Nexstar Media Group Names Robert Raff Vice President and General Manager of Topeka, Kansas Television and Digital Operations

Accomplished Local Broadcast and Sales Management Executive Returns to Topeka to Lead KSNT-TV (NBC), KTMJ-TV (FOX) and KSNT.com

TOPEKA, Kansas and IRVING, Texas – Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXST) announced today that Robert Raff has been appointed as Vice President and General Manager of KSNT-TV (NBC), KTMJ-TV (FOX) and associated digital services, including KSNT.com serving Topeka, KS (DMA #135). In his new role, he will also oversee Nexstar’s relationship with Vaughan Media’s KTKA-TV (ABC) and MTKA-TV (CW) under a joint operating agreement. He will assume his new responsibilities immediately and report to Julie Pruett, Senior Vice President and Regional Manager of Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc.

Mr. Raff brings to his new role at Nexstar over three decades of broadcasting experience with expertise in station and sales management, local news programming, digital content development and strategic planning across multiple media platforms. He most recently served as Vice President and General Manager of the former WFXS-TV (FOX) in Wausau, WI (DMA #134), where he developed and led highly effective teams and implemented sales, marketing and digital initiatives that resulted in increased market share and profitability at the station. During his 16-year tenure at WFXS-TV, Mr. Raff spearheaded the launch of the station’s news programming, managing all aspects of local branding, creative development, news set construction and talent recruitment. In addition, the owner of WFXS-TV appointed Mr. Raff to oversee the financial and operational management of their second FOX-affiliated station, WVFX-TV in Clarksburg, WVA (DMA #169), where he introduced new sales training strategies that led to increased revenue and operational cash flow.

Prior to his tenure in Wausau, Mr. Raff served as General Manager of KTMJ-TV in Topeka for 14 years. Under his leadership, he negotiated KTMJ-TV’s network affiliation agreement with FOX and implemented innovative content strategies and provided strategic news and sales oversight that resulted in expanded audience reach and community engagement. Importantly, he led a complete re-branding of KTMJ-TV and refocused the news programming of the station to better address the needs and interests of the local community, resulting in new local client relationships and increased station profitability. Mr. Raff began his broadcasting career as a Station/Operations Manager in Minnesota where he was responsible for developing local programming and negotiating content partnerships with local sports franchises.

Commenting on the appointment, Julie Pruett stated, “Robert has an impressive broadcast television management career that spans over 30 years, including 14 years serving the local Topeka community. A well-respected leader with Kansas roots, his exceptional service and community involvement has been acknowledged by local viewers, businesses and public organizations throughout the Central United States. Importantly, he has a deep understanding of our critical functions focused on exclusive local content development for our viewers and digital users, as well as effective multi-platform marketing opportunities for local and national advertisers. In addition, he has a record of transforming operations and building successful sales teams that have established enduring partnerships with clients, while also achieving outstanding revenue results at the stations he has managed. We have the highest degree of confidence in Robert’s ability to continue enhancing the effectiveness and value of our broadcast, digital and mobile services in Topeka, Kansas where we welcome his return.”

Commenting on his new position, Robert Raff said, “Nexstar’s long-term success is a result of its deep commitment to the local communities it serves across the United States. I am excited to return to the wonderful Topeka community and reconnect with my personal friends and long-standing business relationships. In this new role, I will utilize the management experience and relationships built over my career to generate results and further strengthen the position of our Topeka television and digital operations. I look forward to working alongside the exceptional local media teams at KSNT-TV, KTMJ-TV and KSNT.com as we work to expand our local marketing solutions across multiple platforms for our advertising partners, while also building continued viewership growth through the delivery of enhanced local news content and entertainment programming for our local viewers.”

Mr. Raff is a graduate of Fredonia State University where he earned a B.A. in Broadcast Communications. He served as the Governance Council Chairperson of the Wausau Engineering and Global Leadership Academy Public Charter High School. He also served on the Board of Directors of North Central Technical College (NTC) Foundation. He is a graduate of Kansas Crossroads of Leadership and an active volunteer on behalf of various community and charitable organizations including the Boy Scouts of America.

Mr. Raff, his wife Debra, and their two sons will be immediately relocating to Topeka.

 

About Nexstar Media Group, Inc.
Nexstar Media 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 171 television stations and related digital multicast signals reaching 100 markets or approximately 39% of all U.S. television households. Nexstar’s portfolio includes primary affiliates of NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, MyNetworkTV and The CW. 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. For more information please visit www.nexstar.tv.

 

Forward-Looking Statements
This communication 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, Nexstar 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 communication, concerning, among other things, future financial performance, including 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, the ability to service and refinance our outstanding debt, successful integration of acquired television stations and digital businesses (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, volatility in programming costs, the effects of governmental regulation of broadcasting, industry consolidation, technological developments and major world news events. Nexstar undertakes 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 communication 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 Nexstar’s other filings with the SEC.

 

Contact:
Julie Pruett
SVP and Regional Manager
Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc.
972/373-8800

or

Joseph Jaffoni, Jennifer Neuman
JCIR
212/835-8500 or nxst@jcir.com

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