Leslie Fram
Leslie Fram | |
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| Born | Fairhope, Alabama, U.S. |
| Education | Studied Speech Communications at University of South Alabama |
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| Known for | her work in the 2019 CMT Music Awards (2019), 2012 CMT Music Awards (2012) and Sunday Today with Willie Geist (2016) |
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Leslie Fram is an American media executive. A former radio programmer and dj, she is the senior vice president of music strategy for CMT.[1]
Fram oversees CMT's "Next Women of Country" campaign, which has promoted artists such as Kelsea Ballerini, Maren Morris and Kacey Musgraves, and mentors female executives in the music industry. She is a co-founder of Change the Conversation, a Nashville-based organization which fights gender discrimination and seeks to improve the environment for women in country music.[2] .
Career
Fram's first professional job was at WABF in Fairhope, Alabama. She hosted weekend shows including Platter Ladder. Later, Fram went to work at WABB & WABB-FM in Mobile, Alabama, where she rose to the positions of program director and operations manager, while hosting an afternoon show.
In 1990, Fram joined Power 99 in Atlanta, working the morning show with Rick Stacy and Tom Clark as "The Breakfast Club". When Power 99 became 99X in 1992, Fram remained in mornings, eventually co-hosting the Morning X with Steve Barnes and Jimmy Baron. She also served as the station's program director. Fram co-hosted the Toucher, Jimmy, and Leslie Morning Show. After briefly co-hosting mornings with Axel Lowe, Fram became co-host of New Morning X with Sean Demery and Rob Jenners.
In 1998, she became the narrator for the Cartoon Network quasi-documentary series Toonheads.
In January 2008, she was laid off from 99X due to a steady decline of ratings and revenue since 2002, as well as 99X's format flip.
On June 16, 2008, Fram was appointed Program Director at Emmis Communications-owned 101.9 WRXP-FM ("the New York Rock Experience") in New York City. In addition to her duties as Program Director, Fram co-hosted the WRXP show with former MTV/VH1 personality Matt Pinfield. The show was originally broadcast during the morning drive slot from 6 AM to 10 AM, but moved to mid-days from 10 AM to 3 PM until WRXP switched formats on July 15, 2011.
Fram is currently the Senior Vice President of Music Strategy at Country Music Television One Country in Nashville.[3]
Recognition
Fram was the first woman to receive the T.J. Martell Award in recognition of outstanding performance in the music industry.
In 2000 and 2001, she was named Program Director of the Year by the Gavin Report and Program Director of the Year by Radio & Records.
Referred to as the "First Lady of Modern Rock", Fram received the 2003 Heroes Award from the Atlanta chapter of the Recording Academy (aka Grammy).
In November 2007, Fram was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2007 March of Dimes' Achievement in Radio (A.I.R.) Awards.
References
- ^ "Leslie Fram has broken ground in both the radio & TV music biz". ajc. Retrieved 2018-08-02.
- ^ "Nashville Group Looks to Change the Conversation Around Women in Country". Billboard. Retrieved 2018-08-02.
- ^ Stark, Phyllis Nashville Execs Say Tide Is Slowly Turning for Female Country Artists Billboard. March 24, 2016