iHeartMedia has a succession plan in place to spin off its outdoor advertising business once it emerges from bankruptcy, Billboard reported. The company currently owns 89.1 percent of Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, but will fully separate when the restructuring process is complete in the new year. Once iHeartMedia emerges, William Eccleshare will become CEO of CCOH. The London-based executive is currently CEO of Clear Channel International, which he joined in 2009. Scott Wells will continue as CEO of Clear Channel Outdoor Americas, reporting to Eccleshare. iHeart filed for Chapter 11 protection in March after being saddled with $20 billion in debt, the legacy of a 2008 leveraged buyout. As part of that filing, the company announced it had reached an agreement to cut that debt in half after a debt-to-equity swap with some shareholders, with an eye towards allowing the company to continue operating and to speed up the bankruptcy process.
