Jay Howell has been named vice president and general manager of Nexstar’s Las Vegas operations including CBS affiliate KLAS, 8Newsnow.com and their related digital and social media channels.
Matthew Rosenfeld, senior vice president and regional manager for the broadcasting division of Nexstar Media Inc., said he is looking forward to working with Howell and that he expects “much success in the future.”
“Jay is an ideal choice to lead Nexstar’s Las Vegas media businesses,” said Rosenfeld. “He is a proven leader with an unmatched depth of experience who understands the expectations of viewers, advertisers and marketers. He’s thoughtful, innovative and will be dedicated to delivering outstanding local content and service to the greater Las Vegas area. His ability to deliver exceptional ratings and sales results through unique local partnerships and superior customer service will serve him and the team at KLAS-TV very well.”
Howell most recently served as the president and general manager of KCBS-KCAL in Los Angeles.
He started his career as an executive in broadcast management in 2001, when he was appointed vp and gm of WPRI (CBS) and WNAC (FOX) in Providence, R.I., which was owned by LIN Television at the time. In 2012, he was promoted to regional vp for LIN, overseeing the operations of 13 television stations in seven markets across the country, including Providence, New Haven, Conn., Norfolk, Va. and Dayton, Ohio.
Howell then worked as vp of Broadcast Markets for Media General, following the company’s acquisition of LIN Media in 2015. In this position, Mr. Howell was responsible for overseeing more than 26 television stations from Providence to Honolulu, Hawaii. He also helped execute station and revenue generation strategies with senior management and oversaw Media General’s interaction with the CBS and CW networks.
“I am deeply grateful to Nexstar for giving me the unique opportunity to lead the company’s Las Vegas broadcast and digital operations. As the legacy news brand in the market and an important broadcast partner of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders, KLAS-TV has a strong foundation on which to build future growth,” said Howell. “In addition, when you combine Nexstar’s commitment to hyper-local content and the unique and innovative cross-platform advertising solutions offered to its viewers and clients, the result gives us a distinct advantage over our competitors. I am excited by what lies ahead—and I am looking forward to deepening the presence of KLAS-TV and 8Newsnow.com in the communities we serve in Las Vegas and southern Nevada.”