In an apparent effort to emphasize the unique value of the company’s TV stations, newly appointed NBC station group president Valari Staab is rebranding her division as NBC Owned Television Stations.
“This new name serves as a reminder to all of us that this division is first and foremost defined by 10 great television stations serving 10 very dynamic and diverse communities,” Staab told employees in a memo obtained by Broadcasting & Cable. “We are no longer referring to our stations as ‘owned and operated’ because while the stations are owned by NBC, they are operated by the local management team of each station. Our markets are separate and distinct, and the people running the stations are in the best position to serve the needs of their communities each and every day.”
The new name is a departure from the inclusive multi-screen thinking of Staab’s predecessor John Wallace, who changed the unit’s name to “NBC Local Media” in 2007. Despite the TV-centric name change, though, Staab says that the division will remain “committed to continuing our focus on distributing the content we produce across multiple platforms to connect with our audience wherever they want us, whenever they want us and however they want us.”