He began his career in 1988 in the sales department of WTAE-4 in Pittsburgh and would go on to roles as a General Sales Manager and Director of Sales before earning his first President/GM post in 1994 at WZZM-13 in Grand Rapids.
Meet the new President/GM for TEGNA‘s CBS affiliate serving Columbus, Ohio — and the company’s lone radio stations.
Starting February 26, TEGNA’s WBNS-10 and Sports Talk twins WBNS-AM & FM will be led by Rick Rogala.
He’ll be responsible for overseeing the stations’ operations, as well as community outreach efforts and “driving results for advertisers.”
Rogala has most recently been the President/GM of WATN-TV and WLMT-TV in Memphis, TEGNA-owned ABC and The CW affiliates, respectively. He joined the stations at the end of 2019 after six years as the President/CEO of Bespoke Media Group in Little Rock.
Prior to that, Rogala served as a Nexstar Media Group Senior Vice President, with direct operational oversight of 12 markets. He earned the role in mid-2009 following a nearly two-year tenure as VP/GM of WCMH-4 in Columbus, Ohio, the market’s NBC affiliate.
Before that, Rogala was VP/GM of KARK-4 in Little Rock. He’s also led WXIN-TV & WTTV-TV in Indianapolis; WFLA-8 in Tampa; and WLWT-5 in Cincinnati.
“Rick is an established and experienced broadcast professional whose talent has been instrumental in enhancing multiple stations across various markets over the years,” said TEGNA SVP/Media Operations Larry Delia. “Rick’s unique blend of culture-building and strategic thinking has yielded strong results in Memphis. He is an excellent collaborator and community partner, capable of inspiring and motivating those around him. We are thrilled to welcome him to the storied brand of WBNS in Columbus.”
Rogala commented, “I am excited and honored to assume the role of president and general manager at WBNS-TV, a station with a rich legacy of serving the Columbus community. I’m excited for the station’s future and looking forward to leading our talented team in shaping that future. This includes fostering innovation, embracing the power of storytelling to inform, inspire, and connect with our audience in meaningful ways, and expanding our commitment to serving our community and customers with excellence.”
