IRVING, Texas—Nexstar Media Group has named Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary Elizabeth Ryder to its board of directors.
The move comes as the company faces important legal challenges over its acquisition of Tegna.
Ryder had held the same role from 2017 to 2022, and before that was senior vice president and general counsel. At that time, she oversaw Nexstar’s legal and regulatory efforts related to its 2017 acquisition of Media General and 2019 purchase of Tribune Media. For the past four years, she has been Nexstar’s senior outside legal counsel. She joined Nexstar in 2009.
“We are very pleased to welcome Elizabeth back to Nexstar’s executive team on a full-time basis,” Perry Sook, Nexstar’s founder, chairman and CEO, said. “Her counsel over the past four years has been invaluable. She brings a depth of legal experience unmatched in the media industry, knows Nexstar and its mission intimately, and understands the evolving media landscape as very few do.”
Nexstar also promoted three senior executives to new posts:
- Scott Weaver has been promoted to executive vice president, government relations
- Lindsey Knapp was elevated to executive vice president, human resources and associate general counsel
- Jason Roberts advanced to senior vice president, deputy general counsel and assistant corporate secretary.
Weaver joined Nexstar in 2024 as senior VP, government relations, and has been responsible for setting the company’s legislative and regulatory priorities, representing Nexstar’s interests to the executive branch of the federal government, Congress, and a variety of regulatory bodies. He established Nexstar’s first Office of Government Affairs in Washington, D.C., shortly after joining. He will continue to report directly to Sook.
Knapp had been senior vice president, human resources and associate general counsel, since 2024, directing comprehensive due diligence during mergers and acquisitions and advising on workforce composition, culture and integration issues. She has also managed a variety of organizational changes designed to improve efficiency and productivity and was instrumental in the creation and implementation of Nexstar’s employment law compliance program. Ms. Knapp joined Nexstar in 2022 as VP, human resources and associate general counsel. She will report to President and Chief Operating Officer Michael Biard.
Roberts joined Nexstar as associate general counsel in 2019, following the company’s acquisition of Tribune Media, where he was assistant general counsel for 10 years, overseeing legal matters for approximately one-third of Tribune’s TV station portfolio, negotiating complex commercial contracts and advising on regulatory and content matters. He has had similar responsibilities at Nexstar while also managing the legal aspects of the company’s transition to ATSC 3.0 and establishing its regulatory training programs. Roberts will report to Ryder.
“Scott, Lindsey and Jason are talented and experienced leaders in their respective fields who are deeply committed to Nexstar’s long-term success,” Sook said. “Each of them has a keen understanding of our media businesses and our people, the forces that are shaping the industry and the critical role we play in the communities we serve. We are fortunate to have them as members of our management team.”
