Gray Promotes Robby Thomas, Valerie Russell to General Manager

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Station in Columbia, S.C., and Dothan, Ala., get new leaders

Robby Thomas Valerie Russell GM Gray Television
Robby Thomas (l.) and Valerie Russell (Image credit: Gray Television)

Gray Television said it named Robby Thomas as general manager of WIS Columbia, South Carolina, and Valerie Russell as general manager of the company’s stations in Dothan, Alabama, WTVY and WRGX, effective February 13.

Thomas had been GM at WTVY and WRGX for the past three years. He’s been in the business for 19 years, starting as a broadcast journalist.

Thomas succeeds Lyle Schultze, who is no longer with the company.

Russell succeeds Thomas at WIS. For the past two years, she’s been the station’s general sales manager. Under her, the station posted records for local direct business and digital revenue, Gray said. 

Russell began her career as a morning show producer at WOLO Columbia.  ■

Jon Lafayette
Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.