Nexstar Media Group Names Larry Forsgren as Vice President and General Manager of its Broadcasting and Digital Operations in Champaign-Springfield, Illinois
Experienced Broadcasting and Sales Executive Will Lead WCIA-TV, WCIX-TV and WCIA.com
CHAMPAIGN, IL and IRVING, TX – Nexstar Media Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXST), has appointed Larry Forsgren as Vice President and General Manager of its broadcasting and digital operations in Champaign-Springfield, IL (DMA #90), including WCIA-TV (CBS), WCIX-TV (MyNet), WCIA.com and their related digital and social media channels. Mr. Forsgren will begin his duties immediately and report to Traci Wilkinson, Senior Vice President and Regional Manager for Nexstar Broadcasting.
Throughout his more than 25-year career in broadcasting management and sales, Mr. Forsgren has consistently demonstrated the ability to grow ratings, revenue, and profitability, as well as build highly effective sales teams and forge deep relationships with the community. Mr. Forsgren is very familiar with Nexstar and its station group, having worked previously as sales director for WMBD-TV and WYZZ-TV, the Nexstar television stations serving Peoria, Illinois (DMA #123). He joins Nexstar from KMTV-TV in Omaha, Nebraska (DMA# 72), where he most recently was Vice President and General Manager, responsible for long-term strategy and all aspects of the station’s day-to-day operations.
During his tenure at KMTV-TV, Mr. Forsgren and his team expanded local content and the reach of the station’s newscasts, identifying and developing new streams of revenue, sponsorship opportunities, and maintaining customer relationships. Under his leadership, KMTV-TV launched a new half-hour weekday newscast at Noon and expanded the weekend evening 10 p.m. newscast to a full hour. Mr. Forsgren was also responsible for establishing KMTV-TV’s partnership with the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs and for securing the broadcast rights to the team’s pre-season football games. He reorganized the station’s sales team, developing a number of cross-platform advertising solutions for clients, growing year-over-year advertising revenue significantly, and recording record revenue during the 2021 Super Bowl. KMTV-TV also experienced substantial digital growth under Mr. Forsgren, more than tripling page views to the station’s website. Mr. Forsgren also was instrumental in deepening KMTV-TV’s commitment to the Omaha community by working with a variety or non-profit organizations including Heartland Hope Mission, the American Heart Association and the Alzheimer’s Association.
Prior to leading KMTV-TV as Vice President and General Manager, Mr. Forsgren served as Director of Sales for the station, and before that, he served in leadership positions of increasing responsibility at television stations in Omaha, Madison, Wisconsin, and Yakima, Washington.
“Larry is an ideal choice to lead Nexstar’s Champaign-Springfield operations,” said Ms. Wilkinson. “He’s demonstrated the ability to build strong relationships within the community, and understands the importance of connecting with viewers by developing unique local content. Larry’s leadership has proven to deliver exceptional ratings and sales results through unique local partnerships and superior customer service. I am looking forward to working with Larry as he assumes leadership of WCIA-TV, WCIX-TV and WCIA.com, and expect success in the days and months ahead.”
Commenting on his appointment, Mr. Forsgren said: “I am grateful to Nexstar for the opportunity to re-join the company and excited to be leading the talented and experienced teams at WCIA-TV, WCIX-TV and WCIA.com. These stations have a legacy of outstanding broadcast and digital journalism built over more than 60 years of service to the Champaign-Springfield community and Central Illinois. In addition, the combination of Nexstar’s commitment to hyper-local content and the unique and innovative cross-platform advertising solutions we can offer delivers a distinct advantage for our viewers and clients. I am confident that my experience has prepared me well to take on this new role.”
Mr. Forsgren has been deeply involved in the communities in which he has worked and lived throughout his career, serving on the Board of Directors of the Nebraska Broadcasters Association, as a trustee for the Business Ethic Alliance in Omaha, and as a member of the Marketing Committee of the Omaha Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Forsgren graduated from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. He and his wife, Peggy, have been married for 19 years and they will be relocating to the Champaign-Springfield area immediately.
About Nexstar Media Group, Inc.
Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: NXST) 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. Its wholly owned operating subsidiary, Nexstar Media Inc., consists of three divisions: Broadcasting, Digital, and Networks. The Broadcasting Division operates, programs, or provides sales and other services to 199 television stations and related digital multicast signals reaching 116 markets or approximately 39% of all U.S. television households (reflecting the FCC’s UHF discount). The division’s portfolio includes primary affiliates of NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, MyNetworkTV and The CW. The Digital Division operates 120 local websites and 284 mobile apps offering hyper-local content and verticals for consumers and advertisers, allowing audiences to choose where, when and how they access content and creating new revenue opportunities for the company. The Networks Division operates NewsNation, formerly WGN America, a national news and entertainment cable network reaching 75 million television homes, multicast networks Antenna TV and Rewind TV, and WGN Radio in Chicago. Nexstar also owns a 31.3% ownership stake in TV Food Network, a top tier cable asset. For more information, please visit www.nexstar.tv.
Media Contact:
Gary Weitman
EVP & Chief Communication Officer
Nexstar Media Group, Inc.
972/373-8800 or gweitman@nexstar.tv
Investor Contact:
Joseph Jaffoni or Jennifer Neuman
JCIR
212/835-8500 or nxst@jcir.com
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