Ezra Kucharz has been named
president of CBS Local Digital Media. He's responsible for "conceiving
and executing the company's local online media strategy utilizing the combined
assets and digital operations of CBS's 29 television stations and CBS Radio's
36 news, sports and talk stations," CBS said in a statement.
Kucharz starts Feb. 16. He comes from FiLife.com, an IAC and Dow Jones
personal finance joint venture, where he was president and general manager of
the financial question and answer platform.
"CBS has a tremendous opportunity
to create a next generation local marketplace," said CBS Local Media COO Anton
Guitano. "We have an unparalleled collection of major-market television
and radio broadcast outlets, and a host of other resources across the
corporation, to ensure that this initiative is a success. Working
alongside Peter Dunn, Dan Mason and myself, we are confident that Ezra will
give our new, combined Local Media business an online platform that will be
top-of-mind for our audience and a valuable, targeted vehicle for our clients."
CBS has been rampingup its local operations the last few months, with local TV, radio and Web
working closer in a given market. In November, Peter Dunn was named president
of CBS Television Stations and Guitano was elevated to his post. Dan Mason is
the CBS Radio president/CEO.
Kucharz's previous jobs included
stints at iVillage, the United States Tennis Association and NASA, where he
worked in the space shuttle and space station medical operations departments
after graduating college.
