great SCOTT broadcasting

Successfully serving our clients for over 50 years

Editors Note:  I sat down with Great Scott Broadcasting CEO Mitch Scott this week to ask him about his radio empire. Following is what he had to say in his own words.

Now celebrating our 52nd anniversary, you can look for Great Scott to become even greater. We now have 10 signals and 7 radio stations in the Delmarva area from Dover, Del. to Pocomoke, Md., and the Eastern Shore of Virginia south, and broadcasting west as far as the Bay Bridge, covering a 100 mile radius or more. Some are dual signals combined to increase the broadcast area.

“Locally owned, nationally known,” I like to say. My parents, Faye & Herb Scott, started a radio station in 1952 in Pottstown, Pa.  Over time they acquired apartment buildings in several states and tower businesses across America. Their first station was WPAZ 1370 covering an area from Pottstown to Philadelphia, Pa.  

After college I worked in Florida, Allentown, Pa., New York City, Boston and West Palm Beach for other companies, then came back home to work for my dad in Harrisburg, Pa. My lifestyle sure changed ‘cause I was making great money in the big cities but when I came home, mom and dad were pretty tight with the purse strings. Boy did my life change, but I worked hard and am better off because of them. All my  experience in other markets was great preparation for what was to come. When dad died in 1984 I stepped in to take care of the day-to-day operations and help my mother grow our business.

Since then we sold the stations in New York, Trenton, N.J., Harrisburg, New Castle, and Philadelphia, Pa., except for the original one, WPAZ. We decided to focus on the Delmarva area seeing it as a fast growing market with lots of potential for growth. Each of our stations is targeted to a different age group and listening preference and we are consistently top rated.

The first station introduced here was WZBH 93.5 “The Beach,” which is an active rock station appealing to the 18-49 age group. OC 104 which is Hip Hop and R&B, is also aimed at the 18-49 group. Lite rock is covered on 107.5 and 103.5 aimed at the age 25 plus audience, playing adult contemporary music.  98.5 BIG, our classic rock station, plays to the 25 plus age audience. The “Bee” 95.3 and 101.7 features a variety of music aimed at the 25 plus audience. All our stations are at top power with the strongest broadcast coverage in the area.

In the age of consolidation we’ve had many offers to buy the stations but I’m not in the business of selling stations, we’re in the radio business. I am part of the local market now having lived here about 8 years and have made many good friends in this area and plan to call this my home. The people in this area are some of the friendliest, nicest people I have ever met in my life. A lot of my clients have become very good and great friends. I have an executive degree in marketing and hold a second degree black belt in Brazilian Jujitsu and a fourth degree black belt in Taekwondo. I’ve been involved in the radio business for 30 years now, 20 of them in the family business.

I feel that part of the reason for our success is that we are really in the business of making our clients’ businesses more successful. My dream has always been to help as many people as I can reach their dream.

The stations are always top-rated and our employees are long-term, creating a family atmosphere at work. Our business is definitely client oriented. The reason we’re successful is because of our employees and our clients. Also, we invest more in promotion and research than any other local broadcast company and we’ve raised more local charity dollars than any other broadcast company  - local people with a local company.