Gray Announces General Manager Retirements and Promotions in Greenville and Charlottesville
In Charlottesville, Virginia, Harold Wright will retire as General Manager of WVIR (NBC) effective January 31, 2020.
Atlanta, Oct. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gray Television, Inc. (“Gray”) (NYSE: GTN) announced today the retirement of two veteran broadcasters. In Greenville-New Bern, North Carolina, Mark Gentner will retire as the General Manager of WITN (NBC) effective November 1, 2019. In Charlottesville, Virginia, Harold Wright will retire as General Manager of WVIR (NBC) effective January 31, 2020. Gray also announced that Ron Henslee will become General Manager of WITN following Mark’s retirement, and David Hughes will become General Manager of WVIR upon Harold’s retirement.
WITN General Manager Mark Gentner joined the station as its General Sales Manager in 2007 after nearly two decades in television, advertising, and marketing. In 2012, Mark assumed his current role and oversaw the final stages of building WITN’s new studio building and the transition of operations to the new facility.
WITN’s incoming General Manager, Ron Henslee, has served as the station’s General Sales Manager for the past seven years. Ron joined Gray Television after serving as Local Sales Manager at WGXA in Macon, Georgia, for nine years. He has worked in broadcast sales and management for 24 years, getting his start in radio before moving into television sales.
Gray proudly recognizes the distinguished 58-year broadcasting career of Harold Wright. After beginning in radio as a college student at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Harold founded WVIR/NBC29 in 1973 and has served as the station’s General Manager for the ensuing 46 years. WVIR is consistently one of the highest rated NBC affiliates in the country. Over the years, Harold has received countless awards for his leadership and community involvement, including the Virginia Association of Broadcasters’ C.T. Lucy Distinguished Service Award this past summer, the Associated Press’ Robert Gallimore Distinguished Service Award in 2018, and the Charlottesville-Albemarle Chamber of Commerce’s Paul Goodloe McIntyre Award for Community Service in 2007. Most recently, he has shepherded the sale and transition of WVIR to Gray Television.
Upon Harold’s retirement early next year, David Hughes will become WVIR’s second ever General Manager. David joins WVIR today as its Station Manager and will work closely with Harold over the next few months. For the past three years, David has been the News Director for Gray’s WDBJ (CBS) in Roanoke, Virginia, during which time the station has doubled the amount of local news it produces and broadcasts. His broadcast career includes stints in Tampa, Florida; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Macon, Georgia.
About Gray:
Gray currently owns and/or operates television stations and leading digital properties in 93 television markets, including the number-one rated television station in 68 markets and the first or second highest rated television station in 87 markets. Gray’s television stations cover approximately 24 percent of US television households and broadcast over 400 separate programming streams, including approximately 150 affiliates of the CBS/NBC/ABC/FOX networks. Gray also owns video program production, marketing, and digital businesses including Raycom Sports, Tupelo-Raycom, and RTM Studios, the producer of PowerNation programs and content. For further information, please visit www.gray.tv.
Attachments
Gray Contacts: Website: www.gray.tv Kevin P. Latek, Executive Vice President, Chief Legal and Development Officer, 404-266-8333
