Accomplished Broadcast Executive with over 30 Years of Broadcasting and Sales Management Experience to Lead WJET-TV, WFXP-TV, and YourErie.com
Erie, Pennsylvania and IRVING, Texas, May 20, 2015 – Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXST) announced today that Stephen Freifeld has been promoted to Vice President and General Manager of WJET-TV (ABC) and the associated mobile / digital operations under YourErie.com and YourErie.biz which serve the Erie, PA market (DMA #150). He will also oversee Nexstar’s relationship with Mission Broadcasting’s affiliate WFXP-TV (FOX) under a joint operating agreement. Mr. Freifeld most recently served as the Director of Sales at WJET-TV, WFXP-TV, and YourErie.com for fifteen years and was responsible for overseeing all aspects of the station’s sales department. Mr. Freifeld will assume his new responsibilities immediately and will report to Theresa Underwood, Senior Vice President of Nexstar Broadcasting.
Mr. Freifeld’s career in broadcasting spans over three decades with expertise in local and national sales management, new business development and strategic planning across multiple media platforms. During his sales management tenure at WJET-TV / WFXP-TV, Mr. Freifeld consistently demonstrated effective broadcasting sales leadership, overseeing all local and national sales efforts while developing meaningful traditional and non-traditional revenue streams for the station’s multiple platform marketing services. In addition, he has developed and led highly effective teams that executed creative sales, marketing and digital media strategies resulting in local and national revenue share dominance while significantly increasing customer retention and new local direct business partnerships.
Prior to joining Nexstar, Mr. Freifeld held National Sales Manager positions at WCPX-TV, Orlando, FL and at WTXX-TV in Hartford/New Haven, CT. Earlier in his career, Mr. Freifeld worked as a National Sales Representative and also held Local Account Executive positions in both television and radio.
Commenting on the appointment, Theresa Underwood stated, “The promotion of Steve to lead our Erie operations is a natural progression of his dedication and deep engagement with the Erie community that also recognizes his successful three decade-long broadcasting career and meaningful accomplishments over the last 15 years with Nexstar. Localism is a top priority at Nexstar and Steve brings an intimate understanding of the dominant services we provide to our community, viewers and advertisers. In addition, he has established a long-term record of strengthening station operations and financial results by implementing sales, marketing and new media initiatives that resulted in significantly better service to local viewers, businesses and community organizations. Steve is a well-respected leader that has built a team of high-achieving local and national sales account executives that deliver compelling and effective marketing solutions for advertisers across our broadcast and digital media platforms. Throughout his career he has demonstrated a results-oriented focus and innovative approach to the business of broadcasting and we are confident that his valuable management and marketing expertise will enhance the leadership position of our local Erie broadcasting and digital media operations. We have the highest degree of confidence in Steve’s ability to continue elevating the value and service of WJET-TV, WFXP-TV, and YourErie.com to the local market.”
Commenting on his new role, Steve Freifeld stated, “It is with great pride that after dedicating 30 years of professional service to this industry, with over half of that time at Nexstar and the WJET-TV family, that I am prepared to accept this promotion. I am grateful to expand my service to this exceptional community that my family and I call home, and where many close business contacts and personal friends reside. WJET, WFXP and YourErie.com have proudly led the way in providing outstanding broadcast and digital content to this community and I look forward to working with the dedicated team of professionals to expand local content and innovation and offer new services to our viewers and advertisers.”
Mr. Freifeld earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing and Business Administration from the University of Houston in Texas.
Steve Freifeld and his wife Renee reside in Erie, Pennsylvania. They have three grown children and three small grandchildren.
About Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Inc.
Nexstar Broadcasting Group is a leading diversified media company that leverages localism to bring new services and value to consumers and advertisers through its traditional media, digital and mobile media platforms. Nexstar owns, operates, programs or provides sales and other services to 107 television stations and related digital multicast signals reaching 58 markets or approximately 18.0% of all U.S. television households. Nexstar’s portfolio includes affiliates of NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, MyNetworkTV, The CW, Telemundo, Bounce TV, Me-TV, LATV, RTV, Estrella, This TV, Weather Nation Utah, Movies!, and News/Weather. Nexstar’s community portal websites offer additional hyper-local content and verticals for consumers and advertisers, allowing audiences to choose where, when and how they access content while creating new revenue opportunities.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release includes forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about future events. Forward-looking statements include information preceded by, followed by, or that includes the words “guidance,” “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “could,” or similar expressions. For these statements, the Company claims the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release, concerning, among other things, changes in net revenue, cash flow and operating expenses, involve risks and uncertainties, and are subject to change based on various important factors, including the impact of changes in national and regional economies, our ability to service and refinance our outstanding debt, successful integration of acquired television stations (including achievement of synergies and cost reductions), pricing fluctuations in local and national advertising, future regulatory actions and conditions in the television stations’ operating areas, competition from others in the broadcast television markets served by the Company, volatility in programming costs, the effects of governmental regulation of broadcasting, industry consolidation, technological developments and major world news events. Unless required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking events discussed in this news release might not occur. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. For more details on factors that could affect these expectations, please see our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Contact:
Theresa Underwood
SVP/Regional Manager
Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Inc.
315/446-9999 or TUnderwood@nexstar.tv
Joseph Jaffoni, Jennifer Neuman
JCIR
212/835-8500 or nxst@jcir.com
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