Ray Schonbak, vice president and general manager of KSWB, has died of cancer.
Schonbak’s career stretched over five decades. Most recently he was the vice president and general manager of Tribune’s San Diego FOX affiliate.
After serving two combat tours in Vietnam as a member of the elite Green Beret’s Schonbak began his broadcasting career as an account executive at a station in Portland, ME.
Schonbak worked in sales management at KOA in Denver (now KCNC) and later served as GSM at WRGB in Albany, NY. He was also GM of WTCN (now KARE) in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN, and led the team that launched KDAF in Dallas, TX, which at the time was one of the first FOX affiliates in the country.
After forming Triad Communications, he worked as a broker buying and selling TV stations, served as group vice president for Benedek Broadcasting, worked for Koplar Communications, and led 16 FOX affiliated stations while serving as COO of Emmis Communications.
He is survived by his wife of 41 years Deborah. Schonbak was 70.