ATLANTA, March 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Gray Television, Inc. ("Gray," "we," "us" or "our") (NYSE: GTN and GTN.A) today announced that Michael H. Spiesman has joined the company as its Vice President, Director of National Sales.
A veteran sales executive, Spiesman served as President of Katz's Continental Television Sales between 1999 and 2012, capping almost thirty years with the organization. Nearly all of Gray Television's stations are represented by Katz's Continental and Millennium divisions.
Bob Prather, Gray Television's President and COO, said, "Over the years, Gray developed an extensive relationship with Katz primarily through Michael Spiesman and in large part because of the results he achieved." Mr. Prather added, "As our new VP, Director of National Sales, Michael will bring our national sales efforts to a new and higher level."
Gray Television CEO Hilton Howell said, "Michael Spiesman is truly one of the leaders of the television broadcast industry. Gray Television is fortunate that Michael has chosen to bring his immense sales talents to work for the Gray stations. Because he has personally represented many of our stations since the early 1980s, he already feels like a big part of the Gray corporate family."
"After leaving Katz, I was humbled to have been presented with many exciting opportunities at excellent organizations," Mr. Spiesman said. "Joining Gray Television, however, was an easy decision. I essentially began my career working with Jimmy H. Gray's WJHG-TV in Panama City, Florida, in 1982. And over the years, Gray has grown by acquiring stations that put news, localism, and community service first. Gray has one of the strongest portfolios of stations in the industry and they work hard to maintain that reputation every day. I spent much of my life promoting the value of national sales to stations and the value of those market-leading stations of Gray to national advertisers. I am thrilled that Gray Television recognizes the potential of all revenue streams and we will prove that investment worthwhile."
Spiesman began his career with Katz as an Account Executive in 1982. In 1999, Katz selected him to lead and grow the company's most dynamic business unit, Continental, with 225 employees and 24 sales teams across the country. As Continental's President, Spiesman was responsible for directing all business and operational functions, including strategic planning, annual budgeting, client retention and expansion, and staff management and development.
During his three-decade career in national sales, Spiesman combined his principles of client focus and employee engagement to successfully steer Continental to a period of rapid growth in revenue and product development. During his tenure, Continental boosted its client stations to more than 190 from 125.
Spiesman has also played various industry leadership roles to champion smaller market broadcasters. Among other positions, Spiesman contributed to the success of the NAB's Small Market Exchange for over 20 years and serves on its planning committee. He is also a member of the Broadcast Education Association and previously served on the Sales Advisory and Executive Sales Advisory Committees of the Television Advertising Bureau.
Spiesman received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications from the University of Hartford in Hartford, Connecticut in 1979. He will continue working from the Greater New York City area in order to maintain his close contacts with many of the country's leading media buyers.
The Company
We are a television broadcast company headquartered in Atlanta, GA, which owns and operates television stations broadcasting 41 primary channels and 45 secondary channels in 30 television markets. Nineteen of our primary channels and one secondary channel are affiliated with the CBS Network owned by CBS Inc. ("CBS"), ten primary channels are affiliated with the NBC Network owned by National Broadcasting Company, Inc. ("NBC"), eight primary channels and one secondary channel are affiliated with the ABC Network owned by American Broadcasting Company ("ABC"), and three primary channels and two secondary channels are affiliated with the FOX Network owned by the FOX Broadcasting Company ("FOX"). We also broadcast one primary channel affiliated with Antenna TV and 45 secondary channels that are affiliated with networks other than the "Big Four" networks listed above, specifically, the CW Network/ the CW Plus Network, MyNetwork, Untamed Sports Network, The Country Network, This TV Network, the MeTV Network, and Antenna TV. In addition to our affiliated secondary channels, we broadcast nine local news/weather secondary channels in certain of our existing markets.
Web site: www.gray.tv
SOURCE Gray Television, Inc.