The E.W. Scripps Company has decided who will succeed Jeff Burnton, who will serve as the station manager and director of sales of its ABC affiliate in Phoenix until his retirement at the end of the year.
It’s an individual who has previously worked in the Valley of the Sun, as the local leader for Meredith before the sale of its TV stations.
Kevin James is joining Scripps as the station manager for KNXV, “ABC15” in Phoenix, effective December 2.
As station manager, he will lead day-to-day operations and serve as director of sales.
James comes to Scripps from CBS News and Stations’ KTVT-11 in Dallas and KTXA-21 in Fort Worth. There, he’s led the North Texas duo as VP of Sales since 2022.
In Phoenix, James was the senior vice president of revenue operations for Meredith Local Media Group and general manager for KTVK-3 and KPHO-5 — Meredith’s former Phoenix duopoly. In this role, he led revenue strategy for the 17-station group and also managed day-to-day operations for the Phoenix duopoly with a focus on digital content platforms. James was with Meredith for 16 years, progressing from sales leadership to executive leadership positions. RBR+TVBR honored James as a Top Local TV Leader while at Meredith.
He began his career with Sinclair Broadcast Group as a national sales manager.
“Kevin has proven himself as an adept local media executive who delivers results through both revenue and content strategies,” said Anita Helt, regional vice president and general manager at Scripps. “He has a deep understanding of the Phoenix market and has developed extensive business and community relationships here. We look forward to him continuing to advance ABC15’s work for our audiences and partners.”
James previously served on the boards of the Arizona Broadcasters Association, the Greater Phoenix Chamber and the endowment board of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
He is a graduate of the Leadership Foundation of Greater Las Vegas and the NAB Education Foundation executive development program.
