Craig A. Dubow named President and Chief Executive Officer of Gannett
McLEAN, VA – Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) today announced that its Board of Directors has elected Craig A. Dubow President and Chief Executive Officer of the company effective July 15, 2005. Dubow currently is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Gannett Broadcasting Division.
Douglas H. McCorkindale, Gannett’s Chairman, President and CEO, will continue as the company’s Chairman under his employment agreement whose term ends on July 1, 2006.
Dubow also has been elected to Gannett’s Board of Directors, effective on July 15. With his election, the board will consist of nine members, including McCorkindale.
McCorkindale said: “I am delighted that Craig will be our next CEO. Craig’s integrity, his strong background in our business, his emphasis on high quality news products and strong financial results, his devotion to our employees, and his vision for the future of our company, are second to none. Two years ago the Board asked me to continue with Gannett in part to complete the selection process for our new chief executive. With Craig Dubow’s election, this important duty has been successfully fulfilled. The succession process was very thorough and it has paid off with exactly the right decision for Gannett’s future.”
“Craig has all the skills a 21st Century media CEO should have, from highly successful management experience and broad-based knowledge of the digital world to the vision and energy of a top-notch leader. He represents all the best of Gannett and is the perfect choice to be the company’s new CEO,” McCorkindale said.
Dubow has successfully directed Gannett’s industry-leading Broadcasting Group of 21 television stations, several of which consistently rank among the top-rated stations in the nation. During the past two years, Dubow also has been responsible for Gannett’s company-wide information technology operations. Since 2001, Dubow has been a member of the Gannett Management Committee, the senior management group at Gannett responsible for overall strategy for all company operations. As a member of the GMC, Dubow has been heavily involved in cross-divisional initiatives and strategic planning.
Karen Hastie Williams, the Presiding Director of the Gannett Board said: “The Gannett Board is very pleased that it has such a highly qualified executive to become Gannett’s sixth chief executive officer. Craig Dubow is the ideal person to lead Gannett into new opportunities, while continuing to grow our core newspaper and broadcasting operations.”
“I am eager to lead Gannett through this important time of transition in our new, digital world,” Dubow said. “The strength of Gannett’s traditional businesses will provide the base for our future growth in new technologies and changing ways to deliver our news and information for our readers, viewers and advertisers. Our strength comes from our core First Amendment values, our devotion to customer service, and our people. I especially want each of our 53,000 employees to know how important their passion and creativity are to Gannett’s continuing success.”
Roger L. Ogden named President and CEO of Gannett Broadcasting Division
Also today, and effective July 15, 2005, the Gannett Board of Directors named Roger L. Ogden President and CEO of the Broadcasting Division, succeeding Dubow. Ogden currently is Senior Vice President of Gannett Broadcasting and President and General Manager of K*USA-TV, Gannett’s station in Denver, positions he has held since 1999. As a Senior Vice President of the division, Ogden oversees Gannett’s stations in Atlanta, Cleveland, Denver, Phoenix, Washington, and Sacramento, as well as The Captivate Network. Ogden will join the Gannett Management Committee.
“Having a seasoned broadcaster with Roger’s credentials ready to step into this key role demonstrates the depth of Gannett’s talent,” Dubow said. “Roger is an experienced manager, a respected industry leader, and a talented strategist and visionary. His long experience with our broadcasters makes him an ideal choice to head the division.”
Biographical Information:
Craig Dubow. Dubow, 50, has served Gannett for 24 years in positions of increasing responsibility. He started in the broadcasting business in production and advertising sales at KPRC-TV, in Houston, Texas. Dubow began his career with Gannett in 1981 in advertising sales at Gannett’s Denver station, K*USA-TV. He held various advertising sales positions at that station before being promoted to General Sales Manager at KVUE-TV, Gannett’s station in Austin, Texas, in 1987. In 1988, Dubow was promoted to Vice President/Station Manager of KVUE-TV, and later that year he was promoted to Vice President/General Manager of the station. In 1990 he was named President and General Manager of KVUE-TV. In 1992, he was named President and General Manager of WXIA-TV, Gannett’s NBC affiliate in Atlanta. He was given added responsibilities as Executive Vice President of Gannett Television in 1996. In 2000, he was promoted to President of the Gannett Broadcasting Division and in 2001 he was named President and CEO of Gannett Broadcasting.
Dubow serves on the boards of directors of the National Association of Broadcasters, The Association for Maximum Service Television, Inc., and BMI (Broadcast Music Inc.).
Dubow is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He and his wife Denise have three children.
Roger Ogden. Ogden, 60, began his broadcast career in Denver, Colorado at the age of 13. In 1967, he joined Gannett’s Denver station KBTV-TV (now K*USA-TV), where he worked in various news capacities until 1977, when he was named News Director of WLKY-TV, Gannett’s Louisville station. He returned to KBTV in 1978 as News Director. In 1981 he became general manager of a non-Gannett station in Denver. In 1995, Ogden moved to NBC as President and Managing Director of NBC Europe. In 1997, Ogden returned to Gannett as President and General Manager of K*USA-TV. In 1999 he was named Senior Vice President of Gannett Broadcasting and a member of the Gannett Broadcast Operating Committee.
Ogden was named Manager of the Year by Gannett in January, 2005. This award honors top leaders in the company for their management skills, creativity and results.
Ogden is married with two children, and currently lives in Greenwood Village, CO.
Additional information is available on www.gannett.com.
Gannett Co., Inc. is a leading international news and information company that publishes 102 daily newspapers in the USA, including USA TODAY, the nation’s largest-selling daily newspaper. The company also owns more than 800 non-daily publications in the USA and USA WEEKEND, a weekly newspaper magazine. Gannett subsidiary Newsquest is the United Kingdom’s second largest regional newspaper company. Newsquest publishes more than 300 titles, including 17 daily newspapers, and a network of prize-winning Web sites. Gannett operates 21 television stations in the United States and is an Internet leader with sites sponsored by its TV stations and newspapers including USATODAY.com, one of the most popular news sites on the Web.
For media inquiries, contact:
Tara Connell
Vice President of Corporate Communications
(703) 854-6049
tjconnel@gannett.com
For investor inquiries, contact:
Jeff Heinz
Director, Investor Relations
(703) 854-6917
jheinz@gannett.com