Jeff Smulyan

Jeff
Chairman, CEO, and Founder

Jeffrey H. Smulyan serves as Chairman of the Board of Emmis Communications Corporation, an Indianapolis–based diversified media company with operations in two U.S. markets.

Jeffrey H. Smulyan serves as founder and chairman of the board of Emmis Communications Corporation,an Indianapolis-based media company principally focused on radio broadcasting with stations in two U.S. markets. Jeff is currently leading Emmis through a transition from slower growth traditional media assets to new businesses with better growth profiles.To that end, on June 10, 2019, Emmis announced an agreement to sell its interest in its Austin radio stations, and on July 1, 2019 announced the formation of a new public company (Mediaco) that will purchase two of the company’s New York radio stations. Since the closure, Emmis now has significant capital to complete its transition. Emmis also owns a controlling interest in Digonex, which provides dynamic pricing solutions across multiple industries, and its hometown Indianapolis Monthly magazine.

Jeff is a former director of the National Association of Broadcasters, former chair of the Radio Advertising Bureau, past chair of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, and a member of numerous civic boards and committees. As principal shareholder, he led a group that purchased the Seattle Mariners baseball team in 1989. He also served on the Major League Baseball ownership and television committees.

Jeff has been recognized as a Giant of Broadcasting by the Library of American Broadcasting, received the National Association of Broadcasters National Radio Award, and was inducted in the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame and the Indiana Business Hall of Fame. The Broadcasters Foundation honored him with its Golden Mike Award. In 2017, he received the Lowry Mays Excellence in Broadcasting Award from the Broadcasters Foundation of America. Emmis was named one of Fortune magazines 100 Best Companies to Work For due to its vibrant, collaborative culture.

In 1994, Jeff was named by the White House to head the U.S. Delegation to the Plenipotentiary Conference of the International Telecommunications Union. As a U.S. ambassador, he helped negotiate a landmark agreement between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization.

A cum laude graduate of USC with a B.A. in history and telecommunications, Jeff earned a J.D. from the USC Gould School of Law, where he served as note and comment editor of the Southern California Law Review.

Smulyan resides in suburban Indianapolis with his wife Heather and children, Samantha, Cari, Bradley.

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