Tegna Spins Off Cars.com; Lougee New CEO

Tegna Inc. today completed the previously announced spin-off of Cars.com, creating two publicly traded companies: Tegna, an innovative media company with the largest broadcast group among major network affiliates in the top 25 markets; and Cars.com, a digital automotive marketplace.

Tegna will continue trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol TGNA. Effective today, Cars.com will begin “regular way” trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol CARS.

Upon the completion of the spin-off, Dave Lougee, president of Tegna Media, was named president and CEO and joined Tegna’s board. Gracia Martore, president and CEO of Tegna, retired and stepped down from the board.

“I am incredibly honored and excited to become CEO of this great company,” said Lougee. “Gracia has meant so much to everyone at Tegna. She has been a mentor and partner for many years and her vision, leadership, integrity and drive have been crucial to our company’s transformation and success. I am committed to honoring her legacy and will continue to grow and strengthen Tegna as we move ahead as a standalone, industry-leading media company.”

Lougee added, “Thanks to the leadership of Gracia and the board, we have worked tirelessly over the past several years to transform our company. We are driven by our strongly-held values and our stated purpose to serve the greater good of our communities. Our intense focus on innovation, combined with our operational excellence, is helping us accelerate growth. We are also uniquely well-positioned to benefit from a changing regulatory environment. Our very strong balance sheet and significant scale allows us to be strategically opportunistic.”

The spin-off was effected through a pro rata distribution of all outstanding common shares of Cars.com to Tegna stockholders of record at the close of business on May 18. Stockholders retained their Tegna shares and received one share of Cars.com for every three shares of Tegna stock they owned.

Lougee also announced his executive leadership team. Joining him on the leadership team are Victoria Harker, EVP-CFO; Lynn Beall, EVP- COO of media operations; Anne Bentley, VP-chief communications officer; Ed Busby, SVP of strategy; Todd Mayman, EVP and chief legal and administrative officer; and Jeff Newman, SVP-chief human resources officer.

Marjorie Magner will continue as chairman of Tegna’s board. Jennifer Dulski, Howard D. Elias, Lidia Fonseca, Scott K. McCune, Henry W. McGee, Susan Ness, Bruce P. Nolop and Neal Shapiro continue to serve as Tegna directors in addition to Lougee.

Prior to becoming president and CEO, Lougee was president of Tegna Media, where he oversaw Tegna’s 46 broadcast stations in 38 markets. Under Lougee’s leadership, the company’s broadcast portfolio doubled after the acquisitions of Belo Corp. and six London Broadcasting stations. Lougee was named president of Gannett Broadcasting in July 2007 and previously was EVP, media operations for Belo. At Belo, he also served as SVP; president and GM of TV and cable operations in Seattle-Tacoma; and news director at KING Seattle-Tacoma.

Before that, Lougee was VP, news at WRC Washington and VP-news director of KUSA Denver. Lougee received the 2017 Ward L. Quaal Leadership Award from the Broadcasters Foundation of America. In 2015, he was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame and in 2014, was awarded the First Amendment Leadership Award by RTDNF and the Broadcaster of the Year Award by Broadcasting & Cable.

Lougee also serves as joint board chairman of the NAB and chairman of the NBC Affiliates Board. He also serves on the board of directors of Broadcast Music Inc., the Broadcasters Foundation of America and is past chair of the Television Bureau of Advertising board of directors.

Greenhill & Co. acted as financial adviser on the spin-off transaction and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz acted as legal adviser.