Cumulus Media Promoted Kathy Brown to Vice President
The veteran programmer will now oversee the company’s national Urban radio formats.
Updated on Oct. 13, 2026 in R&B
Cumulus Media has promoted Kathy Brown to the position of Vice President of Urban Formats. Brown replaces Kenny Smoov, who departed the role in August 2026.
Why it matters
This appointment fills a critical leadership vacancy within the company's national radio programming team. Brown will now manage a diverse portfolio of urban and gospel stations across the country.
Kathy Brown now oversees a total of 40 radio stations across Hip Hop, Adult R&B, Classic Hip Hop, and Gospel formats. She has served as the programmer for stations in Charleston since 2017.
The players
Kathy Brown
She is the newly appointed Vice President of Urban Formats at Cumulus Media.
Cumulus Media
It is a major American radio broadcasting company that owns and operates hundreds of stations nationwide.
Kenny Smoov
He is the former Vice President of Urban Formats who left the company in August 2026.
The details
Brown brings extensive industry experience to the role, having previously held positions as Program Director in St. Louis and Assistant Program Director in Atlanta. She also served as Operations Manager and Regional Program Director in Baltimore before accepting this promotion.
Timeline
Kathy Brown began programming stations in Charleston in 2017.
Kenny Smoov exited the Vice President position in August 2026.
Cumulus announced the promotion of Kathy Brown on October 13, 2026.
Industry Dynamics
This leadership transition follows the August 2026 departure of Kenny Smoov, marking a shift in the management of the network's urban portfolio. The move underscores a strategy of promoting from within to maintain stability across the Urban fleet's various radio formats.
Listeners of Cumulus-affiliated Urban, Hip Hop, and Gospel stations can expect consistency as Brown assumes her new leadership duties. The move is unlikely to cause immediate changes to current programming or station availability for local audiences.
The takeaway
This promotion highlights the importance of internal experience in maintaining successful radio programming across diverse musical formats. Listeners will likely see continued focus on the established urban and gospel content that defines these station clusters.
Further reading
For more industry updates, visit the R&B section.
