Sam Zniber
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{short description|French radio executive (born 1969)}}
Sam Zniber (born 1969, Casablanca) is a French radio executive who has overseen programming at radio stations and radio networks in the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia, and France.
Career
His career began at NRJ France in 1986,{{cite news|url=http://www.radioactu.com/actualites-radio/119196/lagardere-active-depart-de-sam-zniber/|title=Lagardère Active - Départ de Sam Zniber|work=RadioActu|language=French|date=30 November 2009|accessdate=26 December 2014}} where he worked as producer, radio host, and production director for eleven years. In the 1990s, he became a TV host at France's main national television channels TF1 and France 2, presenting music shows.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTBkVr4lV-M|title=sam zniber.m4v|work=YouTube|accessdate=3 December 2014}}
In 1997, he joined RTL Group, a subsidiary of Bertelsmann, to become program director of Fun TV, a youth music cable television.{{cite web|url=http://www.edubourse.com/finance/actualites.php?actu=41840|title=Sam Zniber nommé Directeur des Programmes du Pôle Radios Musicales|work=edubourse.com|language=French|date=5 June 2008}} In 1998, he was made program director of Fun Radio in France,{{cite news|url=http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/medias/20050617.OBS0495/claude-sertorio-prend-la-tete-de-rtl2-et-de-fun-radio.html|title=Claude Sertorio prend la tête de RTL2 et de Fun Radio|date=29 June 2005|accessdate=3 December 2014|work=Le Nouvel Observateur|language=French}}{{cite web|url=http://files.satellifax.com/satellimag/Satellimag-20.pdf|title=Satellimag, No. 20|publisher=Satellifax|language=French|date=4 July 2005}} and in 1999, introduced the "soul & dance" rhythmic contemporary hit radio format (CHR).{{cite web|url=http://www.radioactu.com/actualites-radio/64915/fun-radio-meilleur-resultat-depuis-3-ans/|title=Fun Radio - Meilleur résultat depuis 3 ans - Actualité radio - RadioActu|language=French|work=RadioActu|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140314030416/http://www.radioactu.com/actualites-radio/64915/fun-radio-meilleur-resultat-depuis-3-ans/|archivedate=2014-03-14}} In 2005, Zniber returned to RTL Group France as Group Program Director for Fun Radio and RTL2.{{citation needed|date= December 2014}}
The UK’s Chrysalis Group recruited Zniber in 2001 as program director of the Galaxy radio network stations in Manchester and Newcastle (now Capital FM).{{cite web|url=http://www.radioiloveit.com/radio-programming-radio-formats/sam-zniber-on-successful-music-radio-programming-strategies/|title=Sam Zniber On Successful Music Radio Programming Strategies|date=19 January 2014 |publisher=Radio-ILOVEIT}}{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2002/oct/15/broadcasting1|title=Chrysalis reshuffles Galaxy management|author=Julia Day|work=The Guardian|date=15 October 2002|accessdate=3 December 2014}} In a few months, Galaxy went from third to first place in the ratings in Newcastle.{{cite web|url=http://www.radiointelligence.com/sam-zniber-becomes-vice-president-of-radio-intelligence/|title=Sam Zniber becomes Vice President of Radio Intelligence|date=17 March 2010|work=radiointelligence.com}}
He worked for Clear Channel with Mix 106.5 in Sydney Australia between 2003 and 2005, creating a soft adult contemporary format called "Smooth Variety" and lifted the station's lead in market share for females 25-54 to 6% ahead of its closest competitor station.{{cite web|url=https://www.radioinfo.com.au/news/pd-sam-zniber-moving-mix-1065|title=PD Sam Zniber moving on from Mix 106.5|publisher=radioinfo.com.au|date=17 May 2005|accessdate=3 December 2014}} In 2004 he was a speaker at the National Association of Broadcasters' European conference,{{cite web|url=https://www.radioinfo.com.au/news/australians-speak-europe-nab|title=Australians Speak at Europe NAB|work=radioinfo.com.au|date=21 October 2004}} and at the Sciences Po University in Paris.
In 2007, Zniber operated as Vice President of Programming at Lagardere Group,{{cite web|url=https://www.radioinfo.com.au/news/expansion-plans-french-radio-group-sam-zniber-joins-lari|title=Expansion plans for French radio group as Sam Zniber joins LARI|date=17 January 2007 |publisher=}} overseeing the programming of twenty-three radio networks in seven countries in Europe and South Africa.{{cite web|url=http://www.lagardere.com/press-room/press-releases/press-releases-363.html&idpress=3678|title=Sam Zniber appointed Program Director of the Music Radio Division|publisher=Lagardère|date=5 June 2008}} In June 2008 he was appointed as director of the division of music stations Virgin Radio and RFM Lagardère Active. Following an audience decrease for Virgin Radio France from 5.9% to 4.7% between September and October 2009, he departed in November 2009.
