DETROIT – Graham Media Group, the local media division of Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC), announced today that Phil Lane has been named Vice President and General Manager of KPRC, the NBC broadcast affiliate television station in Houston.
Lane replaces Jerry Martin, who recently announced his retirement after 11 years at the helm of KPRC.
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Lane will move to Houston from San Antonio where, since July 2011, he has held the role of Vice President and General Manager at KSAT, an ABC affiliate station owned by Graham Media Group.
“It is impossible to describe Phil Lane and his incredible leadership in just one sentence – to put it simply, he is a unicorn,” said Catherine Badalamente, President and Chief Executive Officer, Graham Media Group. “While he has had a long and successful career running market-leading television stations, he is also a trailblazer and innovator whose skills are hard to match inside (and outside) of our industry.”
“I’m excited to join a wonderful local television station,” said Lane. “KPRC is enjoying ratings momentum thanks to a talented team of local broadcasters who deliver important, engaging, and enterprising content to their audiences. I’m eager to build on that success while exploring new, innovative ideas for Houston. Now is our opportunity to transform our business so we can connect with and serve our community in exciting new ways. I can’t wait to see what we accomplish together!”
Under Lane’s leadership, KSAT maintained market-leading ratings in news and the number one local media website in San Antonio. He launched numerous groundbreaking local programming initiatives including “SA Live,” a daily live lifestyle program, and “Texas Eats,” a local food series now distributed across the state. Lane expanded KSAT’s digital initiatives with the streaming news series “KSAT Explains,” the launch of KSAT Plus content stream, mobile and OTT app, KSAT’s Big Game Coverage high school sports streaming network and the creation of Graham Media’s first membership program, KSAT Insiders. Another successful franchise launched by Lane this past Saturday is the first-ever KSAT Pigskin Classic high school football triple-header held at the Alamodome which was televised and streamed across all KSAT platforms.
Prior to joining KSAT, Lane had served as VP and GM of WSPA and WYCW in the Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville/Anderson, NC, market from 2004 to 2011; WJBF in Augusta, GA, from 2000 to 2004; and WRBL in Columbus, GA, from 1997 to 2000. Lane is a graduate of Furman University with a BA in History.