Nexstar Broadcasting has tapped Louis J. Abitabilo as the new VP and general manager of WBRE, the NBC affiliate in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Pa. Nexstar also operates CBS affiliate WYOU, for the closely associated Mission Broadcasting. He replaces John Dittmeier, who had resigned earlier.
Abitabilo served as VP and general sales manager and most recently as station manager and executive VP at rival WNEP, whose newscasts dominate the nation's 53rd largest market. But the ABC affiliate is owned by The New York Times Co., which announced in September that it is seeking buyers for its broadcast properties.
Previously Abitabilo was general sales manager for WNYW, the Fox-owned station in New York, and had been director of sales for WNBC, the New York flagship station for NBC.
WYOU made headlines last year when it announced it would begin airing a nightly "interactive" newscast at 6 p.m. It fared poorly in the most recent November sweeps.
