Mark Fratrik, a longtime face of BIA Advisory Services whose forecasts and commentaries on broadcast business trends are quoted widely, will retire from the company at the end of June.
Nicole Ovadia, vice president, forecasting & analysis, will lead its forecast team.
Fratrik is senior vice president and chief economist of the firm, which he joined 21 years ago. “He will continue as a strategic advisor and analyst to the company, offering continuity for the firm’s forecasting, insights and analytics services,” it said in its announcement.
Fratrik began working in local media research and analysis in the 1980s. He worked for five years at the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Economics, and subsequently was a vice president/economist for the National Association of Broadcasters.“When I look at the accomplishments of BIA over Mark’s 21-year tenure at BIA, there’s a direct correlation between our success and Mark’s dedication and expertise,” said CEO and founder Tom Buono.
Ovadia, who joined BIA this spring, is a former director of the New York State Broadcasters Association. She was with Emmis Communications for 14 years with its corporate Strategy Group and as a vice president for the company’s New York stations. She received her undergraduate degree from Wharton and has an MBA from MIT Sloan.
