Tampa-St. Petersburg ABC affiliate WFTS has dismissed general manager Rich Pegram, with station owner Scripps telling the Tampa Bay Times “Rich is no longer with the Scripps corporation.”
Pegram, 63, led WFTS Channel 28 as it surged in ratings in recent years. He joined WFTS after 26 years with top NBC affiliate WTHR in Indianapolis and CBS affiliate WTVR in Richmond, Va.
WFTS Channel 28 is owned and operated by E. W. Scripps Co., a media conglomerate that includes such properties as HGTV, the Food Network and various ABC and CBS affiliate TV stations. A recent spinoff contains the company’s daily and community newspapers.
Pegram had been GM at WFTS for seven years.