Across a 17-year tenure at Nexstar Media Group, Brian Jones was instrumental in helping chart the expansion of the local television broadcasting operation. More recently, he was the person in charge of Nexstar Broadcasting’s local market digital offerings.
Now, Jones is stepping down, as he has announced his upcoming retirement from what is today the nation’s No. 1 owner of over-the-air TV stations.
Jones’ last day as EVP/COO at Nexstar Broadcasting, the subsidiary of Nexstar Media Group that wholly involves its TV station operation, is set for August 1.
It caps a four-decade career in broadcast media that saw Jones join Nexstar in 2003 as SVP/Regional Manager and take on EVP and co-COO duties in 2008.
Jones came to Nexstar from CBS-owned KTVT-11 and unaffiliated KTXA-TV in Dallas-Fort Worth, where he spent 7 years as VP/GM. He’s also been KTVT Station Manager and held various sales positions at the station. His previous roles includes sales roles at crosstown KXAS-5, the NBCU-owned station in Dallas, and in the newsroom at both KLBK-TV in Lubbock, Tex., and at KXAN-36 in Austin.
Outside of Nexstar, Jones has served as the Chairman of the FOX Affiliates Association Board of Governors and also served as Chairman of the Texas Association of Broadcasters Board of Directors. He is a member of the FOX Affiliates Association Board of Governors and the National Association of Broadcasters Small Market Advisory Committee.
Jones also served as a board member of the CBS Affiliates Association.
“Brian has had a great career during which he established a clear record of success which supported our long-term growth,” said Nexstar founder and Chairman/CEO Perry Sook. “On a personal level, I am thankful for his advice, candor, and leadership during the past 17 years and on behalf of the entire Nexstar Nation, we will miss him.”
Jones said that working with Sook and Nexstar Broadcasting President Tim Busch “has been a fulfilling 17-plus year journey” and that he is “very proud of the work our teams accomplished over that time.”
Jones continued, “Today, Nexstar is the nation’s leading local broadcaster, with a strong record of serving the communities and markets where it operates and local businesses that it supports with effective marketing solutions. I am very excited by the chance to take a step back and transition my responsibilities to the next generation of industry leaders while I spend more time with family and friends in retirement. Nexstar is well-positioned for long-term success and the continued creation of shareholder value and I wish the entire team well as they execute on their plans for continued growth.”