He worked from 2010 as a programming and marketing consultant for radio stations and radio networks in Brazil, France, Spain and other countries as Vice President of Radio Intelligence, a research company for radio.{{cite news|url=http://www.lemonde.fr/disparitions/article/2010/03/22/nominations-le-monde-date-mardi-24-mars_1322484_3382.html|title=Nominations|work=Le Monde|language=French|date=22 March 2010}}{{cite web|url=http://www.bluerevolution.com/sites/default/files/1/Radio-Ezine-Sample-Edition.pdf|title=Evolution of the program director|work=Blue Evolution|accessdate=3 December 2014}}
From 2012 he was program director at Magic 102.7 WMXJ-FM in Miami, Florida,{{cite web|url=http://www.lalettre.pro/La-Lettre-Pro-de-la-Radio-decouvrez-le-n-49_a3224.html|title=Au pays de l'oncle Sam|work=La Lettre Pro de la Radio|language=French|date=12 November 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/107159/wmxj-names-sam-zniber-pd|title=WMXJ Names Sam Zniber PD|work=All Access Music Group|date=14 June 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://www.insideradio.com/Article.asp?id=2472795&spid=33088|title=People Moves|work=Inside Radio|date=6 November 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/59115/wmxj-miami-retools/|title=WMXJ Miami Retools|author=Lance Venta|work=RadioInsight|date=2 August 2012}} where market share grew to 5.1% in December 2013 from 2.8% in April 2012 in the Arbitron PPM ratings.
In August 2014 Zniber was made program director at CKBE-FM ("The Beat 92.5 FM") in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.{{cite web|url=http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/132464/sam-zniber-to-program-ckbe|title=Sam Zniber To Program CKBE|work=All Access Music Group}}{{cite news|url=https://montrealgazette.com/business/local-business/anne-marie-withenshaw-suing-92-5-the-beat-over-contract-termination|title=Anne-Marie Withenshaw suing 92.5 The Beat over contract termination|work=Montreal Gazette|author=Steve Faguy|date=21 November 2014|accessdate=3 December 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://blog.fagstein.com/2014/08/04/the-beat-zniber-pd/|title=The Beat appoints Sam Zniber as new program director|date=4 August 2014|work=fagstein.com|author=Steve Faguy|accessdate=5 December 2014}} In March 2015 The Beat 92.5 had a 19.9 per cent rating overall, more than five points higher than Virgin Radio Montreal. The Beat had the highest audience figures for the first time with listeners adults 25-54, females 25-54, males 25-54, adults 18-49 and adults 18-34. "The Beat Breakfast" also had the highest audience figures for morning show in female listeners 25-54, and the highest morning show figures among all English-language FM stations in Montreal. Its morning show with Sarah Bartok and Cat Spencer, which was fourth in the market a year previously, was first in that age group, and had higher audience figures than CHOM-FM among men age 25 to 54.{{cite news|url=https://montrealgazette.com/entertainment/local-arts/the-beat-jumps-ahead-in-montreal-radio-ratings/|title=The Beat jumps ahead in Montreal radio ratings|date=16 March 2015|work=Montreal Gazette|author=Steve Faguy|accessdate=16 March 2015}}
In November 2016 RADIO INTELLIGENCE, involved in strategy and research for radio and music platforms has appointed SAM ZNIBER as Vice President and Strategic Consultant.{{cite news|url=https://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/159595/radio-intelligence-names-sam-zniber-vp-strategic-c|date=9 November 2016|title=Radio Intelligence Names Sam Zniber VP, Strategic Consultant }}
In November 2020 Sam Zniber has introduced MusicDatak, an algorithm-based music research tool specifically for radio stations, retail brands and music curators. MusicDatak automatically detects hits, verifies information, organizes and prioritizes hits according to the degree of audience satisfaction or fatigue in a precise location. It uses data sources from music platforms, radio airplay and social media music charts. The tool aims to help radio stations make better-informed decisions about their music categories in GSelector and MusicMaster scheduling systems.{{cite web |title=Zn1berMed1a Launches MusicDatak |url=https://www.redtechtribe.com/products/zn1bermed1a-launches-musicdatak/ |access-date=8 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201116201135/https://www.redtechtribe.com/products/zn1bermed1a-launches-musicdatak/ |archive-date=November 16, 2020 |language=en |date=Nov 5, 2020}}
Zniber completed executive courses at the Harvard Business School. and at UCLA.