Tribune Broadcasting Chairman Nils Larsen has been named CEO of broadcasting at Tribune, replacing Jerry Kersting. Tribune says Kersting's position, which was president, has been eliminated. Larsen starts immediately, with oversight of Tribune's 23 stations, along with WGN America and WGN Radio.
Earlier this month, Tribune named Eddy Hartenstein, former chief executive officer at DirecTV, as its CEO.
"Nils is the right person to lead our broadcasting operations," said Hartenstein. "He's thoughtful, creative, and has the vision necessary to maximize the effectiveness of the group."
Larsen has served as chairman of Tribune Broadcasting since October, 2010, and he continues to serve as chief investment officer of Tribune Company. He joined the company in 2008.
"Our broadcasting operations are led by gifted people, who know their customers and local communities very well," said Larsen. "We've been expanding local news, developing new original programming and making smart decisions with our syndicated programming, which is driving ratings and resonating with advertisers. We have momentum and there's a lot more opportunity ahead."
Tribune entered bankruptcy protection late in 2008, and has yet to emerge.
In a memo to employees, Hartenstein thanked Kersting for his service, and said Tribune is enjoying a strong 2011. "Through April, both revenue and cash flow are up significantly over the same time period last year," he said. "The investments we've made in expanding local news, developing new programming, and revamping the prime-time line-up of WGN America are delivering results."
