Nexstar Appoints Two GMs In Texas

Nexstar Broadcasting on Monday named two new general managers in Texas.

Mike Lee was promoted to vice president and general manager of its broadcast and digital operations in Waco-Temple-Bryan, Texas (DMA 82) —KWKT (Fox), KYLE (MyNetworkTV) and their associated digital and mobile operations, including EstrellaTV and fox44news.com.

He assumes his new responsibilities immediately and reports to Julie Pruett, Nexstar Broadcasting SVP and regional manager.

Lee brings more than 45 years of broadcast management, sales, and marketing experience to his new role. Since March 2017, he has been VP-GM of Nexstar’s ABC affiliate KMID Midland-Odessa, Texas (DMA 145).

During his tenure at KMID Lee and his team expanded service to the viewers of the greater Midland and Odessa communities in a variety of ways, including the launch of two new newscasts, First News @11 AM and a 30-minute newscast at 6 p.m., which have become the station’s highest rated shows in daytime and early evening. Lee helped create and deploy KMID’s multi-point “SkyTracker Weather Camera Network,” with live broadcast and online cameras in Midland, Odessa, and Big Spring, Texas.

The station also developed the “Storm Interceptor,” a state-of-the-art mobile weather lab equipped with live weather instrumentation.

Lee also developed innovations for “The Final Score,” an exclusive high school football highlight show featuring a live mobile sports desk from which to anchor Friday night football coverage.

A native of Texas, today’s announcement marks a homecoming for Lee, who was VP-GM of KXXV Waco for 11 years until 2016. Prior to joining KXXV, Lee held a series of sales positions at KFDA Amarillo, TX, rising through the ranks to become the station’s VP-GM in 1987. Lee began his broadcasting career at KFDA in 1971, while still in high school, serving in various roles in production and news.

Lee earned his degree in mass communications from Eastern New Mexico University.

Mark Garcia is succeeding Lee as VP-GM of KMID Midland-Odessa. He assumes his new duties immediately and also reports to Pruett.

Garcia brings nearly two decades of expertise in broadcast management, sales, and marketing to his new position, serving most recently as SVP and GM at Entravision Communications, where he was responsible for overseeing all aspects of the company’s television, radio and digital operations in McAllen, Texas, for KFXV-LD (Fox), KNVO (Univision), KTFV-CA (Unimas), and KCWT-CA (CW).

Prior to joining Entravision, Garcia served in a variety of sales positions of increasing responsibility, including sales director for KTSM El Paso, Texas, and national sales manager for Entravision’s Dallas-based media operations of 11 radio stations. He began his sales career at Southwest Golf, in El Paso, where he oversaw all aspects of sales, inventory and personnel.

Garcia graduated from the University of Texas/El Paso with degrees in both marketing and management.