Curran Succeeding Bartelt At Cox In Orlando

Cox Media Group today announced the retirement of Shawn Bartelt, the VP-GM of its duopoly WFTV (ABC)-WRDQ (ind.) Orlando, Fla. (DMA 18), after 15 years with Cox Media Group, effective June 19. With Bartelt’s retirement, CMG is promoting CMG VP of sales Paul Curran to succeed her.

“We will miss Shawn’s leadership, insights, experience, and energy and wish her the utmost success in her future adventures,” said CMG EVP of TV Jane Williams. “Shawn has enjoyed an impressive decades-long broadcast career and has been tireless force in the Orlando community, endearing Orlando to WFTV-WRDQ.” 

Bartelt’s career began in television news at WWSB Sarasota, Fla., and WMBB Panama City, Fla., as a reporter and weekend anchor. In the mid-1980s, she moved into sales, first in local cable and then back to WWSB as an account executive and later national sales manager.

Other career highlights include being national sales manager of WESH Orlando and WTOG Tampa and general sales manager of WPBF West Palm Beach, Fla. In 2000, she joined Cox at WSOC-WAXN Charlotte, N.C., as director of sales. She was promoted to VP-GM for WFTV and WRDQ in 2006.

“CMG is thrilled to tap a great internal talent like Paul Curran to fill the critical leadership position at WFTV-WRDQ,” added Williams. “He is a proven leader and will build on Shawn’s and the CMG Orlando leadership team’s success to take the stations to the next level of success.”      

Prior to his new role, Curran has been CMG’s VP of sales since May 2011 where he has strategically managed and overseen all sales revenue across CMG TV, fadio, newspaper and Valpak properties. His other career highlights include GSM for CMG Pittsburgh, including WPXI, the Pittsburgh Cable News Channel, WPXI.com and Retro Television Network.

He joined Cox as an account executive at KTVU San Francisco in 1995 after working as an account executive for Blair Television in San Francisco. He became national sales manager in 2001 and was promoted to local sales manager in 2003. Curran’s broadcasting career began as an account executive at KSBW Monterey-Salinas, Calif.

“It is an honor to be entrusted with leading CMG’s two Orlando television stations WFTV and WRDQ,” said Curran.