Ion Creates Political Sales Division

Ion Media Networks announced today that it is adding a political division to its sales team. Beginning Dec. 1, Robert Russo and William O’Shea will join Ion as vice presidents, political sales.

Russo and O’Shea will be responsible for selling air time for political advertising nationally for the Ion Television network and locally for its owned stations. Ion’s new sales division will sell by DMA, state, geographic region and total U.S broadcast network.  Russo will work in Ion’s New York office, while O’Shea will based in Washington. 

“Adding Rob’s and Bill’s 50 years’ worth of combined political and local sales experience starts the next chapter in Ion’s  sales expansion in the 2012 election year and beyond,” said Brandon Burgess, CEO, Ion Media Networks, in a statement. “As the nation’s largest independent station group, Ion offers a unique proposition for helping political advertisers reaching voters both nationally and locally very efficiently.”

Russo comes to Ion with nearly 28 years of experience in political, television and sports sales and marketing. Recently, Russo was senior vice president/director of marketing and sales at Katz Television Group, where he oversaw all new business development, digital sales and marketing for all of Katz’s market stations. Russo also is a professor of media and advertising at St. John’s University in New York. Previously, he held national and local sales positions with Group W Sports Marketing and Cablevision’s SportsChannel. Russo is a graduate of Catholic University, with a Bachelor of Arts in politics.

O’Shea joins Ion with 20 years’ experience in the industry, and recently over 12 years with Millennium Sales and Marketing as vice president/general manager. There, he was responsible for all sales and marketing efforts in the Washington, specifically for the company’s sales efforts to political agencies. Previously, he worked as a sales account executive, buyer and lobbyist. O’Shea holds a Bachelor of Arts in government from The American University.