New Nexstar GMs in Baton Rouge, Lubbock

Nexstar Broadcasting Group today named Eric Thomas vice president and general manager of its WGMB (Fox), WBRL (CW) and associated digital services in Baton Rouge, La. (DMA 93). In his new role, he will also oversee Nexstar’s joint operating agreement with White Knight Broadcasting’s WVLA (NBC) and KZUP (ind.).

Since 2013, Thomas has been VP-GM of KLBK Lubbock, Texas (DMA 145), where he was responsible for overseeing Nexstar’s joint operating agreement with Mission Broadcasting’s KAMC.

Thomas will assume his new responsibilities immediately and report to Brian Jones, EVP and Co-COO of Nexstar Broadcasting.

Succeeding him in Lubbock is Cindy Gilstrap, who has been director of sales there since 2012.

From 2007 to 2013 Thomas was VP-GM of KTAB and KRBC Abilene, Texas. He is a two-time recipient of the Texas Association of Broadcasters’ Bonner McClain Public Service Award for outstanding service to the local community over the course of his four years at the stations.

Prior to Abilene, from 2003 to 2007 he was general sales manager of KAMC and KLBK Lubbock, where.

Earlier in his career, he was general sales manager of KTAB from 2000 to 2003.

Thomas began his broadcasting career in 1993 where he held account executive roles at KAMC and KLBK Lubbock; prior to that he was in the newspaper industry.

Thomas earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in advertising from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas.

Gilstrap joined Nexstar in 2002 as local sales manager of KLBK, where she directed local sales teams that consistently grew market share and outperformed revenue targets. She was promoted to director of sales of the station in 2012.

Prior to joining Nexstar, she worked at Raycom Media for 13 years in Lubbock as a local sales executive for KCBD. Earlier in her career, she held sales executive positions at radio stations KKCL-FM (formerly KVOQ) and KLLL-FM in Lubbock and at KJIN-AM in Houma, La.