WASHINGTON, D.C. - Barrington Broadcasting Chief Executive Officer K. James Yager will receive the Chuck Sherman Television Leadership Award on Thursday, September 15 in Dallas during NAB's Small Market Television Exchange. The award, created in 2003, is named in honor of the late Dr. Charles E. Sherman to recognize an individual demonstrating lifelong leadership, service and commitment to local television in smaller markets.
"Jim Yager epitomizes what it means to be a local broadcaster," said NAB President and CEO Eddie Fritts. "Jim's record of success and accomplishments as a community broadcaster is exemplary. His stations represent localism at its best."
In acceptance of the award, Yager "would like to thank the NAB for this very special recognition. Chuck Sherman was a friend and mentor to me for many years, so it is especially meaningful to me to receive an award that bears his name. I shared Chuck's commitment to and passion for free, local, over-the-air television and believe in its future as much today as I did when I started work in the industry in 1960."
Yager is chief executive officer of Barrington Broadcasting Company, LLC, of Hoffman Estates, Ill., an organization he formed to manage and acquire small-to-mid market television stations. Barrington Broadcasting Company currently owns and operates six stations including WEYI-TV, Flint-Saginaw Bay, Mich.; WHOI-TV, Peoria, Ill.; KHQA-TV, Quincy, Ill.-Hannibal, Mo.-Koekuk, Iowa; KRCG-TV, Jefferson City, Mo.; KVII-TV Amarillo, Texas and KVIH-TV, Clovis, N.M. Barrington is in the process of acquiring WWMB-TV and WPDE-TV, Myrtle Beach, S.C.
From 1986 to late-2002, Yager led Benedek Broadcasting Corporation as president and COO. Under his leadership, the company aggressively expanded and operated 23 television stations throughout the nation. In October 2002, Benedek merged with Gray Television. Yager was president of Gray MidAmerica Television, a wholly owned subsidiary of Gray Television, until his resignation in April 2003.
Yager is a current member of the NAB Television Board, Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI) Board, the Television Operators Caucus (TOC), ABC Board of Governors, and the Media Management Center Advisory Board. He is a former member of the Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB) Board, past Chairman of the NBC Affiliates Board, and past Chairman of the NAB Television Board and NAB Joint Board. In addition, Yager has testified before Congress on behalf of NAB on numerous occasions, representing broadcasters' interests on a wide range of issues.
Chuck Sherman joined NAB in 1988, serving as executive vice president of NAB television until 2002 and president of the NAB Education Foundation until 2004. Before joining NAB, Sherman served as president and general manager of small market TV stations in Peoria, Ill. and Wheeling, W.Va. Sherman died in June of this year after a long illness.
The Small Market Television Exchange, in its 20th year, is the only national meeting devoted to the concerns of television stations in demographic market areas #70 and above. It features sessions on issues of particular interest to television broadcasters, with an emphasis on strategies that generate revenue and control costs. Information about the Small Market Television Exchange can be found at www.nab.org/events/overview.asp.
The National Association of Broadcasters is a full-service trade association that promotes and protects free, over-the-air local radio and television stations' interests in Washington and around the world. NAB is the broadcaster's voice before Congress, federal agencies and the courts. NAB also serves a growing number of associate and international broadcaster members. Information about NAB can be found at www.nab.org.
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