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 CBS-PR-100126111056.doc
January 26, 2010
EZRA KUCHARZ NAMED PRESIDENT, CBS LOCAL DIGITAL MEDIA
Ezra Kucharz has been named to
the position of President, Local Digital Media, it was announced today by Anton
Guitano, Chief Operating Officer of CBS’s newly-formed local broadcasting
business segment. Kucharz will be
responsible for conceiving and executing the Company’s local online media strategy
utilizing the combined assets and digital operations of CBS’s 29 television stations
and CBS RADIO’s 36 news, sports and talk stations. His appointment is effective on Tuesday,
February 16.
Kucharz
joins CBS from FiLife.com, an IAC and Dow Jones personal finance joint
venture. For the past 14 months, Kucharz
has served as President and General Manager of the financial question and answer
platform that connects people who have personal finance questions to experts in
the field leading all day-to-day and strategic activities including revenue growth,
new business and product development, technology, research and editorial
operations. Under Kucharz’ leadership,
FiLife has grown to the No. 4 personal finance site on the Internet.
“CBS
has a tremendous opportunity to create a next generation local marketplace,”
said Guitano. “We have an unparalleled
collection of major-market television and radio broadcast outlets, and a host
of other resources across the Corporation, to ensure that this initiative is a
success. Working alongside Peter Dunn,
Dan Mason and myself, we are confident that Ezra will give our new, combined
Local Media business an online platform that will be top-of-mind for our
audience and a valuable, targeted vehicle for our clients.”
Kucharz
has more than 15 years experience creating, evolving, and managing a number of
leading Internet properties. From
2007-08, Kucharz was Executive Vice President, North American Online and Global
Platforms at Oberon Media. Prior to
that, he held a number of senior level positions at NBC Universal, including Chief
Operating Officer for iVillage following its acquisition by the media company in
2006, Senior Vice President, Digital Innovation and Senior Vice President,
Digital Media. As one of the first
digital employees hired by NBC Universal in 2004, he was instrumental in
launching the company’s digital media business unit and its broadband studio.
The
United States Tennis Association hired Kucharz in 2001 as its Managing
Director, Advanced Media. During his
tenure he was charged with implementing the strategic vision for the new USTA
business unit. While there, he also
produced and directed the operations of the popular USOpen.org website.
In 1995, Kucharz
founded one of the first online digital sports media companies, Total
Sports. In addition to developing numerous
pioneering online sports technologies including the first online cybercast of a
college basketball game and locally managed community-based college sports
publishing, Kucharz managed sales and business development activities for a
network of 105 websites. He also has served
as executive producer of several major sporting events’ online destinations
including the Final Four, College World Series and U.S. Open Golf Championship.
Kucharz earned
his bachelor’s degree from Boston
University in biomedical
engineering and worked for NASA in their space shuttle and space station
medical operations departments following graduation. He later earned master’s degrees in
engineering management and medical informatics at the University of Houston and Duke
University, respectively.
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MEDIA CONTACTS
Karen L. Mateo
Vice President, Communications
(212) 649 9639
Allison Mandara
Communications Coordinator
(212) 649 9606
Dana McClintock
Senior Vice President,
CBS Communications Group
(212) 975 1077
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