Thirty years ago, the largest broadcast television company in the United States didn’t exist.
It was not until June 1996, just four months after President Clinton signed the Telecommunications Act into law, that Nexstar Media Group acquired its very first television station. Since then, the company founded by Chairman/CEO Perry Sook went on a growth spurt. It acquired Quorum Broadcasting, as it moved ahead with an initial public offering of stock. In 2016, some 13 years later, Nexstar made a major move by acquiring Media General, creating one of the biggest owners of over-the-air TV stations in the nation.
The 2019 acquisition of Tribune Media pushed Nexstar to the top. That transaction brought to the executive leadership team an individual who had spent the previous 11 years at Tribune. It happens to be an Ohio native who devoted 15 years of his early career to the radio industry, rising to a top programming leader.
Today, Compton continues to hone his on-air scheduling prowess in a multitude of ways, playing a critical role across Nexstar’s broad spectrum of media assets. With a naturally youthful look and energetic personality, Compton, who turns 52 this year, exudes passion for broadcasting.
This passion for radio and television is featured in full in our just-released Radio + Television Business Report Spring 2026 magazine.
If you are a RBR+TVBR Member, you have full subscriber access and should have received a special e-mail at 1:30pm Eastern today. If not, please check your spam folder or email us to ensure you get your special preview digital copy.
Print copies will be available at the NAB Show Newsstand from April 19-22 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
