NBC Local Media Acquires Marketing Outfit Skycastle Entertainment

Skycastle Previously Served as Primary Outside Sales, Marketing, Promotion Company for NBC-Owned Stations

By Michael Malone -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/5/2008 4:58:00 PM

NBC Local Media acquired the marketing and promotional assets of Skycastle Entertainment, and the new unit will “focus on developing and producing customized 360-degree marketing and promotional solutions for the group’s advertising partners.”

Skycastle was founded by former NBC employees Joseph Candido and David Warshawsky, who will continue to lead the division. They will report to WMAQ Chicago president and general manager Larry Wert.

Skycastle previously served as the primary outside sales, marketing and promotion company for the NBC-owned stations. It will remain headquartered at KNBC Los Angeles and will open offices at other NBC O&Os.

The acquisition represents another move by the NBC station group to recast itself as a multimedia presence in its markets.

“Our stations have worked closely with Skycastle for years, and their services were critical in terms of fulfilling some of our most important sales deals,” NBC Local Media president John Wallace said. “As our clients look for more integrated and custom marketing solutions, it only makes sense to bring this resource in-house and have a unit specifically dedicated to creating and executing these types of local multiplatform initiatives.”