Savannah Smile: Hefner Earns DFW Role at Nexstar

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SAVANNAH, GA. — Nexstar Media Group has selected a company leader with more than 25 years of broadcast management and sales experience to serve as the new VP/GM of “The CW 33” in Dallas — KDAF-TV.


Taking the position is Marc Hefner, the four-year VP/GM of the NBC affiliate serving Georgia’s Coastal Empire, WSAV-3.

Before that, Hefner spent a decade as VP/GM of The CW Network affiliate serving Jacksonville, Fla., and Brunswick, Ga., WCWJ-TV.

Earlier in his career Hefner worked in sales positions at television stations in Kansas City and Nashville, respectively.

Traci Wilkinson, Nexstar’s broadcasting division SVP/Regional Manager,

“Marc’s familiarity with Nexstar and our broadcasting group will be a real advantage for him as he assumes his new role in Dallas, the country’s fifth largest market,” Wilkinson said. “Over the course of his career, he has consistently demonstrated the ability to significantly grow revenue and profitability by increasing existing advertising market share, identifying non-traditional accretive revenue streams, and developing a variety of innovative cross-platform marketing strategies and sponsorship opportunities. At both WCWJ-TV and
again at WSAV-TV, Marc grew ratings, revenue, and market share, and deepened the station’s relationship with the greater community.”

The growth at WSAV since 2017 is noteworthy, as Savannah is an extremely competitive media market. Here, Gray Television’s WTOC-11 has long dominant the television ratings. In recent years, the CBS affiliate’s competition has strengthened, with Dale Julin and the news team at Hearst Television’s WJCL-22 making significant ratings improvements alongside WSAV. Also in the mix: WTGS-28, the FOX affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group.

Commenting on his promotion and move to Dallas, Hefner said, “I am genuinely pleased to begin this new role and grateful to Nexstar for giving me the opportunity to manage its broadcasting and digital operations in Dallas. KDAF-TV and its related digital and social media channels are an integral part of the Dallas community and I am looking forward to expanding our audience on-air and on-line and to providing our advertisers with solutions specifically tailored to fit their unique needs. I can’t wait to get started.”

In Savannah, Hefner serves as Treasurer for United Way of the Coast Empire and is a member of the organization’s executive committee.


Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story showed the incorrect owner of WJCL-22 in Savannah, Ga. We regret the error.