Nexstar Ups Alford To Broadcasting President

Nexstar Media Inc. on Monday announced the promotion of Andrew “Andy” Alford to president of broadcasting, assuming oversight responsibility for the long-term strategy and day-to-day operations of Nexstar’s 198 television stations across the country and their related digital properties.

He will begin his new duties on June 1 and report to Tom Carter, Nexstar President, COO-CFO. Alford is taking over from Tim Busch, who is retiring on May 31 after more than 20 years with Nexstar.

According to the company, over the course of his career, Alford “has consistently demonstrated the ability to grow revenue and profitability at the stations he has led by identifying new streams of revenue, cultivating new business, developing a variety of innovative cross-platform solutions for advertisers and marketers, creating sponsorship opportunities, establishing operational efficiencies, and deepening his ties to the local communities in which he has worked.”

He joined Nexstar in January 2017, following the company’s acquisition of Media General. He has served as senior vice president and regional manager for Nexstar’s Broadcasting Division since August 2017, overseeing the company’s television stations and digital properties in Chicago; Tampa, Fla.; Indianapolis, St. Louis and multiple stations in the Southeastern area of the United States.

“Andy is an accomplished leader who brings more than thirty years of experience in broadcast management, sales, local news, and programming to his new role at Nexstar,” Carter said. “He has achieved high levels of success throughout his career and has been instrumental in advancing Nexstar’s business objectives and sales leadership and has been responsible for overseeing a considerable number of markets with great success.

“Our strategy of appointing proven broadcast and digital media leaders with long-term records of delivering industry-leading innovation, distribution and core revenue growth, meticulous M&A integration and enterprise-wide cost management has been fundamental to our consistent ongoing success.

“Andy’s promotion to the executive management team reflects his outstanding performance and revenue results since he joined Nexstar. We are confident in Andy’s ability to further advance the growth of our Broadcast Division, while extending our legacy of delivering exceptional service to the local communities where we operate and value to our shareholders. We have strong operating teams and a transition plan in place that will benefit from Tim’s and the existing team’s support and will ensure Nexstar’s ongoing success.”

Prior to joining Nexstar, Alford was VP-GM of WFLA and WTTA, Media General’s NBC and MNT affiliates in the Tampa Bay, Fla., market. Before assuming that role, he was Media General’s VP of sales, where he was responsible for sales strategies and operations and developed several sales training programs deployed across the company’s station group.

He was also responsible for managing Media General’s business relationship with their national rep firms and worked on the transition team during corporate mergers and acquisitions. During and preceding his time as head of sales, Alford also was VP-GM of the company’s WTEN Albany, N.Y., and WXAA there under a shared services agreement with Shield Media.

“I am extremely grateful to Nexstar for giving me the opportunity to lead the nation’s largest broadcast station group,” Alford. “I’m fortunate to be working with a skillful and experienced management team dedicated to growing ratings, revenue and profitability, while providing outstanding journalism and serving the local communities in which we operate. I look forward to working with the incredible group of broadcast professionals that comprise the Nexstar Nation and I’m confident we will build on the solid foundation we have established to achieve even greater success.”

Before joining Media General, Alford spent seven years in roles of increasing responsibility at WGCL Atlanta, culminating in his appointment as VP-GM. During his career, Alford also has filled broadcast management roles in the Orlando, Fla.; Syracuse, N.Y.; and Rochester, N.Y.

Alford grew up in Rochester and began his television career in sales at WHEC there.