Robert Bee, director of sales at WTAE Pittsburgh, has been named vice president and general manager at WBRE Wilkes Barre-Scranton. Bee will also oversee Mission Broadcasting's WYOU, which Nexstar operates under a joint operating agreement. He starts Jan. 20 and will report to Tim Busch, executive VP and COO at Nexstar.
Bee replaces Lou Abitabilo, who is retiring.
Bee has been WTAE's sales chief since 2003. Prior to that, he was general sales manager WGAL Harrisburg and WXIX Cincinnati, among others.
"Bob has a long-term record of generating exceptional results through his experience and leadership," said Busch. "He brings to his new position an impressive background in all aspects of our business, having led teams that delivered compelling and effective marketing solutions for local and national advertisers."
Busch singled out Abitabilo for his efforts in Wilkes Barre-Scranton. "We thank Lou Abitabilo for his many contributions to Nexstar Broadcasting during his five year tenure, a period during which we successfully launched our community portal strategy and Pahomepage.com," he said. "We wish Lou the very best in his retirement."
Bee serves or has served the boards of trade and franchise associations for ABC and Fox, among others.
"Nexstar's commitment to serving local communities has remained a core strategy across the organization," Bee said. "We will continue to build on that commitment by delivering unique and compelling programming and outstanding marketing solutions across multiple platforms, while developing strong relationships with local businesses and community organizations."
