Craig Karmazin (born July 11, 1975) is the founder and chief executive officer of Good Karma Brands (GKB).[ GKB leadership – Good Karma Brands.com]
Early life and education
Born in 1975
[ in northern New Jersey,][ "Boyhood friends grow radio group", South Florida Business Journal by Alexis Muellner] (October 20, 2003) ][ "Like Father, Like Son", IB Magazine (April 2007) ] Karmazin is the son of Sharon and Mel Karmazin. He has an older sister,[ "WEDDINGS; Dina Karmazin, Andrew Elkins", New York Times (November 01, 1993)] His father is the former CEO of Sirius XM Radio[ and former president of Viacom.][ "NJ producer brings Potok book to the stage", New Jersey Jewish News by Debra Rubin (February 25, 2013)][
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/ref> He attended Emory University, studying business
Career
Early radio purchases (1997-2000)
In 1997, Karmazin interned at Infinity Radio-owned WIP in Philadelphia.[ "Son of Sirius CEO creates own radio mini-empire based in Beaver Dam", Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, by Bill Glauber (July 28, 2012)] and affiliated those stations with ESPN Radio.
In 1998, Karmazin founded Good Karma Broadcasting, a sports radio firm in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. Karmazin selected the area due to its proximity to the University of Wisconsin campus.
Good Karma and ESPN (2001-2026)
In 2006, he entered the Cleveland market simultaneously purchasing the gospel music station WABQ 1540 and the rights to the ESPN brand from sports talk station 850 WKNR, reformatting WABQ as a sports station. A short time later, he purchased WKNR. The net cost for both stations was $9.5 million.[ Sports Business Daily: "Forty Under 40 – Craig Karmazin" March 18, 2013]
On July 16, 2014, Karmazin purchased a minority stake in the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA).[ "Approved: NBA okays list of new Milwaukee Bucks minority owners, but who's on that list?", Fox 6 Now.com (July 16, 2014)] In the fall of 2018, Karmazin purchased the flagship station of the Green Bay Packers and Milwaukee Brewers, WTMJ Radio, along with WKTI from the E. W. Scripps Company. He converted WKTI to a local sports station affiliated with ESPN Radio, with WAUK moving to a national schedule (WTMJ's schedule remained the same). He was a 2021 NBA Championship, as part owner of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Personal life
He met his partner, Kelli Gabel, on a radio broadcast. They have a daughter.
