{"id":221490,"date":"2026-03-16T02:19:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T02:19:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/221490\/"},"modified":"2026-03-16T02:19:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T02:19:10","slug":"poway-high-grad-rick-savage-returns-to-91x-pr-moves-and-the-return-of-radio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/221490\/","title":{"rendered":"Poway High grad Rick Savage returns to 91X, PR moves, and the return of radio?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Rick<\/a>Rick Savage sitting on a green couch. (Photo courtesy Rick Griffin\/MarketInk)<\/p>\n

He was elected by his fellow students as class president all four years he attended Poway High School. Also, around 8 a.m. each weekday, high schooler Rick Savage<\/a> delivered that day\u2019s Poway High announcements over the school intercom system.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor about two minutes, I talked about the lunch menu, activities in the quad, the latest sports schedule and anything going on,\u201d Savage told Times of San Diego. \u201cWith this latest news, you could say that I\u2019ve gone from hosting the morning announcements at Poway High to hosting the morning show at 91X.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beginning March 23, Savage will return to 91X as the weekday morning on-air talent from 6 a.m. to noon, as well as serving in the role of 91X music director.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am a Poway kid who was raised listening to 91X,\u201d he said. \u201cGrowing up in San Diego, 91X has always been more than just a radio station to me. It opened up a whole new world of music early in my radio journey. It was an ignition point in my career.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo return home to be part of that history again, and on the same airwaves as so many of my heroes again, it\u2019s literally a dream come true.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shortly after his 1998 high school graduation, Savage began his on-air talent radio career. He hosted morning and afternoon drive-time on San Diego alternative rock music station KFSD-FM, followed by one year (2003-2024) at XTRA-FM 91X, a classic alternative rock music station.<\/p>\n

Savage said his goal as 91X\u2019s music director is to support the next era of alternative radio in San Diego.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to help expose new San Diego artists to the masses,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s definitely a priority.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over the years, Savage has served as VP of content for Fanatics Betting and Gaming (2022-2023), director of content for the National Football League (2019-2022), head of social media for Apple (2014-2018), director of original content for Vevo (2009-2012) and director of community marketing for Warner Brothers Records (2006-2009).<\/p>\n

He also spent five years (2005-2010) as an on-air personality and voice talent on legendary modern-alternative rock station KROQ Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

Most recently, Savage hosted \u201cStart Static with Rick Savage\u201d on California State University Northridge adult alternative KCSN-FM, the SoCal Sound, and was on-air for South Orange County Community College\u2019s KSBR-FM 88.5.<\/p>\n

He also manages Agent 51,<\/a> a San Diego-based punk rock band that was recently nominated for two San Diego Music awards, including album of the year and alternative album of the year. The awards will be presented May 6 at Humphries by the Bay.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve tried to learn as much as I can from every job that I\u2019ve had,\u201d Savage said. \u201cWhen I was much younger, one of my production directors who mentored me said whatever you do off the air is just as important as on the air.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBringing Rick home was a no-brainer,\u201d said Hilary Doneux, 91X brand manager and afternoon host. \u201cHe\u2019s genuine, hilarious, great on the air and deeply plugged into the music and local culture. He\u2019s a respected programmer, a strong digital voice, just a perfect fit. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re ridiculously thrilled to have him back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Local Media San Diego LLC, a San Diego-based media company, operates three Mexican-licensed FM radio stations in San Diego, including XTRA-FM 91X, XHRM-FM Magic 92.5 and XHTZ-FM Z-90.3. LMSD also operates Local Media Digital Labs, a locally-focused digital solutions provider and Local Media San Diego Events for lifestyle event production.<\/p>\n

Crowe PR expands global reach with new partnership<\/p>\n

San Diego-based public relations firm Crowe PR<\/a> reports it has joined United Partners Network<\/a>, which is a network of independent PR agencies with members across more than 65 markets worldwide.<\/p>\n

Crowe said it will serve as UPN\u2019s official U.S. partner, expanding the network\u2019s North American footprint while strengthening Crowe PR\u2019s ability to support clients internationally.\u00a0 Through this partnership, Crowe PR said it will gain access to UPN\u2019s international network of trusted independent agencies, enabling the firm to support more clients beyond the U.S. market.<\/p>\n

A statement said Crowe PR will also\u00a0benefit\u00a0from client-led, opportunity-based international referrals and integration into a trusted global ecosystem of senior agencies, further strengthening its positioning as a globally minded, growth-focused agency.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cUnited Partners brings together an exceptional global community of agencies, and we\u2019re thrilled for Crowe PR to be joining that network,\u201d said Anna Crowe, founder and chief executive officer of Crowe PR. \u201cAs a globally minded agency, we\u2019re looking forward to creating meaningful work together that delivers impact on a global scale.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

For UPN, the collaboration adds U.S.\u00a0market\u00a0expertise\u00a0and sector strength, reinforcing its ability to support clients with local precision backed by global collaboration.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe partnership with Crowe PR significantly strengthens our footprint in the United States,\u201d said Maria Gergova-Bengtsson, founder and chief executive officer at UPN. \u201cCrowe PR combines award-winning\u00a0expertise\u00a0with a strong entrepreneurial mindset and deep sector knowledge.<\/p>\n

\u201cTogether, we are expanding our ability to support clients who need trusted, senior teams on the ground in the U.S., while benefiting from seamless international collaboration.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Crowe PR also operates an office in New York City.<\/p>\n

In-car share of AM-FM listening hits new high<\/p>\n

What are more Americans doing after getting in their cars? According to Edison Research\u2019s \u201cShare of Ear<\/a>\u201d report for fourth-quarter 2025, they turn on the radio.<\/p>\n

Edison\u2019s quarterly study, which since 2015 has surveyed 4,000 Americans annually to measure daily reach and time spent for all forms of audio, shows that 53% of listening to over-the-air AM\/FM radio took place in vehicles in 2025, up from 42% 10 years ago.<\/p>\n

Also, if you\u2019re thinking in-car\u2019s share of listening to AM\/FM might decline among younger demographics, think again.<\/p>\n

Among younger demographics, in-car listening represents the vast majority of over-the-air AM\/FM radio time spent. Edison found that nearly two-thirds (63%) of all 18-34 over-the-air AM\/FM radio time spent happens in the car.<\/p>\n

Across the board, in-car listening claims a larger share of female AM\/FM radio listening, compared to men, with significant differences between women and men 18-34 and 25-54.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, AM\/FM radio continues to dominate ad-supported audio time spent in cars among persons ages 18 and above with a whopping 83% share vs. 8% for podcasts, 4% for ad-supported SiriusXM, 3% for ad-supported Spotify, 2% for ad-supported Pandora and 1% for ad-supported YouTube Music.<\/p>\n

Rick Griffin<\/a>\u00a0is a San Diego-based public relations and marketing consultant. His MarketInk column appears weekly in Times of San Diego.<\/p>\n

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