About Roger Rafson

Roger has been involved in media since he was 11 years old. He started as a studio engineer for high school football games on WEEF AM & FM in Highland Park, Illinois. When his voice changed, they let him go on the air as a Disc Jockey. He first got involved in advertising sales in 1975 selling for Classical Music station WEFM, Chicago. In college, he served as General Manager for the student-run radio station, WPGU, Urbana, Illinois.

After graduation from the University of Illinois in 1980, Roger sold television advertising in his native Chicago for TeleRep, a national rep firm. Before establishing CMS, Roger worked in advertising sales for KDKA-TV, the CBS affiliate in Pittsburgh, PA. While there, Roger took part in the station's record-breaking sales month.

Roger never got over being bitten by the announcing bug. Since 1981, he has served as public address announcer for Carnegie Mellon University football, men's and women's basketball and track & field. In 2005, Roger was the Public Address Announcer for the 2005 Senior Olympics.

When Roger saw the need for media buyers in advertising agencies, and advertisers themselves, to easily access air time on radio stations in small and medium sized markets throughout the United States, he established Commercial Media Sales (CMS). Since
March 1982, CMS has been working with media buyers
to provide advertisers with top value
for their media dollars.

The service CMS provides is absolutely free to media buyers and advertisers. CMS brings revenue to radio stations by selling their air time to advertisers. CMS receives sales commission from the radio stations for which it generates advertising sales.

Professional Honors

• Outstanding Achievement in Media Award - Radio
Media Association of Pittsburgh 2008

• 1999 President, Pittsburgh Radio and TV Club
(now Media Association of Pittsburgh)

• 10 Year Service Award for service to the Radio Information Service - October, 1998.

• Art Stein Memorial Award for Service to the
Pittsburgh Radio & Television Club
- March 4, 1994.

• Association for Women In Communications
Matrix Award for Best Radio Talk Show.

• Highmark on Health Care
(formerly Blue Cross on Health Care) -
April 17, 1997.