CHICAGO—Jeff Lilly has been named WGN-TV director of technology effective March 17, 2025, according to Ric Harris, WGN-TV vice president and general manager.

Lilly will be overseeing the day-to-day operations of the engineering department and the Bradley Place facility. He is responsible for all technology for WGN-TV, supporting Nexstar Media Group’s national cable news network NewsNation studios in Chicago, and national multicast networks AntennaTV & RewindTV.

Prior to joining Nexstar's WGN-TV, Lilly spent the past 15 years as the head of broadcast technology, engineering and IT at SJL Broadcast Management in Montecito, Calif.

WGN reported that he has a wealth of knowledge and experience leading high-performing teams in the areas of IT, engineering, broadcast operations, networking, project management, customer service, and people development.

He served as a senior management and IT consultant as associate director for Gartner, Inc., in Stamford CT from 2000 – 2010, where he managed multiple large enterprise transformation program, and conducted analysis, strategy development and deployment of a modernized IT and network infrastructure for various clients including Walmart, AIG Global Investment Services and Amerisource Bergen Pharmaceutical Distribution.

Lilly is a graduate of Berklee College of Music in Boston, with a degree in Music Production and Engineering. He has his MBA from Boston University Questrom School of Management. In addition, he completed the Harvard Law Program on Negotiation Mediation and Dispute Resolution.

WGN-TV is Chicago’s Very Own source for news, entertainment and The CW Network. WGN-TV is owned and operated by Nexstar Media Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Nexstar Media Group, Inc.

More information is available at WGNTV.com.

IRVING, Texas—Nexstar Media Group, Inc. has appointed Ric Harris as vice president and general manager of its broadcast and digital operations in Chicago, Illinois (DMA #3), overseeing the long-range planning and day-to-day management of WGN-TV (CW), WGN-TV+, wgntv.com, and their related mobile and social media channels.

Harris succeeds Paul Rennie, who retired last year. He will assume his new duties immediately and report to Brandin Stewart, senior vice president and regional manager for Nexstar’s broadcasting division.

Harris brings more than 25 years of leadership experience in broadcast management, content development, advertising, marketing, and sales to his new position at Nexstar. Throughout his career, he has consistently grown ratings, revenue and profitability. Harris joins the company following nearly ten years as president and general manager of WCAU-TV (NBC 10), Telemundo62, and NBC Sports Philadelphia, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

“Nexstar is extremely fortunate to have someone with Ric’s talent and experience leading our Chicago media businesses,” said Stewart. “He is a strategic thinker and has been successful everywhere he’s worked by developing a deep connection with local viewers, advertising clients, and his staff. He’s the perfect choice to capitalize on WGN-TV’s strengths and I am looking forward to working with him as he takes on this new role.”

Prior to his time in Philadelphia, Harris served as president and general manager of WVIT-TV in Hartford, Connecticut, from 2013 to 2015. Over the course of his career, he has held a variety of jobs of increasing responsibility at television networks and stations across the country.

“WGN is a powerhouse in local news and the home of high-quality CW programming, including live sports like Xfinity series racing, college football and basketball, and WWE NXT wrestling, as well as original entertainment programs,” said Harris. “WGN has forged a deep connection with Chicago-area viewers and has a legacy of quality programming, special coverage of important local events, and service to the community. When you combine all that with the resources of Nexstar, you create a tremendous opportunity for success.”

Harris has a long history of involvement with community and media industry-related organizations, serving as chairman of Television for the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters, president of the Philly Ad Club, and as a member of the Broadcast Education Association and the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, the Police Athletic League of Greater Philadelphia, and the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Philadelphia.

Harris graduated from John Carroll University in Ohio with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and English, and later earned his Master’s degree in Communications Management from the university.

IRVING, Texas—Nexstar Media Group has announced that its owned  and operated television stations in Chicago, Illinois (DMA #3), Norfolk, Virginia (DMA #43), and Lafayette,  Louisiana (DMA #125), will become affiliates of The CW Network on September 1, 2024. 

On that date, WGN-TV in Chicago, WVBT-TV in Norfolk, and KLFY-TV in Lafayette will start carrying The CW programming

“The addition of these Nexstar-owned stations as affiliates—two of which are among the country’s Top 50 largest markets, highlighted by Chicago, at #3—will bring the number of Nexstar-owned CW stations to 42, covering more than 36% of U.S. TV Households,” said Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar’s  broadcasting division. “As The CW’s #1 affiliate group, Nexstar is very pleased to be bringing the network’s programming to these stations this fall, especially with NASCAR Xfinity series racing and the WWE’s NXT joining a very robust lineup of sports programming, including LIV Golf and ACC college football and  basketball. Adding the CW’s programming to them will offer advertisers a variety of new linear and digital  opportunities to reach millions of viewers.”  

The CW reaches 100% of US households, and delivers a variety of live sports and 14 hours per week of  primetime entertainment programming; beginning in 2025, the network will carry 500 hours of sports  programming. The fully ad-supported CW App, with more than 96 million downloads to date, is available for free to consumers. 

FCC chair Ajit Pai said he has issues with the proposed Sinclair-Tribune merger, raising a big cloud over the deal.

“Based on a thorough review of the record, I have serious concerns about the Sinclair-Tribune transaction. The evidence we’ve received suggests that certain station divestitures that have been proposed to the FCC would allow Sinclair to control those stations in practice, even if not in name, in violation of the law," he said in a statement. "When the FCC confronts disputed issues like these, the Communications Act does not allow it to approve a transaction. Instead, the law requires the FCC to designate the transaction for a hearing in order to get to the bottom of those disputed issues. For these reasons, I have shared with my colleagues a draft order that would designate issues involving certain proposed divestitures for a hearing in front of an administrative law judge.”

