John Lauer had an enduring gift for persuasion.
The developer and mover behind iconic Atlanta radio brands Newsradio (WGST-AM) and Peach 94.9 (WPCH-FM) could “sell anything to anybody,” as longtime former employee Pete Konenkamp put it. Well-schooled in building relationships and the credibility that leads to advertising buys, he turned both stations into moneymakers while stressing quality journalism and appealing programming.
But his persuasive skills were only part of the story, friends say. Lauer may have looked buttoned-down as a banker, but he wasn’t afraid to crystal-ball the future, take risks and invest in cutting-edge technology.
“Everybody loved working for John,” said Eric Seidel, who was news and program director in two different WGST stints under Lauer. “He was a friend.”
John Lauer, 93, died Dec. 22 of pneumonia and complications of old age. He is survived by a daughter, a brother-in-law and four grandchildren. A memorial service is being planned for the spring.
Daughter Amy Lauer Alcorn grew up watching her dad’s career, noting that though her father was a people person, he was no pushover.
“Dad was a big believer in hiring the right people for the job and letting them do the job. But … if you didn’t perform, you left.”
Alcorn also had a front-row seat for her father’s passions for sports and technology. She’d perch in the press box for WGST’s broadcast of Atlanta Falcons and Hawks games where Lauer, acting as statistician, used a groundbreaking software program he and a partner had developed called Statman, which turned raw data into statistical bites.
He arrived in Atlanta in 1971 to take the reins at WPCH, fresh from a stint as sales manager of all-news WBBM-AM in Chicago, where he had been passed over for the general manager’s job.
With the help of a savvy New York programmer, Lauer shepherded the station’s changeover from religious programming to music with limited commercials and a trademark 2-second gap between songs. Listeners flocked to it, and two local competitors gave up and switched formats.
Fast forward to 1977. Lauer helped persuade Meredith Corp., an Iowa-based multimedia corporation, to buy WPCH. The firm already owned WGST, a low-rated AM station with a musical mishmash of a format. Lauer sensed that music on the AM band was dying and pushed to change WGST to all news.
A fellow Meredith executive told him, “You can’t compete with (radio competitor) WSB.” Lauer, in a podcast interview recorded by the Friends of Georgia Radio, said he countered with “Yes I can. And I did.”
He also made good on his promise to company head E.T. Meredith that while the expensive employee-heavy format would bleed red initially, it would become profitable after three years.
Atlantans liked the station’s team of seasoned journalists and ready access to information, and the audience grew steadily, taking a noticeable bite out of WSB’s ratings and revenue. It did all that with a weaker signal.
Another hallmark of Lauer’s tenure was his writing and voicing editorials and candidate endorsements, one of which led to quite a kerfuffle. He endorsed former United Nations Ambassador Andrew Young over businessman Sidney Marcus in the 1981 Atlanta mayoral race.
Some pushed back, including his own sales manager, who feared Marcus would drop his advertising on the station. His bosses weighed in nervously from headquarters.
“Young came in and convinced the editorial board that he was the guy. It was the right decision, and I convinced them (Meredith) that it was the right decision.” recalled Lauer. “He was so far superior to Marcus.”
“It was a gutsy call,” echoed Seidel, “especially in those days.”
Lauer also formed the Georgia Radio News Service, which fed Atlanta-based newscasts to stations in all corners of the state. It enabled his sales team to gather advertisers from a wider area than just metro Atlanta as the more powerful WSB had long been able to do.
Colleagues praised Lauer’s team’s ability to find and nurture great talent. He brought aboard now-familiar names to Atlanta listeners such as Tom Hughes (mornings on WGST), Neal Boortz (WGST talk host, later WSB) and Steve Holman (Hawks play-by-play announcer).
On a more personal level, friends and family said Lauer exemplified kindness and compassion. If you needed time off for a personal or family issue, you got it. If you had a work concern, you could shoot straight.
Lauer departed in 1990, following a station sale and a shift in corporate culture tying in with deregulation, said ex-employee and state Network Director of Georgia Radio News Service Richard Warner. He added that Lauer’s influence extended well beyond the C-suite and studios.
“Atlanta was the better for it (his work),” said Warner. “And I think he knew that.”
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