BALTIMORE and IRVING, Texas, Jan. 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Spectrum Co, LLC ("Spectrum Co"), the ATSC 3.0 spectrum consortium founded by Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: SBGI) ("Sinclair") and Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXST) ("Nexstar") and for which Univision Local Media, Inc. ("Univision") has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to join, announced today that John Hane has been named President.

Mr. Hane most recently served as a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, a global law firm with a leading technology practice, where he primarily focused on counseling clients in telecom, broadcast and technology sectors and was deeply involved in matters related to the development and regulatory approval of ATSC 3.0 ("NextGen").  A "go-to" advisor on spectrum matters, before joining Pillsbury Mr. Hane led a large satellite and wireless network development group.  He is the inventor or co-inventor of four patents related to wireless and satellite spectrum.   

Mr. Hane's appointment reflects the consortium's shared goal of promoting spectrum utilization, innovation and monetization by advancing the adoption of the ATSC 3.0 transmission standard across the broadcast industry.  As President of Spectrum Co., he will oversee the development of the newly-formed entity as it pursues advanced nationwide business opportunities made available by the NextGen standard and aggregation of spectrum bandwidth.

John Hane commented, "The consortium's strong commitment to innovation and the advancement of the local broadcast television industry through future digital technology capabilities, were strong factors in attracting me to this position.  The trial in Dallas is a prime example of this leadership and is a priority for me.  As President, I will utilize expertise and relationships built over my career to help broadcasters and station groups deliver new innovations and greater public service to local communities and businesses across the United States.  Nationwide deployment of the NextGen network is a necessary first step in what is expected to be the most revolutionary development in broadcasting since the launch of television more than 75 years ago.  For the first time, television stations' technical infrastructure will be as important to companies and consumers that rely on wireless communications as it is to advertisers, brand managers and political campaigns.  The unparalleled viewership and engagement of broadcasters' local content offerings will become far better with NextGen broadcasting.  I look forward to working with Spectrum Co members to develop new sources of revenue and identify opportunities where we can best leverage the capacity of ATSC 3.0 networks to bring transformative new consumer and business-to-business services to market."    

Chris Ripley, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. commented, "John brings a wealth of experience across multiple industries with relevance for NextGen broadcasting.  His leadership will be invaluable in opening doors and shaping new businesses through Spectrum Co. John's background and knowledge of spectrum policy and solutions will add new dimensions to fuel the business of spectrum capacity optimization."

Perry A. Sook, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Nexstar Media Group, Inc. commented, "John's wide-range of expertise in the technology, media and communications sectors, combined with his deep understanding of the complexities and dynamics related to NextGen broadcasting, make him ideally suited to lead Spectrum Co. He brings outstanding leadership and entrepreneurial skills to his new role at the consortium and a proven record of developing successful strategies that addressed a broad range of legal, regulatory, business development and transactional matters in our industry. We are energized by the many opportunities resulting from the transition to ATSC 3.0 and look forward to working with John as we execute our cohesive strategy to drive the next phase of innovation and growth in local broadcasting."

Mr. Hane earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from College of Charleston and a Juris Doctorate from the University of South Carolina.  Prior to Pillsbury, he led satellite, wireless and digital video development projects at Pegasus Communications.  He has also served as in-house counsel and a government affairs executive at NBC, New World Communications and Lockheed Martin. 

About Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
Sinclair is one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country.  Pro forma for the Tribune acquisition (before any related divestitures), the Company will own, operate and/or provide services to 233 television stations in 108 markets.  The Company has multiple emerging networks as well as stations affiliated with all the major networks.  Sinclair is a leading local news provider in the country and a producer of live sports content.  Sinclair's content is delivered via multiple-platforms, including over-the-air, multi-channel video program distributors, and digital platforms.  The Company regularly uses its website as a key source of Company information which can be accessed at www.sbgi.net.

About Nexstar Media Group, Inc.
Nexstar Media Group is a leading diversified media company that leverages localism to bring new services and value to consumers and advertisers through its traditional media, digital and mobile media platforms. Nexstar owns, operates, programs or provides sales and other services to 170 television stations and related digital multicast signals reaching 100 markets or nearly 39% of all U.S. television households. Nexstar's portfolio includes primary affiliates of NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, MyNetworkTV and The CW. Nexstar's community portal websites offer additional hyper-local content and verticals for consumers and advertisers, allowing audiences to choose where, when and how they access content while creating new revenue opportunities. For more information, please visit www.nexstar.tv.

About Univision Communications, Inc.
Univision Communications Inc. (UCI) is the leading media company serving Hispanic America. The Company, a chief content creator in the U.S., includes Univision Network, one of the top networks in the U.S. regardless of language and the most-watched Spanish-language broadcast television network in the country, available in approximately 90% of U.S. Hispanic television households; UniMás, a leading Spanish-language broadcast television network available in approximately 84% of U.S. Hispanic television households; Univision Cable Networks, including Galavisión, the most-watched U.S. Spanish-language entertainment cable network, as well as UDN (Univision Deportes Network), the most-watched U.S. Spanish-language sports cable network, Univision tlnovelas, a 24-hour Spanish-language cable network dedicated to telenovelas, ForoTV, a 24-hour Spanish-language cable network dedicated to international news, and an additional suite of cable offerings - De Película, De Película Clásico, Bandamax, Ritmoson and Telehit; as well as an investment in El Rey Network, a general entertainment English-language cable network; Univision Local Media, which owns and/or operates 62 television stations and 58 radio stations in major U.S. Hispanic markets and Puerto Rico; Univision Now, a direct-to-consumer, on demand and live streaming subscription service; Univision.com, the most-visited Spanish-language website among U.S. Hispanics; and Uforia, a music application featuring multimedia music content. The Company also includes the Fusion Media Group (FMG), a division that serves young, diverse audiences. FMG includes news and lifestyle English-language cable network FUSION TV, and a collection of leading digital brands that span a range of categories: technology (Gizmodo), sports (Deadspin), music (TrackRecord), lifestyle (Lifehacker), modern women's interests (Jezebel), news and politics (Splinter), African American news and culture (The Root), gaming (Kotaku), and car culture (Jalopnik). FMG also includes the Company's interest in comedy and news satire brands The Onion, Clickhole and The A.V. Club. Headquartered in New York City, UCI has content creation facilities and sales offices in major cities throughout the United States. For more information, please visit corporate.univision.com.

SOURCE Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.

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