Now back to our regularly scheduled programming. He was inducted to The Library of American Broadcasting Foundation's 2016 Giants of Broadcasting and Electronic Arts and received The Media Institute's 2016 American Horizon Award, recognizing his leadership, promoting the vitality and independence of American media.Mr. It sounds like your reverse is going to be up about mid-single digit, and you just kind of went through what's going on, on the growth side. If you follow the decline in general network -- general entertainment network ratings, we couldn't have made the pivot at a better time. Will joined CRP as a reporting intern in September 2018. You want to know what the distribution revenue was excluding the CW? Meanwhile, Ad Fontes, a media watchdog organization, rated NewsNation Now in the middle for bias and as Reliable, Analysis/Fact Reporting for reliability. Before Nexstar sealed the deal to acquire Tribune, Sinclair tried to make the same purchase. We see it as a multiple year tailwind for our company, certainly. Thank you all for joining us to review Nexstar's record fourth quarter results, including. I think our company as well as others in the industry have made the value judgment to do that. ABC 5, a Hubbard-owned station, reported on 2009 Facebook comments made by Housley in which she likened Michelle Obama to a chimpanzee. Except for the Revolving Door section, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License by OpenSecrets.org. . Okay. At 61, Perry Sook, CEO of TVNewsCheck's Station Group of the Year, Nexstar Media, has the look, the voice and demeanor the gravitas, some would say of a high-priced news anchor in a top market. Revenue growth was driven by the inclusion of the CW and year-over-year increases in Nexstar's local digital advertising and agency services businesses, offset in part by softness in national advertising and e-commerce. There are a lot of conversations going on. As such, Nexstar shares represent a solid investment opportunity for existing and potential shareholders as we are the largest broadcast company with top-tier operational performance in the sector but we trade at a very modest '23, '24 free cash flow yield. I think you'll see us more active on the debate stage. The company is now the nations biggest player in local television. Well, I would say, first of all, that embedded in the guidance that we issued this morning is a record political number for 2024, and it is up not inconsequentially from what you saw in both 2022 and in 2020. I know that our affiliates in CW affiliates in the top 10 markets generated about 3x the amount of money that the network generated for this first outing. Perry Sook currently serves as Nexstar's chairman and CEO. Nexstar plunked down $130 million bucks to buy the political website The Hill. Sook said the rebrand of WGN America as NewsNation will take effect on Monday and he said the cable network "far exceeded budgeted expectations" in 2020. As you'll be able to read in our report, throughout 2022, we executed on several ESG initiatives, including eliminating our Class B and Class C shares, which cleared the way for our inclusion in the S&P 400 Index. Last month, NewsNation hired former Fox News exec Cherie Grzech as managing editor. In the first quarter and the first half of the year, I think it will be more pronounced. Well, I don't think because other networks might be listening. We're not in the business of disenfranchising customers, viewers and advertisers. Or is it just like a national game on that national feed? The FCC Chairman Lazarus served under, Julius Genachowski, was nominated to the position by Obama in March 2009. And are we talking about the affiliates effectively drawing the line in the sand here, which could see and could create spillover and impact these relationships with other vMVPDs as well? Both Blackburn and Arpaio have received lavish praise from President Trump. And in our recent distribution and renewal negotiations, our ownership of the CW positively impact the outcomes of those discussions by an amount that already effectively paid for the investment that we'll make in the network. Even if the rip n read world fit him, the environment at the station did not. I mean can you generate revenues that are meaningful without that? In summary, we remain confident in our strategy, the quality of our assets and the strength of our financial position. Perry Sook, Nexstar's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "2022 was a monumental year for Nexstar as we generated $5.2 billion of revenue as well as record levels of Adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow. In the fourth quarter, the CW generated $66 million of revenue and $64 million of adjusted EBITDA losses in line with our expectations for the quarter. Okay. The PAC favors Republicans, but only slightly. So maybe you could just put a little more context. Your comments about (inaudible) drawing attention