The Washington Post Co.’s station group CEO will step down at the end of the year. He’ll be succeeded by WLS GM and Live Well Network creator Emily Barr, who joins the company in July.
Post-Newsweek’s Alan Frank To Retire
Alan Frank, president-CEO of Post-Newsweek Stations, the television broadcasting division of The Washington Post Co., announced Tuesday that he will retire from that position at the end of 2012. Emily L. Barr has been named to succeed Frank. She will join Post–Newsweek Stations in July.
Donald E. Graham, chairman-CEO of The Washington Post Co., said: “Alan Frank has been a key contributor to the company for more than 30 years and a brilliant head of Post-Newsweek Stations. He’s put together an exceptional team, led by six outstanding station managers. Since 2000, when Alan was named president and CEO of Post-Newsweek Stations, he has led our television broadcasting division through an era of excellence. Everyone at the Post Company will miss him.”
NAB President Gordon Smith commented on Alan Frank’s retirement announcement: “Alan Frank is one of broadcasting’s great ambassadors. He’s been a champion of free and local television for three decades, and his service to the NAB Board and other industry groups has been exemplary.”
Barr has been president and general manager of ABC O&O WLS Chicago since 1997. Barr also created Live Well Network, a 24/7 national digital network that is distributed to more than 60% of the country. She began developing Live Well Network in 2007 and has managed it since its launch in 2009.
From 1994 to 1997, Barr was president-GM of WTVD Raleigh, N.C. Previously, she had been assistant general manager and director of broadcast operations and programming at WMAR Baltimore. Barr began her career in television as a news editor at KSTP St. Paul-Minneapolis in 1980, and held increasingly responsible management positions there and later at WJLA Washington and at KHOU Houston. Barr received a BA in film studies from Carleton College and an MBA from George Washington University.
Frank joined Post–Newsweek Stations in 1979 as program manager for WDIV Detroit. In 1986, he became VP of programming and production for PNS. In 1988, he was named VP-GM of WDIV. During his tenure, he negotiated the purchase of Michigan’s regional cable sports system, which he supervised until it was sold to Fox Sports in 1997.
BRAND CONNECTIONS
Frank has served as chairman and/or on the executive committee of many national trade organizations, including the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB); the Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB); the Network Affiliated Station Alliance (NASA); the NBC and ABC affiliate associations’ boards of directors; Maximum Service Television (MSTV); the Open Mobile Video Coalition (OMVC); and the Broadcasters Foundation. He is also a member of the board of directors of Internet Broadcasting (IB). In 2005, Frank was named Broadcasting & Cable’s Broadcaster of the Year. This year, Frank will be inducted into the 2012 class of the Broadcasting Hall of Fame.
Comments (10)
Jay Miller says:
May 8, 2012 at 5:30 pm
Its interesting how this company does not promote from within!!!!! How good of a job has Frank really done if he has no successor from within. Is that not the mark of a great manager???
Karen Zabriski8e says:
May 8, 2012 at 6:17 pm
Could not agree more. That many years and no one comes up from within? What does that tell every GSM/CSD/News Director who has served PN of years or the more junior postions?
Bob Ksiazkiewicz says:
May 8, 2012 at 6:40 pm
With all due respect to Mr. Graham, not everyone at PNS will miss him…
John Misner says:
May 8, 2012 at 6:44 pm
Bring back Garwood!
Frank Jazzo says:
May 8, 2012 at 11:35 pm
Sometimes a company has the opportunity to upgrade, despite a strong bull pen. I.E. Dennis Swanson to Fox from NBC and ABC(WLS). Selecting a president from GM peers can cause multiple disruptions with the remaining the GMs. Hence, Emily Barr, and upgrade, an opportunity and a great choice.
Jeffrey Levine says:
May 9, 2012 at 9:20 am
Hopefully this will bring an end to the six-ring circus that Mr. Frank created. This change was way overdue!
alicia farmer says:
May 9, 2012 at 9:25 am
Alan Frank’s “good old boy” management philosophy worked well 30 years ago. The past 10 years – not so much.
Jay Miller says:
May 9, 2012 at 10:36 am
With the exception of KSAT, which was built into a great station by a man named Jim Joslyn, who has retired, all of the other PN stations are either second or third or worse in their respective markets, so this guy is not the be all end all like some would like you to believe!!! Also he ovesaw the complete collapse of a once strong station KPRC in Houston
Liz Jara says:
May 9, 2012 at 11:33 am
Alan is an egotistical dictator that makes major moves on a whim. Under Frank’s rule PNS led the country in one thing…upper management turnover. Look at the tenure of his management staff…incredibly short. 5 of the 6 stations in the group have new GM’s in the past 3 years. If you go a layer deeper, the turnover of his Dept Head’s are staggering. Emily Barr will be a huge upgrade for this group…at least he got that right.
Jay Miller says:
May 9, 2012 at 11:40 am
Did he really retire???? That is the real question. Only he and Donald Graham know for sure!!!