Media Analysts

Michael Boland
Program Director, Mobile Local Media

Michael Boland is the program director for BIA/Kelsey’s Mobile Local Media practice. Since joining the company in 2005, Mike has been instrumental in covering the local online space for our Interactive Local Media practice. His expertise and curiosity about new mobile, social, and video technologies and business models make him an valuable resource for MLM clients.

Mike is a frequent speaker and organizer at top industry conferences including BIA/Kelsey events, Search Engine Strategies and others. He has authored in-depth reports on the changing local media landscape including online video, social networking and mobile. He contributes regularly to highly read online news sources such as Search Engine Watch and Huffington Post. A trusted source for reporters covering the interactive media space, his comments have appeared in major news and trade media, including the Wall Street Journal, Fortune and Forbes.

Before joining BIA/Kelsey, Mike was editor of Innovation World's TechAlert, a monthly journal of emerging technology companies. Previously he was a San Francisco-based freelance writer for business and technology magazines, such as Red Herring, Business 2.0, Mobile and Digitalife. Michael began his career in business analysis and journalism as a staff reporter for Forbes magazine, where he covered technology, online media and telecommunications.

Matt Booth
Senior Vice President and Program Director, Interactive Local Media

Matt came to BIA/Kelsey from Perform Local, a local lead generation start-up funded by two prominent venture capital groups. He was a cofounder and chief operating officer. Before that, starting in 1996, he held several senior positions at Citysearch, a subsidiary of IAC/InterActiveCorp, including vice president, strategy and planning; vice president, product; and vice president, media partnerships.

Matt participated in numerous activities at Citysearch, including the creation of media partnerships with television and radio stations, the launch of city guides with leading newspapers like the Los Angeles Times, the design and implementation of a national local search product, the creation of the prototype of Citysearch’s performance-based sales model, and acquisitions such as that of Entertainment Publications.

Matt graduated summa cum laude from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, with a Bachelor of Science in finance.

Rick Ducey
Chief Strategy Officer and Program Director, Digital Strategies for Broadcasting

Rick Ducey is the chief strategy officer for BIA/Kelsey. Ducey is an expert in digital media innovations, competitive strategies, new product development and new business models, including digital ecosystem collaboration strategies.

A frequent speaker on the transforming media ecosystem, Ducey is the program director for BIA/Kelsey’s newest advisory service, Digital Strategies for Broadcasting, which addresses how new technologies, competition, shifting consumer demographics and media usage trends are driving changes in the media ecosystem and what traditional media companies must do to be successful in the new environment. Rick assists clients with their business planning and revenue models, strategic research, market assessment, and designing and implementing digital strategies.

Prior to joining BIA/Kelsey in 2000, Rick was senior vice president of NAB's Research and Information Group. In this position, he was in charge of the association's new technology assessment, audience and policy research, strategic planning, information systems, including all Internet operations and he also developed publications and seminars.

Rick received his Ph.D. from Michigan State University, M.S. from Syracuse University and B.A. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Mark Fratrik
Vice President, BIA/Kelsey

Mark Fratrik is a vice president of BIA/Kelsey. In his role, Mark is the company’s chief economist and responsible for the company’s forecasting across all local media segments. Mark also manages the company’s numerous proprietary databases and conducts primary research on various trends as they affect the broadcasting and related communications industries. Additionally, Mark is heavily involved in the company’s strategic and financial consulting projects, conducting research and analysis for clients on matters related to the broadcasting, digital media and related communications industries.

Throughout his career, Mark has researched and spoken at numerous conferences on the impact of the economy on the broadcasting industries, proposed and enacted regulatory changes, and new media technologies, including DTV datacasting. Mark is often quoted in the media and is a leading spokesperson concerning trends and forecasts for the media industry including analyzing competitiveness of media and related industries. He is the author BIA/Kelsey’s series of studies on the state of the Radio and Television Industry studies.

Mark received his B.A. in mathematics and economics from State University of New York at Binghamton and his master’s and doctoral degrees in economics from Texas A&M in College Station, Texas. He served as an adjunct professor of economics at John Hopkins University for over seven years.

Geoff Price
Vice President, BIA/Kelsey

Geoffrey Price is a Vice President for BIA/Kelsey managing and operating the company's valuation consulting group. He has been with the company since 1988 and has appraised hundreds of media and telecommunications properties worth in aggregate in the tens of billions of dollars.

