James H. Duncan, Jr. is a radio analyst, author and historian who has devoted most of his career to the study of the commercial radio industry.
From 1975 through 2002, Duncan was the President of Duncan’s American Radio, Inc. This company has published a series of books and reports, which has provided a wide range of data and analysis for the commercial radio industry. The books include the American Radio series and Duncan’s Radio Market Guide. Other publications include Duncan’s Radio Group Directory, Radio in the United States: 1976 – 1990, A Tale of Two Radio Markets, and others. Duncan is currently working on his final publications concerning commercial radio. With a working title of An American Radio Trilogy: 1975-2004, these books will offer a statistical and prose history of radio covering the period from 1975 – 2004.
Duncan was the creator and implementer of many formulas, which have become standard tools for the analysis of the radio industry. These include audience conversion ratios (power ratios), base or stick values, market rating systems and radio station maturity levels.
Serving on various boards has also been an important part of his career. Boards of Director positions have included Emmis Communications, American Radio Systems, Stoner Broadcasting Systems and Price Communications. He has served on the board of the Western Michigan University Foundation since 1987. He is also a member of the Advisory Board for the Geology and Earth Sciences Department of Western Michigan University. Over the years, Jim has served on various other community service boards in Kalamazoo, Indianapolis and Santa Fe. The one he is particularly proud of is the Max and Tucker Fund that he started in 1999, currently managed by the Santa Fe Community Foundation.
Jim Duncan was awarded the “Radio Service Award” by American Security Bank in 1990 and in 1992 was included in Radio Ink’s “Top 50 Most influential individuals in the history of the radio industry.” In 2003, he was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the National Association of Media Brokers.
He has three children: Erica Hunt, who works for Clear Channel Communications, Rebecca, who is a graduate student at Western Michigan University and David Woodward, who is employed by Emmis Communications. Duncan is married to Christine Woodward-Duncan, president of EmEx2 Management, Sales & Strategic Consultants.