Erica Farber climbed the ropes throughout her career in the radio business, becoming one of the industry’s most respected and influential businesswomen. As the former head of what was the industry’s leading trade publication for business information and marketing innovations, Erica was the driving force behind the delivery of crucial news reflecting the trends, issues and challenges facing the radio and records industries.
During the early years of her career, she held positions at KRTH-FM, KABC-TV, and KIIS-AM in Los Angeles. Her advancement grew quickly when in January of 1975; she was appointed General Sales Manager of WROR-FM in Boston and was promoted to General Manager in June of that year. Her success then led to an appointment as Vice President/General Manager of WXLO-FM, In New York of 1976.
In January of 1980, she joined McGavren Guild as Director of Promotional Selling and was soon named Director of Business Development and Promotion. In 1983 she was appointed Vice President/General Manager of the Radio Marketing Division for the parent company INTEREP, one of the radio industry’s leading rep firms. Two years later, Erica was named Vice President /General Manager of INTERP Marketing Systems and in 1986 was named Executive Vice president/Radio Development Director of INTERP. She also acted as INTEREP’s Industry Association Specialist, ensuring the active involvement of the company at various broadcast conferences.
In 1992, after twelve years, she left the INTEREP companies to join Radio & Records as Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing. In April of 1994 she was promoted to Chief Operating Officer, and assumed full publishing responsibilities in January of 1995. In January of 1996, her title was formally changed to Publisher and Chief Executive Officer. After twelve years of partnership with a private equity firm, Erica directed the due diligence process during the company’s sale to the Nielsen Company in August of 2006. Working through the transition of the sale Erica formally stepped down from her post in February of 2009.
This year she founded The Farber Connection LLC. The primary focus of the company is building an internet based information company with plans to introduce it to the marketplace in late 2011. This past October the company produced in partnership the 2010 Talk Media Conference & Talk Show Boot Camp.
She has served as a member of the Radio Code Board of the National Association of Broadcasters and Chairperson of the New York Radio Market Broadcasters to name a few. She continues to be a major presenter and speaker at hundreds of broadcast meetings and seminars around the world. Recipient of the Southern California Chapter of the AWRT 1996 Genii award for radio and a 1994 AWRT Industry Award. She is a past Chairperson of PROMAX and member of the RAB Steering Committee for several Managing Sales Conferences. She is also a past board member and Past President of the Country Radio Broadcasters. She is the former Chairperson of the National Board of Governors for the March of Dimes of AIR Awards. Erica was on the Broad of Directors for Arbitron, Inc and stepped down due to the ownership change of Radio & Records. Currently she is President of the Society of Singers, Industry Liaison for the Broadcast Education Association, and is a board member of the Broadcasters Foundation and the Library of Broadcasting. And most recently she was reappointed to the board of directors of Arbitron Inc. In August of 1999, she was voted by the members of Radio Ink Magazine as the Most Influential Woman in Radio and has remained on the list ever since. Erica is one of the original founding members of the MIW’s and remains active on the Executive Committee. She is a past recipient of the American Broadcast Pioneer Award by the Broadcasters Foundation and was recognized by the MIW’s and the RAB with 2009 Trailblazers Award recognizing her role in “blazing new leadership trails” for women in radio.