Geoff is responsible for the preparation of asset appraisals, valuation studies, strategic consulting assignments, and litigation support for clients in the communications and broadcast industries. He has also been responsible at for assisting many publicly traded and privately held broadcast companies with their valuation needs associated with FASB 141/142. In addition, Mr. Price is part of the business development team and is responsible for the client relationships with many of the largest broadcast companies nationwide. Geoff’s appraisal and valuation experience is diverse, including reports for firms in the cellular, paging, SMR, cable, print, tower, and broadcast industries.

Geoff earned a B.S. degree in Finance from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia, and received his M.B.A. from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

Peter Krasilovsky
Vice President and Program Director, Marketplaces

Peter Krasilovsky has been a longtime thought leader in the transition to interactive media and services. During the late 1980s, he served as director of research at The Cable Television Information Center , a public interest group launched by The Urban Institute. After the court-ordered breakup of AT&T, he served as the editor of several newsletters about the burgeoning world of telephone company enhanced services.

From 1990-1998, Krasilovsky served nine years as Vice President with Arlen Communications Inc., a research and consulting firm focused on the merging worlds of interactive media and commerce, working with everyone from The National Football League to the United States Postal Service. During this time, Krasilovsky also served as editor of Interactive Consumers, a data-driven report published by Find/SVP based on results on The American Information User Survey.

In 1998, Krasilovsky joined The Kelsey Group to launch the Local Online Commerce program. Krasilovsky currently serves as VP of BIA/Kelsey. He runs the company’s conference division and serves as program director of its Marketplaces program.

Krasilovsky has a MA in communications management from The Annenberg School of Communications at the University of Southern California. His BA is in Liberal Arts from Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY.

Charles Laughlin
SVP and Program Director, The Kelsey Report®, and Managing Editor, BIA/Kelsey

Charles applies the skills he developed as a reporter and editor to the daily tasks of helping BIA/Kelsey clients understand what is happening in the world of Yellow Pages and offering insights into where the business is moving. His approach is built on doing the legwork necessary to understand what the industry’s key players are doing, what they are thinking about, and how they plan to adapt to the changing nature of the directional media business.

Since becoming program director of The Kelsey Report®, BIA/Kelsey’s flagship Continuous Advisory Service, Charles has expanded the scope of the program from an exclusive focus on new technologies for directory publishers to a broader look at how Yellow Pages is competing in the media marketplace — both analog and digital. Charles has been instrumental in expanding BIA/Kelsey’s product portfolio. In 2002, he led the development of Global Yellow Pages™, a comprehensive, 400-plus-page worldwide industry fact book that grew to 566 pages with the publication of GYP2007.

Charles began his career as a police reporter with the City News Bureau of Chicago, the training ground of Chicago’s journalism pantheon, including Mike Royko and Seymour Hersh. He later worked at a series of local news organizations, including the Pulitzer and Copley newspaper chains.

Charles earned a B.A. in English from the University of Illinois.

Bobbi Loy-Luster
Vice President and Senior Analyst

Bobbi coordinates fulfillment of BIA/Kelsey CAS-related client questions. She identifies project requirements, plans methods to collect information, develops project estimates and provides written reports and presentations. In coordinating fulfillment of client inquiries, Bobbi works closely with BIA/Kelsey’s Research and Consulting group. She is responsible for management of the company’s document library.

Bobbi’s experience spans research, report preparation and consulting. She has been news editor for BIA/Kelsey’s Web site, assistant editor to Context (a newsletter covering online directories and city guides), and she manages the day-to-day operations of BIA/Kelsey’s Web site. Before joining BIA/Kelsey, Bobbi was a reporter for the Trenton (New Jersey) Times.

Bobbi earned a B.A. in English from Rider University and a Master’s in Library Science from Simmons College.

Steve Marshall
Director of Research and Consulting

Steve Marshall manages BIA/Kelsey’s research initiatives. He began working with the firm as an associate researcher and analyst in 1996. Steve has more than 25 years of experience in management consulting, focusing on the development of corporate and marketing strategies that maximize shareholder value. In the past five years, he has concentrated on serving emerging businesses and markets related to the Internet.

Previously, Steve founded Marshall Associates in 1995, a strategy consulting firm specializing in the telecommunications and new media industries. Clients included RBOCs, major CLCs, IXCs and other Internet-related companies. Project work included developing business strategies and business cases, conducting competitive and market assessments, and assisting with business development.

Before founding Marshall Associates, Steve was assistant vice president of corporate strategy for Pacific Telesis (since incorporated into SBC, now AT&T). Previously, he was a senior manager of Marakon Associates, an international consulting firm that specializes in strategies and management to maximize shareholder value. Steve was based in Stamford, Connecticut, and London, U.K. He served multinational clients in the telecommunications, financial services and pharmaceutical industries. He also served as a consultant for First Manhattan Consulting Group and Boston Consulting Group.