Designating a deal for a hearing has been a death knell in the past, but one former FCC official sees a way for Sinclair to address the FCC issues and perhaps head off the hearing.

[Read: Sinclair Prunes Station Holdings To Prepare For Tribune Acquisition]

Pai has been accused by Democrats of favoring the deal, but that was clearly not his message Monday in a highly unusual move for a Republican deregulatory chairman.

Pai already has the vote of Democrat Jessica Rosenworcel, though it is unclear how the other two Republicans would vote. The FCC needs three votes to designate it for hearing, but also to approve it, so the move is obviously a big blow to Sinclair's chances.

Sinclair has been criticized for sidecar deals with spin-off stations that would allow it to keep its hand in, and for the relationship to some of the potential new station owners with existing Sinclair officials.

"The proposed divestitures, which are necessary to bring the Sinclair-Tribune transaction into compliance with the commission’s rules, are sham transactions that enable Sinclair to retain control over the divested assets, albeit under the guise of control by a third party," deal critic Newsmax said last week in pushing back on the deal. "This is most evident regarding the divestiture to Cunningham Broadcasting Group (“Cunningham”) and WGN-TV LLC, both of which have close connections to the controlling shareholders of Sinclair and both of which are receiving very favorable prices for the assets they hope to acquire."

“Today’s announcement is welcome," she said in a statement. "As I have noted before, too many of this agency’s media policies have been custom built to support the business plans of Sinclair Broadcasting. With this hearing designation order, the agency will finally take a hard look at its proposed merger with Tribune. This is overdue and favoritism like this needs to end."

The move means that almost certainly the current appeals court decision on the FCC's restoration of the UHF discount, an FCC decision that paved the way for the Sinclair deal, will be issued before that hearing. If the decision reverses the FCC's restoration of the discount, the deal is hobbled no matter what the FCC Administrative Law Judge decision is.

[Read: Unions Take Aim At Sinclair-Tribune Merger]

Former FCC official and deal supporter Adonis Hoffman thinks there is still hope.

"This is an invitation to the parties to restructure the divestitures," he said. "If the overall deal is in keeping with the company's long-term interests, which I think it its, they could do that in advance of the hearing, and salvage the deal."

"I applaud Chairman Pai’s decision today to designate the Sinclair-Tribune transaction for further review and hearings," said Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy of the chairman's announcement. "Clearly this decision is based on the facts and law--specifically that Sinclair has not complied with requirements set forth by the FCC to promote diversity, localism and competition."

"When Sinclair has been forced to sell stations during previous mergers, it has routinely sold them to family and friends and then signed agreements to control the programming on those stations," said Karl Frisch, executive director of Allied Progress, which opposes thd deal. "The FCC is right to call out this scheme."

“We are pleased that Chairman Pai has circulated an order designating the proposed Sinclair-Tribune merger for a hearing," said Jeff Blum, SVP of public policy and government affairs for Dish. "It is a prudent step to closely scrutinize whether the proposed merger serves the public interest and consumers.”

“The American Cable Association applauds FCC Chairman Pai for seeking the support of the other Commissioners to refer the Sinclair-Tribune transaction and the associated station sales to Fox and others to an Administration Law Judge, an action that’s understood to signal the Commission’s disapproval of the deal," said American Cable Association President Matt Polka. ACA is part of a coalition opposing the deal. "From the beginning, ACA has insisted that the transaction is unlawful and certain to create numerous consumer harms, such as higher retransmission consent fees. It’s well past time for Sinclair to realize that its effort to engage in massive media consolidation has failed and that it should withdraw the transaction without delay so the FCC no longer needs to devote any of its limited resources to a doomed endeavor.”

“We applaud Chairman Pai’s decision to challenge important elements of this transaction," said Phillip Berenbroick, senior policy counsel at Public Knowledge. "The FCC’s merger analysis requires that transactions affirmatively serve the public interest. It was clear at the outset that Sinclair Broadcast Group’s attempt to acquire Tribune Media would harm the public interest and consumers, and decrease diversity and independence in local broadcasting." 

BALTIMORE—While Sinclair signaled Wednesday (Feb. 21) that it will be divesting ownership in WPIX-TV New York and WGN-TV Chicago to get under the FCC's 39 percent ownership cap, it could still be keeping its hand in the number one and number three markets, respectively, where it does not currently own any stations.

Sinclair said it already has a purchase agreement for both stations and both those agreements include services agreements, in which Sinclair could provide some services to the new owner.

The amended deal filed with the FCC includes footnotes on the sales of both WGN and WPIX to the effect that: “The purchase agreement provides that upon closing of the sale of this station, Sinclair will enter into an option and master services agreement [the WGN footnote simply says 'services agreement' or 'agreements,' plural] with the buyer of this station [WPIX], copies of which will be filed as part of the assignment application for such station.”

[FCC IG Agreed to Investigate Pai Handling of Sinclair-Tribune]

One analyst talking on background said a sale of both stations to Cunningham, which already owns a bunch of stations with various management agreements with Sinclair, is a definite possibility.

The FCC as part of its media deregulation efforts scrapped the previous Democratic FCC's advisory on joint agreements, which warned that the FCC viewed them essentially as a way to skirt FCC ownership rules.

This story first appeared on TVT's sister publication B&C.