The FitzSimons File
By Staff -- Broadcasting & Cable, 4/14/2003
Current position: President and chief executive officer, Tribune Co., since Jan. 1, 2003
Born: June 26, 1950, Queens, N.Y.; grew up in Jackson Heights section of Queens (so where's the Noo Yawk accent?)
College: BA, political science, Fordham University, New York, 1972
First Media Job: Assistant buyer, Grey Advertising, New York, 1972-73.
The Rep Years: Peters, Griffin, Woodward (New York), Blair Television (New York), TeleRep (New York and Chicago), 1973-81
First station job: Director of sales and marketing, WVIT(TV) Hartford, Conn., 1981-82
First Tribune gig: Director of sales, WGN-TV Chicago, 1982
First station gm position: WGNO-TV New Orleans, 1984
Upward!: Named vice president of operations, Tribune Broadcasting in 1985, became vice president and general manager of flagship WGN-TV in 1987
Favorite NBA Player: Michael Jordan, who led the Chicago Bulls, and Trib's WGN-TV, to great glory in the late '80s and '90s
Riskiest move: Chucking Tribune's high-profit all-movie-and-sports prime time formula and partnering with The WB. But it all turned out okay, even without Buffy
He's committed: In addition to his day job, he is chairman of the Media Security and Reliability Council, which the FCC created in the wake of 9/11. He is also active on the boards of the Newspaper Association of America, the Television Operators Caucus, the McCormick Tribune Foundation and the Big Shoulders Fund. He serves as a member of the board of trustees for Northwestern University, the board of visitors for the Medill School of Journalism, and the board of Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry
