CBS’s David Poltrack To Retire In June 2019

David Poltrack, chief research officer and president, CBS Vision, announced today that, after a 50-year career in research at CBS, he will retire from the company on June 30, 2019.

Poltrack joined CBS in 1969. He was elevated several times before becoming chief research officer in 2005 and has served as one of CBS’s key executives for decades.

During the remaining months of his tenure as chief research officer and president, CBS Vision, Poltrack will focus on certain strategic projects for the company, reporting to Joe Ianniello, president and acting CEO of CBS Corp.

“Dave is a legend in the field of research and our business overall,” said Ianniello. “Back in 2014, Dave came forward and said he wanted to step aside in his 50th year at CBS. With today’s news, I am pleased to say he has reached this remarkable milestone … and what an extraordinary 50 years it’s been.”

Jo Ann Ross, president and chief advertising revenue officer of, CBS Corp., said: “I am grateful to Dave for his invaluable contributions to our sales efforts, as well as his undying passion for the media business and his commitment to innovation, and for always striving to get it right with the utmost integrity. Dave is a dear friend and confidant and the definition of a true gentleman and a scholar. His many years of loyalty, leadership and dedication are second to none, and his impact on CBS — and the industry as a whole — has been immeasurable. I look forward to working with him a bit longer before he retires in June.”

During this transition period, Poltrack will focus on research initiatives including media consumption and brand equity of broadcast networks in new media, as well as the long-term outlook for broadcast networks.

Moving forward, Radha Subramanyam, who was named EVP, chief research and analytics officer, CBS Television Network in November 2017, will be responsible for overseeing all research operations, including audience measurement, analytics, market research, program testing and advertising research for the company.

Ianniello continued: “As we look to the future, we are very fortunate to have Radha, one of our industry’s brightest minds in research and data analytics, help lead us towards accurate measurement of our entire audience across every platform, a business imperative. I am confident her extensive expertise will keep CBS at the forefront of innovation and advances in this critical area.”

As chief research officer, Poltrack has been responsible for all research operations at CBS encompassing audience measurement, market research, program testing, advertising research and monitoring of the national and international video marketplace. In 2001 he opened the innovative CBS Television City Research Center at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. This unique research center has been operating every day since then, providing CBS with ongoing consumer feedback on changes in media consumption, new technology adoption and viewing and engagement with the company’s programming.

Poltrack, a well-respected and decorated industry leader, is the former chairman of the board for the Advertising Research Foundation, and in 2015 he won its Erwin Ephron Demystification Award.

He is the only person to serve as chairman of the ARF two separate times, first from 1989-1991, followed by a second term from 2015-2017. In 2015 Poltrack won the IRTS Hall of Mentorship award.

This past summer Nielsen paid tribute to Poltrack by presenting him with the first-ever Nielsen Consumer 360 Leadership Appreciation Award at their annual Consumer 360 conference. The award, which was given to Poltrack to a standing ovation, recognized his longstanding and unwavering positive impact on the industry as a whole.

Poltrack also served as chairman of the executive committee of the Marketing Science Institute, and he currently is on its executive committee. In 2014 he was inducted into Broadcasting & Cable’s Hall of Fame. He is a past winner of the Hugh Malcolm Beville Jr. Award presented by the National Association of Broadcasters and the Broadcast Education Association in recognition of individuals who have made significant contributions to the design, use and/or understanding of broadcast audience research.

Poltrack is past chairman of the Media Rating Council where he was the recipient of the 50th Anniversary Foundational Award in 2012. He is also past president of the Market Research Council and, in 2009, was inducted into their Hall of Fame.

He has served as adjunct professor for the past 40 years, teaching graduate level courses at both NYU Stern School of Business and the Steinhardt School of Education. He has also taught at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business and was a visiting professor at the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business in Beijing, China.

In addition, he is author of Television Marketing: Network, Local, and Cable (McGraw-Hill), and his articles have been published in professional journals including the Journal of Advertising Research, the Journal of Psychology and Marketing and the European Broadcasting Union Review.

Poltrack is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame (B.A., magna cum laude, history) and New York University (M.B.A., marketing).