After 40 years of leadership at a local television station serving Madison, Wisc., branded as “Channel 3000,” its VP and General Manager has decided to retire at the end of 2024. It marks the conclusion of what Morgan Murphy Media calls “a sweeping and successful career as a broadcasting executive, entrepreneur, interim executive and board member for major media, healthcare, digital, for-profit and non-profit organizations.”
This means Lyle Banks‘ successor at WISC-3 will soon be revealed by the company.
Banks arrived at WISC in October 2020, replacing Tom Keeler (now at the helm of KRCW-TV “Portland’s CW” and CBS affiliate KOIN-6 in Portland, Ore.), and was formerly VP/GM of what was then-known as WGCL-46, the CBS affiliate in Atlanta owned by Meredith Corp. that is today owned by Gray Media and carries the WANF call letters. Banks spent 2 1/2 years at the former WGCL and sibling WPCH-17. Before that, from April 2014-August 2017, Banks was shuttling between Chicago and Switzerland, serving as USA President of Lanterna Medical Technologies. This came after a 3 1/2-year role as President/CEO of ICStories Inc. — described as “a new technology start-up venture to generate breaking, digital video news and information that legacy media cannot cover.” Further, Banks from January 2004 until August 2013 served as Executive Director and Owner of the Idaho International Film Festival.
All of those experiences were built on a 12 1/2-year run as President/CEO of Banks Broadcasting, which owned and operated television stations KSCW-33 in Wichita and KNIN-TV in Boise, Idaho through a 50/50 partnership with LIN Television. KSCW was sold to Schurz Communications as a “failing station” in July 2007. It signed on under Banks in August 1999 as a WB Network affiliate, later migrating to The CW Network. KNIN is the FOX network affiliate for Idaho’s largest market. It was sold to Gray Television,in a deal that was first rejected in 2008 for its duopoly creation but later approved in 2009 by the FCC.
Station ownership came to Banks after serving as President/GM of NBC O&O WMAQ-5 in Chicago and a 12-year run prior to that at LIN TV. From 1990-1995 he was President/GM of WAVY-10 in Norfolk.
Why did Banks, with such a long history in TV, decide to take the job in Wisconsin’s state capital, one that would serve as his final role before retirement? At the time he joined WISC, he shared, “I’ve long admired Morgan Murphy Media for its unwavering commitment to serving local communities through top-rated news organizations, forward-leaning digital efforts and impactful community engagement. Its legacy of success is directly related to an engaged, talented and loyal team, at all levels, and I am thrilled to be part of this culture.”
Banks is also a past NAB television board member and has known Morgan Murphy President/CEO Elizabeth Murphy Burns for decades. “Lyle has been a friend for decades and it was so exciting to be able to work with him directly for the past four years” she said. “We wish him the very best in retirement.”
MMM EVP/COO Brian Burns added, “Joining our company in the middle of a pandemic and leading through that tumultuous time was not easy. It was clear from day one he cared deeply for our staff and company.”
Commenting on the conclusion of his career, Banks said, “Joining the company did not disappoint and I’ve met so many colleagues that I now consider friends for life.”
