Friday, April 18, 2008

Tribune Broadcasting Names Group Vice Presidents

Tribune Company Promotes John Reardon and John Vitanovec

Vinnie Malcolm Appointed Vice President/General Manager of KTLA-TV

CHICAGO, March 16, 2004 -- Tribune Broadcasting, a division of Tribune Company (NYSE:TRB), today appointed John Reardon and John Vitanovec as group vice presidents, giving each executive oversight responsibilities for additional stations in the company’s television group. Reardon most recently served as a regional vice president and general manager of KTLA-TV (WB5), Los Angeles, and Vitanovec was a regional vice president and general manager of WGN-TV (WB9), Chicago. The promotions, effective immediately, were announced by Patrick Mullen, Tribune Broadcasting president.

"John Reardon and John Vitanovec are proven leaders who will guide Tribune’s 26 television stations to even greater success," said Mullen. "Each has demonstrated strong operational skills and has been highly successful in a variety of management roles at Tribune."

Reardon will be responsible for Tribune stations in Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, Denver, Sacramento, St. Louis, Portland and San Diego, as well as the company’s two-station clusters in Seattle and New Orleans. In addition, he will oversee the sales function for all Tribune television stations.

"Tribune’s station group is one of the strongest in the country," said Reardon. "I’m proud to be a part of it and look forward to the new challenges presented by this promotion."

Vitanovec will be responsible for Tribune stations in Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, Atlanta, Grand Rapids, Harrisburg and Albany, plus the company’s two-station clusters in Indianapolis and Hartford. He also will oversee management of Superstation WGN as well as creative services operations for the full station group.

"The keys to successful television stations remain great people, popular programs and creative promotions," said Vitanovec. "I’m excited to be working with our station general managers in pursuing excellence in these critical areas."

Vinnie Malcolm has been promoted to vice president/general manager at KTLA, effective immediately. He succeeds Reardon, who had led the station since 1996. As KTLA’s station manager since January 2002, Malcolm has overseen the sales, production, news, engineering and creative services departments, and developed the station’s strategic and operating plans.

About Reardon: John E. Reardon was named West Coast regional vice president in March 2001, responsible for KTLA-TV, Los Angeles; KCPQ/KTWB-TV, Seattle; KWGN-TV, Denver; KTXL-TV, Sacramento; KWBP-TV, Portland; and KSWB-TV, San Diego. Reardon was appointed vice president/general manager of KTLA in 1996 after serving as vice president/station manager since 1992. Before joining KTLA, Reardon was director/sales at WGN-TV, Chicago, from 1989 to 1992. He joined WGN in 1985 as an account executive, was promoted to regional sales manager in 1986, and became local sales manager in 1987.

About Vitanovec: John J. Vitanovec was named regional vice president in February 2003, adding to his role as vice president/general manager of WGN-TV, Chicago, which he assumed in 1999. As regional vice president, he held oversight responsibility for the operations of WXIN/WTTV-TV in Indianapolis, and WXMI-TV in Grand Rapids, Mich. From 1997 to 1999, Vitanovec was vice president/director of operations for Tribune Broadcasting, where he oversaw various corporate functions as well as Tribune’s West Central WB station group. The previous two years he was vice president/general manager of WLVI-TV, Boston. Prior to leading WLVI, Vitanovec held several management positions at WGN and Tribune Broadcasting. He joined Tribune in 1984.

About Malcolm: Vincent A. (Vinnie) Malcolm was named station manager of KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, in January 2002. He was appointed general sales manager at KTLA in 1998, responsible for the station’s sales and marketing functions, including local and national sales and research. He served four years as KTLA’s local sales manager after spending nine months as regional sales manager upon joining the station in 1994.

Tribune Broadcasting owns and operates 26 television stations concentrated in major markets and Superstation WGN on national cable. The group’s combined reach is more than 80 percent of U.S. television households. Tribune Broadcasting also includes Los Angeles-based Tribune Entertainment, a developer and distributor of first-run television programming for the Tribune station group and for national syndication; Chicago’s WGN-AM; and the Chicago Cubs baseball team. Investments include The WB Television Network (22% owned) and TV Food Network (31%).

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