ION MEDIA NETWORKS EXPANDS SALES FORCE WITH NEW POLITICAL DIVISION
ION Names Robert Russo and William O’Shea as Vice Presidents, Political Sales
NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 29, 2011 – ION Media Networks announced today that it is adding a political division to its sales team. Beginning December 1, Robert Russo and William O’Shea will join ION as Vice Presidents, Political Sales. The announcement was made by Brandon Burgess, CEO, ION Media Networks.
Russo and O’Shea will be responsible for selling air time for political advertising nationally for the ION Television network and locally for its ION stations. ION’s new sales division marks the only political sales unit in the industry selling by DMA, state, geographic region and total U.S broadcast network. Russo will work in ION’s New York office, while O’Shea will based in Washington, D.C. Both will be members of ION’s growing advertising sales team.
“Adding Rob’s and Bill’s 50 years worth of combined political and local sales experience starts the next chapter in ION’s sales expansion in the 2012 election year and beyond,” says Burgess. “As the nation’s largest independent station group, ION offers a unique proposition for helping political advertisers reaching voters both nationally and locally very efficiently.”
Russo comes to ION with nearly 28 years of experience in political, television and sports sales and marketing. Recently, Russo served as Senior Vice President/Director of Marketing and Sales at Katz Television Group, where he oversaw all new business development, digital sales and marketing for all of Katz’s market stations. Russo also is currently a Professor of Media and Advertising at St. John’s University in New York. Previously, he held national and local sales positions with Group ‘W’ Sports Marketing and Cablevision’s SportsChannel. Russo is a graduate of Catholic University, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Politics.
O’Shea joins ION with 20 years experience in the industry, and recently over 12 years with Millennium Sales and Marketing as Vice President/General Manager. There, he was responsible for all sales and marketing efforts in the Washington, D.C. region, specifically for the company’s sales efforts to political agencies. Previously, he worked as a sales account executive, buyer and lobbyist. O’Shea holds a Bachelor of Arts in Government from The American University.
ABOUT ION MEDIA NETWORKS, INC.
ION Media Networks, Inc. is a leading U.S. media and technology company, using its unique content and broadcast capabilities to deliver innovative in-home and out-of home television services. On the content side, ION Media owns and operates ION Television, serving over 99 million homes with high quality media and information 24/7; qubo, the award winning 24/7 kids channel and ION Life, a channel dedicated to active living and personal growth. On the technology side, ION operates a footprint of 60 full power DTV television stations, providing the backbone for its wireless consumer innovation. ION’s pioneering R&D efforts have lead to a series of ground-breaking mobile and next-generation digital television DTV products using over-the-air television spectrum technology. For more information, visit www.ionmedia.com
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Contact:
Christina Gilmartin, ION Media Networks
212-603-8429
christinagilmartin@ionmedia.com
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