Cat Thomas ‘beyond excited’ to join WSHE as program director

Cat Thomas

Cat Thomas

Cat Thomas, a veteran radio programmer who has overseen station groups in Texas and Florida, has been named program director of WSHE FM 100.3, the Hubbard Radio adult contemporary station.

“Cat has a stellar reputation for leading winning brands, and we are thrilled to welcome him to Chicago’s fastest growing radio station — SHE,” John Gallagher, vice president and market manager of Hubbard Radio Chicago, said in announcing the appointment Wednesday.

Thomas, whose real name is Bill Drake, most recently was vice president of programming for Entercom Communications in Austin, Texas. He left the company after eight years last July. Before that he was operations manager for Cox Radio and program director of WAPE in Jacksonville, Florida.

He succeeds Marty Bender, who cited personal reasons for resigning last summer.

“I am beyond excited about this opportunity with the best company in the business — Hubbard Radio,” Thomas said in a statement. “The programming team in Chicago has done a fantastic job of launching and branding WSHE. I’m looking forward to collaborating with everyone on the team and leading SHE to even bigger successes, accomplishing all our goals and setting new ones.”

Paul Webber

Paul Webber

Paul Webber, who has been serving as interim program director of WSHE, was promoted Wednesday to assistant program director of WSHE and classic hits WDRV FM 97.1. He also will continue as direct marketing manager for Hubbard Radio in Chicago. Before joining the Hubbard stations in 2003, Webber was program director of WKMQ in Rockford, Illinois.

“Paul has been our secret weapon for many years here in Chicago; it’s time for that secret to get out,” Greg Solk, senior vice president of programming and operations for Hubbard Radio, said in a statement. “Paul has done a tremendous job as interim PD at WSHE after Marty Bender left us, and we believe adding Paul to the programing team at both of these stations strengthens our cluster dramatically.”

Hubbard Radio rebranded Chicago’s 100.3 as WSHE last March. In the latest Nielsen Audio survey, the station ranked 18th with a 2.4 percent share and cumulative weekly audience of 1,358,700. Among women between 25 and 54, it ranked 11th with a 3.7 share and 373,400 cume.