FAQ for Rich Davis, Principal, Davision Media
(Interview conducted by Beth Bershok, Pittsburgh-area media personality and Davision Media client)
Beth Bershok: Rich, tell me about your education.
Rich Davis: I grew up in Charleston, SC and attended the University of South Carolina, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism-Broadcasting. I was very lucky then to be under the tutelage of Dr. Lee Dudek, who literally wrote the book on TV Announcing and Directing.
BB: After school?
RD: My dream had always been to work in a television station, and I was fortunate to be one of the first people hired at WACH-TV in Columbia, SC just as the station was transitioning from an all-religion station to a Fox affiliate. This was when Fox was only on one night of the week - but the station was an immediate success. Within a month of joining WACH, my picture, along with the rest of our small staff, was featured in Mediaweek touting the amazing ratings we achieved in our first sweeps. Many years later, I got a new boss and he actually recognized me from that picture!
BB: Briefly describe your career since.
RD: I’ve worked for Hubbard Broadcasting, Paramount Pictures, Viacom and CBS, most recently as Station Manager of CBS’s top duopoly in Pittsburgh, which includes the legendary KDKA. Just prior to Viacom’s merger with CBS, I was promoted to Executive Director of Advertising and Promotion, where I had the pleasure to work with stations all over the country - from Seattle, to Boston, to Atlanta, and many places in between.
BB: You’ve spent much of your career in marketing? What are some of the companies that you’ve worked with?
RD: Well, there have literally been hundreds and hundreds, but some of the best were Coca-Cola, Bayer Material Science, The Florida Marlins and Miami Heat, Wendy’s, Pizza Hut, The WWE, Pepsi, Hyundai, the Center for Minority Health at the University of Pittsburgh, The Mills Corporation - just to name a few.
BB: What do you think are your career highlights?
RD: Well, certainly, doubling the ratings at WGNT in 3 months, and taking that station to number one in the market was certainly exciting - and important, as it set the groundwork for all of the years since. But I still believe that the best is yet to come.
BB: Why did you start Davision Media?
RD: The landscape in the media industry is changing so quickly, I really think that this is the perfect time to leverage my abilities and contacts to assist a wider range of people. I’ve been very lucky to have so many people help me along the way, and I have done my best to reciprocate that with my employers and the great people who have worked for me. Now, I’ll have the ability to assist many more in reaching their goals.
BB: Thanks for your time, Rich. As a client, I certainly appreciate your unique perspective on the marketing projects we’ve worked on so far.
RD: Thanks, Beth. It’s been a pleasure, and i hope we are working together for many years to come.