to the CW. Sook reaffirmed Nexstar's commitment to the transformation of the former WGN America into a news channel. Enjoy unlimited access to all of our incredible journalism, in print and digital. Perry Sook, Nexstars CEO, gave $5,000 to the companys PAC in the 2014, 2016 and 2018 election cycles. Nexstars $7.1 billion purchase of Tribune Media changed everything. Sure. TV continues to be the gold standard for political advertisers with local TV and local cable TV together representing 70% of gross political ad spending. Third, we are already making progress with the CW, not only to bring the network to profitability but to create value for the entire Nexstar enterprise as a result of the acquisition. Dennis Miller and Brad Schwartz and their teams are hard at work putting that together. So did Timothy Busch, the president of the company's broadcasting subsidy. The report also contains disclosures for Nexstar as suggested for companies in the media and entertainment industry by Sustainability Accounting Standard Board, or SASB. Perry Sook, president and CEO of Texas-based Nexstar Media Group, is a seasoned broadcast TV executive who steered Nexstar 's $4.1 billion acquisition of Tribune Media. And we know that from everyone we talk to, people understand the power of broadcast and what broadcast has that no one else has, which is superior reach. NewsNation is found under the umbrella of Nexstar Inc.s Networks division. Core advertising revenue was $478 million (down 3.3 percent year over year), while political advertising revenue was $266 million (up 1,307 percent). In the 2000s, Sinclair had a similar a must-run segment called The Point, hosted by a Sinclair lobbyist and ex-Navy intelligence officer. Or is it really just news (inaudible). We are seeing some sustained healthy increases off of that lower base. Offsetting these factors were the impact of ours and our partner stations going dark on certain MVPDs during the quarter in connection with the contract renegotiations and the settlement of certain disputes impacting revenue in connection with these new contracts as well as continued MVPD subscriber attrition. Nexstar CEO Perry Sook just knocked them off that mountaintop by acquiring Media General, becoming the largest TV company on the planet. And you guys obviously own some political specific properties now. In 2014, Sinclair gave Mikulski $25,000. I think we have another couple of years of these kinds of increases before we begin to approach 2019 levels, both from a national SAAR as well as unit spending. LIV Golf's 2-day average linear viewership was 24% higher than the average. It starts back in 1996 when he bought WYOU, a little pissant TV station in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Tom? In the fourth quarter, yes. In a 2015 article on the announcement that then-Senator Mikulski would receive the presidential medal of freedom, the Fox45 site included a transcript of Mikulskis full reaction from the floor of the Senate. I knew the quickest road to management, and management to ownership, was through sales.. To request permission for commercial use, please contactus. I think you'll see some higher profile programming there, certainly in the unscripted than you have seen historically. Suite 2100 Although less overtly political than their cousins on cable, local news stations have come under increased scrutiny after the viral controversy aroused in early 2018 by a must-run segment on stations owned by Sinclair Media. The Chief Technology Officer, Brett Jenkins, gave $5,000 to the PAC, but only in 2018. For those with a cable subscription package, NewsNation might be included in the subscription offerings, and NewsNations channel finder can locate the correct channel. Tom Hanks Started a Veteran-Focused Coffee Brand Where to Buy It, Drug Prices Are Increasing in 2023, Won't Impact Most Consumers. Before being recruited to run Seaway, he worked in the . Thank you, Tom, and good morning, everyone. In 2014, the Hubbard Broadcasting gave the Super PAC $450,000, $300,000 from the company and $150,000 from individuals. Its important to stay active and connected to the folks who do the work in the business, representing Nexstar in their local communities every day. Between the 2002 and 2018 cycles, Tribune gave generously to Michigan Republican Rep. Fred Upton, climbing from $1,000 in 2002, to $4,000 in 2008, then spiked again to $5,500 in 2012. Washington, I didnt have his journalistic chops or the talent, so I decided to go to the business side. Thanks, Priscilla, and good morning, everyone. Mr. Sook currently serves as Chairman of the CBS Affiliates Board and The Ohio University Foundation Board. The host would criticize other media outlets for their coverage of then-President Bush, once going so far as to say that terrorist leaders would dearly love to see President Bush replaced with Senator (John) Kerry.. We went from that penny a day to now in 2020 what will mean