Melissa Stacy To Head Nexstar Local Content

Nexstar Media Group today named Melissa Stacy director of local content development, responsible for overseeing the execution and expansion of the company’s local broadcast and digital content and viewer engagement initiatives.

Since 2014, Stacy has been the assistant news director at WFLA Tampa, Fla. The appointment is effective immediately and she will report to Blake Russell, SVP, station operations and content development of Nexstar Media Group.

In her new role, Stacy will work across the Nexstar organization and with other corporate personnel, general managers, news directors and creative services teams on brand development, local content leadership and “excellence in viewer/client experience and service.”

In addition, Nexstar said, she will be responsible for executing and monitoring action plans aimed at achieving corporate and regional business objectives, growing ratings and revenue share and improving audience interaction and engagement with Nexstar’s broadcast, digital and mobile media platforms.

Prior to Nexstar, Stacy spent 17 years at Media General (which this month merged with Nexstar), where she was oversaw multiplatform local news programming, production and service. She joined Media General in 1999, serving as assistant news director for WSLS Roanoke, Va. In 2004, she was promoted to news director at WNCT Greenville, N.C. She returned to WSLS in 2007 where she effectively served as news director for seven years before being promoted to her most recent role as assistant news director of WFLA in 2014.

Russell commented on the appointment: “As the nation’s largest local media group, Nexstar has cultivated an organization-wide commitment to providing unique local content that is relevant to each of the communities it serves, while offering local businesses, advertisers and brands the ability to engage and connect with local audiences. With Nexstar’s acquisition of Media General, an additional director of local content development was necessary to oversee our expanded local television portfolio and to maintain our industry-wide reputation of delivering exceptional local programming and service.

“Melissa brings to her new position a deep understanding of local news programming and production, digital and social media integration, content monetization and strategic planning and brand positioning across multiple media platforms.”