Iliad Media Group Transferring Stations to Employees

RADIO ONLINE | Friday, September 16, 2022

Iliad Media Group

Iliad Media Group owners Wendell and Lydia Starke are transferring the company's operations to its 46 employees under an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). IMG owns eight stations in Boise, ID and six stations in Twin Falls, ID. Iliad will continue to be led by President/CEO Darrell Calton following the transition. The multi-media company has been the only locally owned, privately held, large commercial radio cluster in the Boise market since 2007 and enjoys a 26-year history of commercial radio in Twin Falls

President and CEO Darrell Calton said, "One of the biggest concerns that the ownership and I had about the company was not the year-to-year successes, but the decade-to-decade success. Many independent business owners struggle with what to do about the march of time regarding estate and business planning. We are so fortunate to have an owner that wants to recognize the efforts of our long-term employees and wants to put the future of the business in our hands. This ESOP business transition tool is precisely what we all needed."

He added, "Employee ownership will allow us to live our values of putting people first, leading with creativity, and acting with integrity. The work we do each day will have a deeper purpose and greater impact on our communities than ever before. I am thankful to our consultants, ESOP Partners, for guiding us through the process, our leadership team for helping to navigate a complicated transition, and of course, our team of passionate employees."