John Cardenas New GM Of WBNS Columbus

Dispatch Broadcast Group-owned CBS affiliate WBNS Columbus, Ohio (DMA 32), today named John Cardenas president and general manager as well as VP of news for Dispatch Broadcast Group.

Cardenas will replace the retiring station president Tom Griesdorn on June 10 and returns to the station where Cardenas had been news director.

“John has done an outstanding job in both Indianapolis and Columbus over the past 14 years,” said Michael J. Fiorile, CEO-president of The Dispatch Printing Co. and vice chairman-CEO of Dispatch Broadcast Group. “His leadership, outstanding record of success and passion for journalism make him the perfect choice to take the reins of market-leader WBNS-TV. We are thrilled that John will be returning to Columbus where I’m sure he will build upon the market leadership of 10TV and will take the executive lead of our broadcast news operations in Columbus and Indianapolis.”

Cardenas, 48, joined the executive ranks of Dispatch Broadcast Group in 1999. He was news director at WBNS for 11 years. He was transferred to WTHR, the company’s NBC affiliate in Indianapolis, and the SkyTrak Weather Network in June of 2010 where he began as the station’s VP-GM before being named president last year.

Prior to working for Dispatch Broadcast Group, Cardenas was also news director at KPHO Phoenix (1996-99) and held other news management positions at stations in San Diego and Norfolk, Va.