Dunn to Run CBS Station Group
WCBS president promoted, Tom Kane departs
By Michael Malone -- Broadcasting & Cable, 11/9/2009 11:41:09 AM
WCBS New York President/General Manager Peter Dunn has been named president of CBS Television Stations, with oversight of the 29-station portfolio. He will report to CBS Corp. President/CEO Leslie Moonves and will retain his current title at WCBS.Current station group president/CEO Tom Kane is exiting his post.
"Peter has been a terrific leader in every role he's had at our station group, from president of sales to running two of our biggest stations," said Moonves. "He knows how to deliver results and inspire the best work from his people, and knows the local marketplace as well as anyone. He's well practiced in working hand in hand with our other local assets in New York, a practice I look forward to him extending to other markets around the country. With the operating environment continuing to improve every week, I look forward to all Peter will do to help our leading major markets across the country capitalize on the recovery."
Dunn has garnered attention for ratings gains at the CBS flagship, and for generating local business by retooling the station's creative services department to pre-produce spots for prospective advertisers that typically had not advertised on television before. That "Print to Motion" campaign has been utilized elsewhere in the CBS group.
The new group president says he'll spend the coming months visiting the various CBS-owned stations, and will work to push stations' best practices throughout the group. "My job right now is to make sure there's a smooth transition," he said. "I'll meet with the various general managers and department heads and we'll go through their plans for 2010 to make sure we're well-positioned."
Dunn was a regular at the CBS Broadcast Center in Manhattan as a child, as his father John was an engineer both for WCBS and for the network.
Moonves credits Kane for guiding the group through a brutal economic period. "Tom has navigated our stations through the roughest economy we've known, and he has done so with a sure and steady hand," said Moonves. "His many contributions have left us well-positioned for the economic turnaround that we are beginning to see. It's been a pleasure to work with him through his time here at CBS, and we all wish him well as he moves on to the next chapter."
Dunn was also quick to point out Kane's hard work over the years. "It's good to follow somebody like Tom," he said. "It makes my job easier."
Prior to taking over WCBS, Dunn was president of sales for CBS Television Stations, as well as president of its spot sales operations. Dunn previously was president/general manager of KYW and WPSG Philadelphia. Before coming to CBS, Dunn served as executive VP of sales and senior VP of sales and marketing for the NBC Television Stations Division.
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