Despite being a self-described “patient man,” Nexstar Broadcasting CEO Perry Sook seems to be getting a bit antsy waiting for the FCC to approve his company’s acquisition of Media General.
Honored Thursday in New York for being named one of Library of American Broadcasting Foundation’s 2016 industry giants, Sook used the occassion to indicatedhe is ready to wrap up the deal and get on with things -- which includes Nexstar, whose new name will be Nexstar Media, becoming the second largest TV group in the country.
At the moment, though, the merger is stalled because the FCC said it wouldn’t act on it until the incentive auction is over -- which is at least a couple of months away. So far, the commission hasn’t budged despite the NAB and other groups calling on it to do so.
Related: NAB Asks FCC to Act on Nexstar/Media General
Once the deal is done, however, Sook said the new company will be more of a multiplatform company versus the traditional TV group he founded 20 years ago. “My job is to remind everyone that we are a local media business,” he said.
“We are in the business of creating and distributing local, relevant content,” he said. “And we help local businesses grow.”
Sook and Paul Karpowicz, president of Meredith Local Media Group, were the two local broadcasters among the library foundation’s 2016 Giants of Broadcasting. The others included network notables such as NBC’s Tom Brokaw and Dick Ebersol.
Related: Nexstar on Track to Meet $100M Political Goal
Karpowicz reaffirmed his belief in the viability of local broadcasting. “A business model with public service as its foundation is a business that can last a very long time,” he said.
This is not the first time Sook and Karpowicz have been recognized for their industry endeavors. Both men are Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame inductees.
