Broadcasting & Cable examines a recent trend in general manager positions being filled by news directors…
General managers coming from news have long been a tiny minorityperhaps 10% in recent years by many estimates. The likelihood of a news directoror anyone outside of salesgetting promoted to general manager seems to have gotten even more remote in the last few years. With the bottom line under a giant spotlight, hiring managers are often iffy about putting anyone but a career numbers ace in the top spot. The increased presence of private equity in broadcasting, moreover, has heightened the focus on dollars and cents.
But many say theyre seeing that paradigm shift. With stations creating round-the-clock content on an array of platforms, some believe it makes more sense to have an experienced content producer as general manager. And with the business model clearly in need of a dramatic reset, a fresh perspective may be the best way to maximize station performance. Full article…