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Experience: Managerial: Rich managed the ProMedia Media Assistance programs in Albania, Slovakia and Yugoslavia for the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX). He was part of the team that founded KAXE in Grand Rapids, Minnesota and served as its first president. He was founding manager of KCAW in Sitka, Alaska. He currently manages KUDO 1080 AM in Anchorage. Technical: In Slovakia, McClear oversaw the model TV station template project that helped stations convert to digital production. He headed a project to provide radio and TV coverage to wide areas following the wars in former Yugoslavia. As manager of radio stations in Minnesota and Alaska, he has responsibility for planning stations and re-equipping them with digital studios. He was on the committee that drew up the technical plan for the Alaska Public Radio Network's satellite interconnection project. In his early career he worked as a radio and TV technician. He completed NAB digital radio certification.
Association Development: In his work with IREX McClear worked throughout Eastern Europe to develop independent journalism and broadcast associations and unions. Earlier in his career he was chairman of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters Program Service Committee. He served nine years on the board of the Alaska Public Radio Network (APRN) including two terms as Chair. In 1993, he was awarded the APRN's "Elaine B. Mitchell Award" for "Outstanding Contributions to the Growth, Development and Health of Public Radio in Alaska." Business Viability: Rich successfully managed a public radio station that thrived during drastic cuts in federal and state funds. As coordinator of CoastAlaska, a consortium of 6 public radio stations in Southeast Alaska, he planned the merger of business, finance and engineering activities at the stations. McClear worked as a consultant to several radio stations and networks in the US and abroad helping them to develop strategic and business plans. Media Research: McClear worked on a project with the
Corporation for
Public Broadcasting and the
AP Legal Reform: In Albania, McClear worked with attorneys and on initial drafts of media legislation. As head of ProMedia Slovakia, he worked with associations on media legislation, produced a legal handbook for journalists, and a website outlining breaking legal issues. For several years McClear was the registered lobbyist for the Alaska Public Radio Network where he worked on public broadcasting reform legislation. He served as chair of the APRN committee that drafted media legislation.
RESULTS: Rich McClear is a results oriented manager. Here are a few examples of his successes.
Rich headed the effort to start Raven Radio in Sitka and led the station to the number one slot in a four station market. Under Rich’s management Raven Radio became one of the top public radio stations in the country in listener contributions. During McClear’s thirteen years at Raven Radio the station won numerous state and national awards for broadcast news excellence. Rich facilitated the national meetings of Native American broadcasters that led to the founding of the Indigenous Broadcast Center within the Alaska Public Radio Network. Later, following the plan developed at those meetings, the center, along with its flagship program, "National Native News", was spun off to a Native American owned corporation. Rich started the ProMedia program in Albania and restarted the program in Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo following the NATO Bombing campaign. ProMedia Serbia was one of the USAID funded programs instrumental in helping the Serbian people move toward democracy.
Rich and Suzi traveled to Kosovo for IREX only a few days after KFOR troops entered and helped Radio 21 get on the air as the first Albanian language independent radio station. This included selecting equipment and getting it delivered to the station. In Slovakia, "RadioNet" an advertising sales network of 10 local stations was able to use training provided by McClear and research funded by ProMedia to return over 17 million crowns (about $500,000) to its stations in 1998. This return more than paid for ProMedia's total investment of about $70,000. For one station the returns from Radio Net represented half the station's annual revenue. RadioNet continues to provide substantial income to Slovakia’s independent local stations.
Rich and Suzi helped Radio Ime (right) get on the air as the first independent radio station in Tirana, Albania. Radio Ime was operating when the pyramid schemes collapsed, providing residents of Tirana with the only independent broadcast news of what was happening in their country during the crisis.
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In Slovakia,