approximately $2 billion of revenue to our company and about $18 billion in revenue to local television stations across the country, Sook says. And that and money are the 2 issues here. In 2014, they contributed $263,587 and in 2016 they contributed $429,504 before dipping back down to $186,648 in 2018. Nexstar reported revenue of $1.49 billion in the quarter, net income of $178 million, and adjusted Ebitda of $662 million. Got you. Jamie McCarthy, Getty Images Tyler Perry, who's stayed largely apolitical throughout his career, is breaking the tradition to endorse a candidate in the 2020 presidential election. A Memphis station owned by Nexstar also ran a version of this story. Weve made three dozen separate acquisitionssome small, some very large, he begins. As the PAC distributed its funds, stations owned by Nexstar were covering politics and political races across the country. "I really,. As we move forward, we will continue to strategically deploy our cash in a manner that is consistent with our commitment to creating the highest shareholder value. Nexstar undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Our total net leverage for Nexstar, excluding CW at quarter end, was 2.93x, down from 3.7x as of December 31, 2021, and 3.18% in Q3. Tribune has another connection to Obama in Edward Lazarus, Tribunes Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer. So our job now is to continue to increase the profile, relevance and interest in the programming, offer more varied programming and sports is obviously a big piece of that, that can put us more on par with the other network choices that are out there. It's high-teens number of -- amount of revenue related to the CW. Some of my most fun days, my best days, are when I go visit one of our local TV stations. Sook believes in the notion that if a national story breaks in one of Nexstars locales, his gang of reporters will be first on the scene and report it through an impartial lensand America will love it. Looking ahead, excluding the impact of the CW affiliate fees, given our recent contract resets, we expect distribution revenues to be up high single to low double digits for 2023, depending on the outcome of our partners' ongoing negotiations with multiple -- with a couple of MVPDs on which they are currently dark and inclusive of our projections for subscriber attrition. Nexstar is creating a state-of-the-art studio in Chicago and expanding teams both in front of and behind the camera. With FCC approval, the company will own 171 stations to. Sorry. The Nexstar CEO is proud to say, I want my commission salespeople to be the highest-paid people in town. Hed like to be paid more, too. Ladies and gentlemen, since there are no further questions, I would like to turn the call back to Perry Sook for the closing remarks. That's helpful. That deal, if approved. So I think that sports, I think adding another hour on Sunday night to the prime time schedule, are all things you can expect in the future. Okay. With that, it's now my pleasure to turn the conference over to your host, Nexstar Chairman and CEO, Perry Sook. Good day, and welcome to Nexstar Media Group Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2022 Conference Call. Its important that we never lose sight of that, he says. Yes. Sook believes its important to spend time visiting all of the companys 114 markets. But not all of his travel is to major metros. If it rained, staffers had to send a Jeep down the road to retrieve Sook. And so that means we have to go dark for a little while to make the point. So it will be a record year. Given the lack of regulation in the digital world, it's important that we remain united as an industry. Auto is likely a multiyear tailwind as we continue to push to normalization, which would require SAAR levels back in that 17-ish million dollar -- or million unit range back in pre-COVID era? And one of your peers has also recently launched a service that's going to pick up regional or local sports rights. Certainly, sports is 1 avenue that has never been pursued there before. He just want to know what the amount to CW. ANDERSON, Sandra J. BA '73 Vice Chair Yes, we are not back to 2019 levels yet. Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. At OpenSecrets.org we offer in-depth, money-in-politics stories in the public interest. Undeterred, in his first week on the job, he made the biggest sale in station history. Q4 2022 total corporate expense was approximately $49.2 million, including noncash compensation expense of $18.2 million compared to $43.6 million, including noncash compensation expense of $12.4 million in 2021. And finally, we continue to be committed to treating employees fairly and ethically and fostering a positive work environment as well as providing dedicated diversity, equity and inclusion programs, hiring practices and mentorships. The founder and CEO of ENSEO takes us along on a day overseeing the company with a