Indianapolis…Emmis Communications Corporation (Nasdaq: EMMS) today announced that Joe Cook, currently Vice President/General Manager of New Orleans’ WVUE-TV, Fox 8, will add the title of Regional Vice President and oversee operations at Mobile’s WALA-TV, Fox 10, and Emmis’ soon-to-be-acquired WBPG-TV, WB55, in Pensacola/Mobile.
Cook will work directly with Scott Wilson, Vice President/General Manager of WALA Fox 10 and WBPG-TV WB55. Cook, who will remain General Manager of WVUE-TV, begins his new duties immediately.
“Joe has done a tremendous job in New Orleans in a short period of time,” Randall Bongarten, President of Emmis Television, said. “His strong history in the Mobile market, coupled with our anticipated addition of a second station there, made this a natural decision. Joe will do a great job of understanding how these stations can work in tandem while still filling their own niches in their markets.”
Cook has more than 25 years of broadcasting experience, including nine years in sales. He served as Station Manager (1985) and General Manager (1986-2000) of Emmis-owned WALA-TV in Mobile, until his retirement on July 31, 2000. He returned to the Emmis family as VP/GM of New Orleans’ WVUE in September of 2001.
Emmis Communications is an Indianapolis-based diversified media firm with radio broadcasting, television broadcasting and magazine publishing operations. Emmis Television’s 15 stations include: WKCF-TV, WB 18 in Orlando, FL; KOIN-TV, CBS 6 in Portland, OR; WVUE-TV, FOX 8 in New Orleans; KRQE-TV, CBS 13 in Albuquerque, NM; WSAZ-TV, NBC 3 in Huntington/Charleston, WV; WALA-TV FOX 10 in Mobile, AL/Pensacola, FL; KSNW-TV, NBC 3 in Wichita, KS; WLUK-TV, FOX 11 in Green Bay, WI; KGUN-TV, ABC 9 in Tucson, AZ; KGMB-TV, CBS 9 and KHON-TV, FOX 2 in Honolulu; KMTV-TV, CBS 3 in Omaha, NE; WFTX-TV, FOX 4 in Ft. Myers, FL; KSNT-TV, NBC 27 in Topeka, KS; and WTHI-TV, CBS 10 in Terre Haute, IN. Emmis announced the acquisition of WBPG-TV in November of 2002. That transaction is expected to close in early March, 2003.