Fox Stations CFO Swanson to Retire

After a nearly three-decade career with Fox Television Stations, Betsy Swanson, the company’s CFO/EVP, will retire, it was announced today.

“I’m proud to have been a part of Fox from the early days when Mr. Murdoch began building the Fox stations group,” Swanson said in a statement.

“We started with only a handful of stations that were the launch pad of the Fox network and grew into the most innovative and successful station group in the country.  FTS has always been a dynamic place to work — filled with smart, dedicated people,” she said.

In a memo to staff, Fox Stations CEO Jack Abernethy said Swanson has been “an invaluable partner,” having played “an instrumental role” in making the station group a dynamic business.

In addition to overseeing the group’s finances, engineering, IT and benefits areas, Swanson led the successful execution of Fox Stations’ acquisition strategy, which has grown the business to now include seven duopolies in the top 10 markets, Abernethy said.  During her tenure, Swanson has also evolved the group’s operations in important ways, including the adoption of new technologies across the stations group, he said.

“Thanks to her leadership, FTS today is a stronger business and one better positioned to serve the communities in which we operate,” Abernethy said.