rock 'n' roll attitude. That will be followed by Tom's operations review and Lee Ann's financial review, and then we'll open the call for questions from you. Its important that we never lose sight of that, he says. Perry A. Sook has over 43 years of professional experience in the television and radio broadcasting industries, covering all facets of the business, including ownership and M&A, management, sales, on-air talent, and news. Fresno and Bakersfield are a stones throw from the 23rd congressional district where McCarthy has his seat. In trade jargon, its referred to as a retransmission consent dispute. And as in the past, we will provide the results of that process in our annual proxy statement. Since NewsNations launch, several incidents of conservative and/or pro-Trump bias have occurred. Latest Company & Industry Overviews News and Updates. But we could develop sharing arrangements so we could get an economic benefit from a second station, Sook says, even if we werent allowed to own the license.. Together, fourth quarter direct operating and SG&A expenses increased $72.5 million, primarily due to the inclusion of the CW, including the onetime restructuring expenses of approximately $30 million I just mentioned. Perry A. Sook, the Founder, Chairman, President and CEO of Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Inc. (NXST) Interviews with the Wall Street Transcript HOME MAIL NEWS FINANCE SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT LIFE. It will run on Nexstar stations and the company has committed to spend double-digit millions on advertising on other TV, digital and social media outlets. No matter how talented an athlete is, seeking advice from those who have gone before you is part of the journey to success. Perry, maybe just to follow up on that a little bit. That year they gave $18,500 to Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) and $16,300 to Ted Cruz. New York, Sook recalls running commercials with us holding up a penny and asking, Dont you think were worth a penny a day on your cable bill?, The Nexstar CEO felt he was on the right side of things and that cable customers would be willing to pay to get their local news content. grand river waterfront homes for sale; valentine michael manson; 29. The same banner rotates between the endorsement of Obama, a banner advertising Decision 2008 coverage and links to other stories. He serves on the Board of Directors of Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), the Board of the Broadcasters Foundation of America, and he is Chairman of The Ohio University Foundation Board of Trustees. The script was passed down from Sinclairs corporate office in Maryland. We've seen a number of RSN groups now kind of get into a period of change. Thank you, Joe, and good morning, everyone. We anticipate being active in the debate business as we were in 2020. But I think to a certain extent, people want to see how the RSN plays out and what that means to them and then, therefore, how that influences their behavior going forward. What were your direct operating expenses, excluding that, the CW, how are you seeing that tracking this new year? Great. So if it were all at risk, that's the number that you're talking about. Second, we continue to make significant progress building out NewsNation, America's fastest-growing cable news network. Although it is a small part of our overall financial results, we've announced by analysts and investors to break out the impact of the CW. So I'll provide a little color on the CW financial results and then jump to expenses followed by some discussion on our guidance. Moving to distribution revenue. Sure. Outside of the huge Chicago-based cable network WGN America, most of its 196 stations are ABC, CBS, Fox, CW, and NBC, We have 5,400 journalists around the country who produce local newsmore than any other organization. We continue to expand our capabilities and leverage our linear, digital, mobile and streaming assets in new ways to deliver new levels of monetization, growth and shareholder returns. Moving back to Nexstar expenses. NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (NABPAC) - Unknown: SOOK, PERRY MR. IRVING, TX 75062: Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Inc./Chairman, President & Ceo: $5,000: 04/08/2015: P: NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (NABPAC) - Unknown: SOOK, PERRY FLOWER MOUND, TX 75022: Nexstar Broadcasting . It would be more in the form of a test of the technology and people testing certain use cases. Regular cars couldnt climb the muddy, steep hill. For additional details on these risks and uncertainties, please see Nexstar's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and Nexstar subsequent public filings with the SEC. At the Nexstar level, we see the CW as instrumental to our ability to unlock the national advertising opportunity I discussed just a moment ago. Prior to Nexstar, Mr. Sook was one of the