Mike Biard, a 23-year veteran of Fox Corp., has been appointed president and chief operating officer of Nexstar, the No. 1 owner of local TV stations in the U.S. and the parent of The CW and NewsNation.He will report to CEO Perry Sook, with current COO Tom Carter staying on as an advisor to the company through the end of the year.In a 23-year run at Fox and its predecessor companies, Biard held exec posts in a range of areas, most recently holding the title of President, Operations and Distribution. In a role with outsized importance given Fox’s reliance on distribution revenue, Biard led distribution, affiliate operations and business affairs for all divisions, including sports, entertainment and news. He steered the company through a number of key renewals in linear and expansions into digital platforms and streaming while also playing a key role in acquiring sports rights and putting them on a profitable path.Fox, in tandem with Nexstar’s announcement, revealed that David Espinosa has been named Biard’s replacement.Espinosa, who most recently served as EVP, Distribution Strategy and Business Affairs, will now report to COO John Nallen.The exec will oversee the company’s multi-platform content distribution for Fox Entertainment, Fox News, Fox Sports and Tubi as well as managing all aspects of distribution with the Fox affiliate stations in more than 200 U.S. TV markets.“We want to thank Mike for his meaningful contributions to Fox throughout his time with us and wish him continued success in his next chapter,” Nallen said. “David has been a valued member of the Fox team for 17 years, and we are confident that his leadership and strategic insight will provide a seamless transition for the distribution team and our partners.”Sook called Biard “a talented, innovative, and deeply experienced media executive who will be a great leader for Nexstar and the senior management team.” He added that Carter had been “a tremendous partner since joining Nexstar, overseeing a period of unprecedented growth and expansion for the company.”
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