Fox’s Abernethy Named Broadcaster of the Year

Jack Abernethy, Fox Television Stations CEO, will be named Broadcaster of the Year at the TVB Forward conference in New York Sept. 27. The event happens at Chelsea Piers. Mark Robichaux, editorial director of B&C and Multichannel News, will present the award.

Abernethy oversees 28 TV stations in the nation’s largest markets, covering 37% of U.S. television homes. The stations include WNYW New York, KTTV Los Angeles and WFLD Chicago.

“Jack Abernethy is a pillar in the local TV community, tirelessly pushing the Fox station group to further its relationship with viewers in its markets, and setting standards that other groups can emulate,” said Robichaux. “We are proud to single him out as our Broadcaster of the Year.”

Abernethy took over the Fox station group in 2004. He was also co-president of Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network from 2016 to May of 2018, overseeing business components of both networks, including finance, advertising sales, legal and distribution. He was executive VP of Fox News from 1996 to 2004, helping launch the cable network.

Prior to joining Fox, Abernethy spent 15 years at NBC, working on both the station group and CNBC.

He was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame in 2012.

Jordan Wertlieb, president of Hearst Television, was the 2017 Broadcaster of the Year.

Michael Malone

Michael Malone is content director at B+C and Multichannel News. He joined B+C in 2005 and has covered network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television, including writing the "Local News Close-Up" market profiles. He also hosted the podcasts "Busted Pilot" and "Series Business." His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The L.A. Times, The Boston Globe and New York magazine.