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Tribune Broadcasting
Expands Duties of Chief Financial Officer Thomas D. Leach
CHICAGO, February 17, 2003 --
Tribune Broadcasting today announced that vice president and
chief financial officer Thomas D. Leach has expanded his responsibilities
to include news and broadcast operations. Effective immediately,
Cissy Baker, vice president/news and bureau chief of Tribune
Television’s Washington News Bureau, and Tonina Grisanti,
director/broadcast operations, will report to Leach. Leach will
also assume responsibility for the division’s Business
Systems Development group. Currently Leach directs group staff
activities for finance, planning and development for the company’s
television, radio and entertainment businesses.
"Tom’s managerial skills, his vast
knowledge of the broadcast industry, and his deep understanding
of our technical operations make him the ideal choice to take
on these additional duties," said Patrick Mullen, Tribune
Broadcasting president.
Leach joined Tribune in 1986 as a financial
analyst at WGN-TV, Chicago, and has served in strategic and
development roles since then, working on partnership investments
and acquisitions, strategic planning and development projects
for both Tribune Broadcasting and Tribune Company. Leach was
named chief financial officer for the broadcast group in 2001.
"It’s exciting to have the opportunity
to have an increased role in shaping our future strategies
in news and broadcast operations," said Leach. "Cissy
and Tonina are experienced leaders and I look forward to helping
guide their efforts in these important areas of the company."
A native of Joliet, Illinois, born January 16, 1961, Leach
holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and business
administration from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois.
He is a certified public accountant.
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Tribune Broadcasting owns and operates
24 television stations concentrated in major markets and Superstation
WGN on national cable. The acquisition of two additional stations,
KPLR-TV, St. Louis, and KWPB-TV, Portland, Ore., will be completed
in early 2003, pending regulatory approvals. The group’s
combined reach is more than 80 percent of U.S. television
households. Investment interests include The WB Television
Network (22%) and TV Food Network (31%). Los Angeles-based
Tribune Entertainment develops and distributes first-run television
programming for the Tribune station group and for national
syndication. Tribune Broadcasting also owns and operates Chicago’s
WGN-AM and the Chicago Cubs baseball team .
TRIBUNE (NYSE:
TRB) is one of the country’s premier media companies,
operating businesses in broadcasting, publishing and on the
Internet. It reaches more than 80 percent of U.S. households,
and is the only media company with television stations, newspapers
and Web sites in the nation’s top three markets. In
publishing, Tribune operates 12 market-leading daily newspapers
such as the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and Newsday
plus a wide range of targeted publications including Spanish-language
newspapers. In broadcasting, Tribune properties include 24
television stations and Superstation WGN on national cable.
The acquisition of two additional stations, KPLR-TV, St. Louis,
and KWPB-TV, Portland, Ore., will be completed in early 2003,
pending regulatory approvals. These publishing and broadcasting
interests are complemented by high-traffic news and information
Web sites in 18 of the nation’s top 30 markets.
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