Biard Named Pres./COO, Nexstar Media Group
• Nexstar Media Group, Inc. announced the appointment of Michael Biard as President & Chief Operating Officer, under an employment agreement that’s effective from August 21, 2023 through August 2027. Biard will succeed Thomas Carter, who has been named Senior Advisor and will support a seamless transition through the end of the year.
Biard will report to Nexstar Chairman & CEO Perry Sook, who remarked, “Tom Carter has been a tremendous partner since joining Nexstar, overseeing a period of unprecedented growth and expansion for the company. We are fortunate that Nexstar will continue to benefit from Tom’s knowledge and expertise as he helps Michael transition into his new role.”
Biard joins Nexstar following 23+ years at Fox Corporation and its predecessor companies, most recently serving as President, Operations and Distribution, overseeing the company’s multi-platform content distribution, distribution strategy, affiliate marketing, and affiliate-related business operations and business affairs for all of its media brands, including FOX Sports, FOX Entertainment, and FOX News. Before joining FOX, Biard was a practicing attorney, earning his law degree from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.
Sook remarked, “Michael is a talented, innovative, and deeply experienced media executive who will be a great leader for Nexstar and the senior management team as we chart the future of the Company. The Board of Directors and I are confident that his vision and judgement will be invaluable as we continue maximizing Nexstar’s shareholder return by furthering the growth of our national brands and audiences, enhancing the value of our spectrum through the additional deployment of ATSC 3.0, and strategically targeting accretive mergers and acquisitions.”
Commenting on his new Nexstar role, Biard said, “Perry, Tom, and the Nexstar Nation have created a company with extraordinary scale and unparalleled financial performance. Nexstar has built a true media powerhouse, with respected national brands like The CW Network, NewsNation, The Hill, and local television stations reaching 68% of the country with high-quality local news and programming. This impressive foundation consistently returns value to Nexstar shareholders, delivering more free cash flow than many older, larger competitors. Nexstar’s strategic approach and disciplined execution will enable further growth and expansion, and I am eager to help lead the way forward. I am grateful to Perry, Tom, and the Board for this opportunity, and I want to express my profound appreciation to my colleagues and close friends at FOX, especially Lachlan Murdoch and John Nallen, for allowing me to pursue it.”