principals of Superior Communication Group, Inc., which was sold in 1995 to Sinclair Broadcast Group. They had no audience, no advertisers, and no followers, Sook says. Political Advertising Revenue 265.9 18.9 . Executive Vice President Elizabeth Ryder gave $2,500 in 2014 and 2016, then beefed up her contribution to $5,000 in 2018. '23 and '24 will benefit from new distribution agreements and as we've discussed, 2024 as the presidential election and big political year. and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), all of whom received $15,000 or more. Who's Nexstar CEO Perry Sook? Expansion through acquisitions is a great way to grow, but Nexstar didnt always have that kind of dough. And so I think you'll see affiliates continue to press the point that we should negotiate our own agreements and that no one else should be negotiating on behalf of our content. All Rights Reserved. [53] The sale was completed on January 31, 2017. Sook was named the 2009 Broadcaster of the Year by Broadcasting and Cable (B&C) and was among the honorees inducted into the B&C Hall of Fame in 2014. Noncash compensation expense grew primarily due to the CEO's new contract. Perry A. Sook has over 41 years of professional experience in the television and radio broadcasting industries, covering all facets of the business, including ownership and M&A, management, sales, on-air talent, and news. These are results driven professionals who share our excitement and our vision for the network and we continue to expect to achieve profitability by 2025. February 08, 2023 / Scott Jones. Perry Sook says that in addition to a strong trending political segment, "approximately half of our television advertising categories are pacing up for the third quarter." . So, who owns NewsNation? All right. While still early, our strategy of providing unbiased news for all America is already delivering results as NewsNation was the only cable news network to see double-digit growth in total viewers in 2022. Perry Sook, chairman, president and CEO of Nexstar Broadcasting Group, is not worried about political ad revenue given the ascendancy of Donald Trump in the GOP race, despite his reliance more on earned media than paid media. Mr. Sook was here to talk about our ongoing efforts to support our local communities. Perry Snook: Perry Sook, Nexstar's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "2022 was a monumental year for Nexstar as we generated $5.2 billion of revenue as well as record levels of Adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow. We grew double digits in the fourth quarter. After flirting with bankruptcy in 2009, Sinclair was saved in part thanks to Citizens United and the ensuing influx of political ad spending. Contribution Totals: Download all contribution records for this person from 1999 to present To a Spreadsheet or Other File Type: 2020 Transaction Count/Amount: 4/$20,000: 2018 Transaction Count/Amount: 7/$26,900: 2016 Transaction Count/Amount: So were launching this year, a three-hour, live, primetime newscast, seven nights a week, on WGN America. Nexstar had a strong year financially, reporting free cash flow of $1.3 billion in 2020, a 100% increase over 2018; TV stations typically see a boon from political advertising in election years . Great. He is past Chairman of the CBS Affiliate Board.Mr. That would be -- that is a perfect conduit for newsmakers, politicians and others to reach a national audience. The forward curve currently shows interest rates peaking in July and falling thereafter. We have a strong balance sheet with low leverage and excellent short-term visibility with multiple long-term material growth initiatives. Our next question comes from Jim Goss with Barrington Research. Obviously, we spent a lot of time in front of local business owners and local advertisers. On the other hand, ABC 5 gave a D- to an ad run by Paulsen that attempted to tie his opponent to a sexual assault. . On a consolidated basis, fourth quarter adjusted EBITDA increased 19.8% over the prior year to $598.2 million, representing a 40.2% margin and fourth quarter attributable free cash flow increased 27.8% to $422.1 million. Were going to represent those who are underrepresented.. There are 2 topics I just wanted to ask a little bit about the -- first on this national feed. But when it came time for the owner of the station to pay me my commission, he said, Well, we had a problem at the transmitter, and I had to buy a part. After a few weeks of excuses, I realized I was never going to get paid my commission. Thanks, Perry, and good morning, everyone. Sinclairs name recognition spiked after a Deadspin compilation synchronizing the biased news must-run segment went viral, but Sinclair has been distributing corporate speech through local news stations for years. And so we know we have value. But I don't expect that anyone would sign on to a big contract until they had the chance to administer their tests.