Perry A. Sook

Perry A. Sook has over 43 years of professional experience in the television and radio broadcasting industries, covering all facets of the business, including ownership and M&A, management, sales, on-air talent, and news. He founded Nexstar in 1996 with one local television station in Scranton, PA, and began building the foundation of what became one of the world’s leading local marketing and content companies, leveraging localism to bring new services and value to consumers and advertisers across its traditional media, digital and mobile media platforms. Based in Irving, TX, Nexstar trades on NASDAQ under the symbol “NXST”.

Following its $7.1 billion acquisition of Tribune Media in 2019 and the $4.6 billion acquisition of Media General in 2017, Nexstar Media Group, Inc., became the largest local broadcast television operator in the United States, with 200 stations reaching 116 markets, reaching more than 220 million people, with annual revenue of nearly $5 billion.

The company owns NewsNation, the fastest-growing national cable news network in prime time, a 75% controlling interest in The CW Network, and 31% of The Food Network. As one of the nation’s leading providers of local news, entertainment, sports, lifestyle, and network programming, Nexstar produces and distributes more than 310,000 hours of original video content each year. The company’s portfolio of digital assets, including its local TV station websites, The Hill and NewsNationNow.com, are collectively a Top 10 U.S. digital news and information property.

Prior to Nexstar, Mr. Sook was one of the principals of Superior Communication Group, Inc., which was sold in 1995 to Sinclair Broadcast Group. Before Superior, Mr. Sook was President/CEO of Seaway Communication, Inc., owner of network affiliated stations in Bangor, ME and Wausau, WI. Before being recruited to run Seaway, he worked in the television industry as a General Sales Manager, acting General Manager and National Sales Manager. Mr. Sook previously spent five years with Cox Broadcasting, first in local sales in Pittsburgh, then at Telerep, Inc., as a National Account Executive. Early in his career, Mr. Sook was involved in local TV sales and radio sales. Mr. Sook also worked briefly as a television news anchor at the CBS affiliate in Clarksburg, WV.

In June 2023, Mr. Sook was elected Chairman of the Joint Board of Directors of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB). He previously served as Television Board chair for the NAB beginning June 2021. He serves on the Board of Directors of Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), the Board of the Broadcasters Foundation of America. Mr. Sook was previously a member of the Board of Directors of the Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB), where he also served as Chairman. He is past Chairman of the CBS Affiliate Board.

Mr. Sook was named the 2009 Broadcaster of the Year by Broadcasting and Cable (B&C) and was among the honorees inducted into the B&C Hall of Fame in 2014. He was inducted to The Library of American Broadcasting Foundation’s 2016 Giants of Broadcasting and Electronic Arts and received The Media Institute’s 2016 American Horizon Award, recognizing his leadership, promoting the vitality and independence of American media.

Mr. Sook did his undergraduate work at Ohio University in Athens, OH and was an adjunct professor at Edinboro State University of Pennsylvania.

He and his wife Sandra have three children: Laura, Victoria and Perry, Jr. They reside in Flower Mound, TX.