Jeff Schwartz

Jeff Schwartz, the former Chicago radio sales, marketing and promotion whiz, has been named executive vice president of corporate strategy for Yahoo! Sports Radio.

In the newly created position, Schwartz will oversee business growth and partnerships, in addition to working with management on programming strategy, multi-platform marketing and promotional opportunities, and affiliate and talent relations.

Schwartz most recently has been based in Los Angeles with Fox Sports Radio and Premiere Networks, where he was promoted to vice president of sports sales last year.

“We are very excited to welcome Jeffrey to the team,” David Gow, CEO of Houston-based Yahoo! Sports Radio, said in a statement Monday. “His revolutionary ideas, combined with his deep-seated history in both network and local radio, as well as his broad experience in management, will provide unmatched opportunities for our affiliate and advertising partners to thrive.”

Said Schwartz in a statement: “I look forward to working with the Yahoo! Sports Radio team and the quality sports product they have developed to enhance the brand, as well as opportunities for our partners. Yahoo! Sports, one of the top sports sites in the world, will be a great asset to our strategic plans.”

As sales manager of album rock WLUP FM 97.9 in 1979, Schwartz played a key role in Disco Demolition, the ill-fated promotion that put 24-year-old disc jockey Steve Dahl on the media map. He went on to become director of operations at two sports/talk stations, WSCR AM 670 and WMVP AM 1000, as well as former comedy/talk WCKG.

Schwartz is a graduate of Niles East High School and Columbia College Chicago.