From campus radio to iHeartMedia: Jon Zellner’s full-circle moment in the industry

For Jon Zellner, BSC ’87, the spark for a lifelong career in radio began at just eight years old after meeting legendary DJ Wolfman Jack on an NBC studio tour. Six years later, Zellner was on the air himself at his high school station in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey.

Today, Zellner serves as President of Programming Operations and Digital Music for iHeartMedia, the nation’s largest audio company, overseeing strategy for more than 850 radio stations, thousands of digital channels, and a monthly audience of 275 million listeners. 

Zellner returned to campus for the 2025 Music Industry Summit, this time not as a student working in the booth, but as a keynote speaker and proud parent. His son Xander Zellner, BSJ '15, now working at Billboard, also participated in the event, marking what Zellner called a “full-circle moment.”

“My son moderated a panel yesterday, which was awesome,” Zellner said. “I was so proud. It’s great to come back as an alumnus and see how much this event has grown over the years.”

Zellner’s days now are filled with meetings that span nearly every corner of the audio business from radio production and digital streaming to commercial integration and creative brand partnerships. 

“Every day is different,” he said. “I have teams that manage everything from the radio stations themselves to the iHeartRadio app, all the production, imaging, and news and sports anchors. I also work directly with sales to come up with creative solutions for our clients.”

Zellner’s foundation was built right in Athens. He credits his early experiences at student-run stations and professors who saw his potential.

“One of the reasons I came here was because there were seven radio stations on campus, and I worked at all of them,” Zellner said with a laugh. 

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His career path, he admits, was anything but straightforward. From programming and on-air roles in Kansas City, Phoenix and Boston to executive positions at CBS Radio, Sirius XM and now iHeartMedia, Zellner built his career on persistence and adaptability. 

“The path to success is not a straight line,” he said. “You’re going to encounter a variety of situations. Good jobs and bad jobs. There’s a fine line between being aggressive and persevering, but finding reasons to reach out to people and update them on what you’re doing is so important.”

Zellner encourages students to balance ambition with presence and to stay driven but not lose sight of the moment.

“Savor every moment,” he said. “Don’t worry so much about what’s going to happen. Don’t let the future happen to you. Take control of it.”