Sinclair promotes Mark Aitken and Scott Shapiro

BALTIMORE, Aug. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: SBGI) announced that Mark Aitken has been promoted from Vice President to Senior Vice President of Advanced Technology responsible for the Company's development and deployment of next-gen technologies such as ATSC 3.0.  In addition, Scott Shapiro has been promoted from Vice President to Senior Vice President of Corporate Development, responsible for driving forward Sinclair's vision through acquisitions and external investments.   

In making the announcement, Mr. Ripley said, "Mark has positioned himself at the cutting edge of the industry for years as an innovator and thought leader.  During his 20 years with Sinclair, he has worked tirelessly to develop best-in-class broadcast technology and was a creator of the next generation broadcast transmission platform, ATSC 3.0, which is on its way to becoming a global standard."

Mr. Ripley continued, "This is an exciting time for Sinclair as we push forward our vision of 'connecting people with content everywhere.' Scott has been instrumental in bringing transactions to us that increase our reach and content offerings. Scott helped lead our acquisition of the largest regional sports network business in the country that will transform us into a diversified media company."

Mr. Aitken said of the promotion, "I am honored that my leadership and commitment has been recognized, and I will continue to bring fresh ideas that will lead to a more promising future for Sinclair and our industry."

Mr. Shapiro commented, "It has been incredibly fulfilling to watch Sinclair grow and thrive over the past decade – but I am more excited about what we can accomplish in the next ten years."

Mr. Aitken joined Sinclair Broadcast Group in April of 1999. He has served as Vice President of Advanced Technology since July 2011 and prior to that, he served as Director of Advanced Technology. While at Sinclair, Mr. Aitken has become a board member for Saankhya Labs, President of One Media, and Chairman of various industry organizations, appropriately including Advanced Television Systems Committee or ATSC. Mr. Aitken is also the author of many papers dealing with innovative RF product developments, advanced digital broadcast systems, and design-implementation strategies, and holds patents for various RF devices and Next Gen systems. Prior to joining Sinclair, Mr. Aitken had already accrued 25 years of industry experience as both a consultant and engineer. Mr. Aitken began his career as an engineer for Comark.

Mr. Shapiro joined Sinclair in 2011 and after fulfilling various roles in finance, launched the Corporate Development team in 2015 where he was promoted to Vice President in 2016. Previously he worked in Institutional Equity Research at Morgan Stanley and Prudential Equity Group. Mr. Shapiro additionally has an audit and tax background, working for both KPMG LLP and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.  Mr. Shapiro holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Rochester and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business.

About Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
Sinclair is a diversified media company and leading provider of local sports and news. The Company owns and/or operates 22 regional sports network brands; owns, operates and/or provides services to 191 television stations in 89 markets; is a leading local news provider in the country; owns multiple national networks; and has TV stations affiliated with all the major broadcast networks. Sinclair's content is delivered via multiple-platforms, including over-the-air, multichannel 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.

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SOURCE Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.