# Jeff Smulyan

> Jeff Smulyan is the Indianapolis-based founder, chairman and CEO of Emmis Corporation, the broadcaster behind the 1987 launch of WFAN’s all-sports format. A former Seattle Mariners owner and the author of Never Ride a Rollercoaster Upside Down, he now leads Emmis’s transition into businesses including sound masking, dynamic pricing and in-game advertising.

- **Role:** Chairman, CEO and Founder at Emmis Corporation
- **Organizations:** Emmis Corporation, Seattle Mariners (former owner), University of Southern California (life trustee), National Association of Broadcasters (former director), Radio Advertising Bureau (former chair), Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (past chair)
- **From:** Indianapolis, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** BA in History and Telecommunications, cum laude, University of Southern California, Juris Doctor; note and comment editor, Southern California Law Review, USC Gould School of Law
- **Known for:** Launched WFAN’s pioneering 24-hour sports radio format in 1987., Built Emmis into a company operating radio, television and regional magazines., Inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2022.

## Career timeline

- **1973** — Returned to Indianapolis to manage WNTS; David Letterman hosted its midday talk show.
- **1979** — Purchased the small FM station that would become WENS; began assembling Emmis.
- **1980** — Established Emmis Broadcasting Corporation.
- **1981** — WENS began broadcasting in its new form in Indianapolis.
- **1987** — Launched WFAN on July 1, converting WHN to a 24-hour sports format.
- **1988** — Following the WNBC acquisition, WFAN moved to 660 AM; Emmis also acquired Indianapolis Monthly.
- **1989-1992** — Led the group owning the Seattle Mariners; the team was sold to Nintendo-backed buyers in 1992.
- **1994** — Emmis went public; Smulyan led the U.S. delegation to the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference.
- **1998** — Emmis entered television with an acquisition of four stations.
- **2001** — Joined the USC Board of Trustees, according to his publisher biography.
- **2011** — Inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Hall of Fame.
- **2014** — Digonex became part of the Emmis portfolio.
- **2017** — Received the Lowry Mays Excellence in Broadcasting Award.
- **2020** — Emmis acquired Lencore’s sound masking business in March.
- **2022** — Entered the Radio Hall of Fame and published Never Ride a Rollercoaster Upside Down.
- **2023** — Emmis led Anzu’s $48 million Series B round in June.
- **2025** — Emmis launched bilingual La Exitosa in January; Patrick Walsh became Digonex CEO in September.
- **2026** — Appeared on IBJ Media’s Off the Record interview published March 12.

## Achievements

- Launched WFAN’s pioneering 24-hour sports radio format in 1987.
- Built Emmis into a company operating radio, television and regional magazines.
- Inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2022.
- Inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Hall of Fame in 2011.
- Received the NAB National Radio Award and Broadcasters Foundation Golden Mike Award.
- Received the Lowry Mays Excellence in Broadcasting Award in 2017.
- Led the U.S. delegation to the 1994 ITU Plenipotentiary Conference.
- Authored Never Ride a Rollercoaster Upside Down, released December 6, 2022.

## Latest updates

- **2026-03** — IBJ Media published Off the Record with Jeff Smulyan on March 12, covering Emmis, WFAN, baseball, disruption and civic engagement.
- **2026-02** — The Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Winter 2026 newsletter thanked Smulyan among supporters of fundraising for a new Indiana State Museum broadcasting display.
- **2025-09** — Digonex named Emmis president Patrick Walsh its CEO; Smulyan publicly supported the appointment.
- **2025-01** — Emmis launched La Exitosa, a bilingual English-Spanish adult contemporary format on New York’s 98.7 FM and 1190 AM.

## Links

- Website: https://www.emmis.com/jeff-smulyan/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-smulyan-76aa92258
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/EmmisComm
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/EmmisCommunications

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/jeff-smulyan
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-09