Steve has a B.A. in American history from the University of Michigan and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Kathleen Harkness Passarelli
Associate Editor and Analyst, The Kelsey Report®

As associate editor for BIA/Kelsey, Kathleen’s primary task is copyediting all written materials, including TKR and Interactive Local Media reports, and the BIA/Kelsey blog. She also coordinates production of these documents and is responsible for posting them on BIA/Kelsey’s Web site. In addition, Kathleen is an analyst for The Kelsey Report®. She participates in various writing and research projects, including the Global Yellow Pages™ report.

Kathleen joined BIA/Kelsey after working as a magazine editor for more than 15 years. Most recently, she was a freelance writer and editor for various Chicago-based publications, including Internet Retailer magazine. Before going freelance, Kathleen worked as senior editor for Modern Physician magazine, a monthly business publication targeting physician executives, and copy editor for Modern Healthcare, a weekly magazine covering healthcare business news. She began her career on the consumer side of the magazine industry, working as copy chief for Detroit Monthly magazine and before that as assistant editor of Michigan Woman, a lifestyle publication for businesswomen.

Kathleen graduated from the University of Michigan-Dearborn with a Bachelor of Arts in English and a minor in communications.

Michael Taylor
Director, Business Development

Michael Taylor is director of business development. He also works on BIA/Kelsey consulting projects. Michael brings best practice experience in sales and marketing, as well as sales and marketing audit and due diligence experience. Michael’s view of the marketplace is focused on both current industry trends and the long-range changing nature of print and digital media. A voracious reader and researcher, Michael seeks to make the connections between ideas and practices to create new insights and business models for clients.

Before joining BIA/Kelsey, Michael was managing director and marketing director for The Berry Co.’s Sales & Marketing Solutions consulting group. Specializing in sales, marketing and operational management, Michael led several client efforts in Australia, the Czech Republic, Japan, Norway, the U.K. and the U.S., addressing diverse operational, organizational and marketing challenges. Michael’s European, Asian and domestic U.S. experience is vital in addressing client inquires on best sales and marketing practices as well as providing additional insights in the Global Yellow Pages™ report.

Before entering the Yellow Pages industry, Michael spent 12 years in advertising as a brand strategist. He has also worked as a copy writer and as a TV and radio producer.

Michael holds a B.A. in marketing and communications from Bowling Green State University in Ohio.

Jed Williams
Program Director, Social Local Media

Jed Williams works across the company’s five advisory services in research, writing and consulting roles. He has more than ten years experience on both the business and content sides of media.

In May 2010, he received his Master’s in Media Business from the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at UNC-Chapel Hill. Williams was named the Outstanding M.A. Graduate by the school. At UNC, he completed a thesis on business change initiatives at the Associated Press that is currently being published as a case study by the Columbia Journalism School and the Yale School of Management and will be excerpted in an upcoming book.

Formerly, he served as a sports and news reporter, hosted sports and news talk shows, and called sports play-by-play in Alabama, North Carolina and Virginia. As sports director of WINA Radio in Charlottesville, VA, Williams led his department to “Top Overall Sports Coverage” honors four times and won “Best Editorial.” He also has extensive writing experience as a features writer, columnist and in-depth interviewer for the ACC Sports Journal, ACCSports.com, TheSabre.com, Cavalier Corner, Carolina Communicator, and other publications.

Elise Simmons
Junior Analyst

Elise Simmons brings valuable local media experience—encompassing print, online and broadcast—to her research and analysis activities across all BIA/Kelsey advisory services programs.

Before joining BIA/Kelsey, she was a Washington Correspondent for newswire Medill News Service, where she researched, recorded, wrote and edited news stories for KTKA 49 News, 6 News Lawrence and WATD FM. She served as the Congressional Calendar Editor for the Bureau of National Affairs and as a Media and Research Assistant for her alma mater, Medill School of Journalism. Simmons' freelance writing has been published by the Maryland Daily Record and BNET, part of the CBS Interactive Business Network. In addition, she has contributed to the DC Examiner.com as a Young Professionals Examiner and worked as a Communications Consultant for The Pl@forums, where she conducted research and wrote white papers on e-learning and career development.

Simmons earned a joint Masters degree in Journalism and Legal Studies from Northwestern University. She graduated magna cum laude from Morgan State University with a B.S. in Telecommunications.