ATLANTA — Bob Smith recently retired after a long career at Gray Television, serving as its Chief Operating Officer for the last decade. On May 22, RBR+TVBR learned that Gray’s four-year SVP of Local Media, who previously served as a Group VP for Raycom Media, is taking Smith’s post.
One day later, salary details for the new Gray COO were revealed by the publicly traded company.
Earning the promotion is Sandy Breland, who was lauded by Executive Chairman Hilton H. Howell. “Sandy has vast talents and experience in leading local news-focused operations that have earned her enormous respect within Gray and throughout our industry,” he said. “She is the natural choice to lead Gray’s unique portfolio of leading television stations, and we are thrilled to announce her promotion as our new Chief Operating Officer.”
WHAT’S HER SALARY?
According to an SEC filing, Breland will receive an annual base salary of $775,000, pro-rated from May 22, and will be eligible to receive a target annual cash incentive opportunity for fiscal year 2023 under the company’s annual non-equity incentive compensation program equal to 90% of her annual base salary, pro-rated from May 22.
Breland is also eligible for an annual equity award for fiscal year 2023 under the Gray Television 2022 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan with a grant date fair value equal to 180% of her annual base salary, pro-rated from May 22, with 50% of such award granted in restricted shares of the company’s common stock which vests ratably over a three-year period at the end of February in each respective year and 50% of such award granted in performance based shares of Gray’s common stock which can be earned in a range of 0% to 200% of the initial shares awarded, at the end of the three year period on February 28, 2026, based upon the average percent of target payout earned based on company performance under the annual non-equity incentive program in 2024, 2025 and 2026.
In addition, Breland has agreed to forfeit the pro-rated portion of her current annual incentive award granted to her for her role as Senior Vice President of Local Media, pro-rated from May 22.
FROM NOLA TO GRAY HQ
In her current role, Breland has overseen a portfolio of television stations and local digital platforms in 16 markets as well as Gray’s Washington, D.C. news bureau; its National Investigative Unit; and news support services for all of Gray’s markets. Last year, she assumed oversight of Recruiting and Gray’s new in-house News Research and Consulting operation. Breland also has oversight of “InvestigateTV,” a weekly program airing across Gray’s stations.
Sandy has over 30 years of experience in local broadcasting and has served as General Manager of WVUE-8, the FOX affiliate in New Orleans, and in a similar role at Baton Rouge-based WAFB-9 and WBXH-TV in Baton Rouge, both of which are Gray stations. Before that, she served as Executive News Director of KTVK-3 “Arizona’s Family” in Phoenix.
But, it is her leadership at WWL-TV during Hurricane Katrina that is perhaps what placed Breland on a national stage, as she was honored with both a Peabody and an Edward R. Murrow award for her planning and execution of storm coverage at the TV station.
