in the creative industries with a strong professional background and track record of creative excellence. A bachelor’s degree is a required.

About Berlin School of Creative Leadership
The Berlin School of Creative Leadership at Steinbeis University Berlin is a leading institute for quality executive education and research into creative leadership. Since opening its doors in 2006 the Berlin School has built a global community of top creative executives and leadership experts in over 50 countries around the world paving the way for new standards in communication and leadership in media, entertainment, advertising, design, journalism, and marketing.

At the heart of the Berlin School is its Executive MBA in Creative Leadership, a part-time interdisciplinary leadership program with modules in Berlin and creative industry hotspots such as New York, San Francisco, Shanghai and Tokyo. In addition to the Executive MBA, the Berlin School offers various compact open and custom programs providing executives with essential skills, tools and insights to lead their organizations more effectively. Learn more: www.berlin-school.com / info@berlin-school.com

About iHeartMedia, Inc.

iHeartMedia (NASDAQ: IHRT) is the number one audio company in the United States, reaching nine out of 10 Americans every month. It consists of three business groups.

With its quarter of a billion monthly listeners, the iHeartMedia Multiplatform Group has a greater reach than any other media company in the U.S. Its leadership position in audio extends across multiple platforms, including more than 860 live broadcast stations in over 160 markets nationwide; its National Sales organization; and the company’s live and virtual events business. It also includes Premiere Networks, the industry’s largest Networks business, with its Total Traffic and Weather Network (TTWN); and BIN: Black Information Network, the first and only 24/7 national and local all news audio service for the Black community. iHeartMedia also leads the audio industry in analytics, targeting and attribution for its marketing partners with its SmartAudio suite of data targeting and attribution products using data from its massive consumer base.

The iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group includes the company’s fast-growing podcasting business -- iHeartMedia is the number one podcast publisher in downloads, unique listeners, revenue and earnings -- as well as its industry-leading iHeartRadio digital service, available across more than 500 platforms and 2,000 devices; the company’s digital sites, newsletters, digital services and programs; its digital advertising technology companies; and its audio industry-leading social media footprint.

The company’s Audio & Media Services reportable segment includes Katz Media Group, the nation’s largest media representation company, and RCS, the world's leading provider of broadcast and webcast software.

Visit iHeartMedia.com for more company information.